Monique Ashe-Palmer (Six, Vaudeville Theatre; Waitress, Adelphi Theatre and National Tour) joins Yasmin Taheri (Royal Shakespeare Company), Joseph Ayer (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, National Theatre and Gielgud Theatre) and Sian Breckin (Royal Court Theatre, Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, Bush Theatre, Arcola Theatre, The Old Vic) in the world premiere of £1 Thursdays from rising star Kat Rose-Martin (Kay Mellor Fellow, BBC Writers Room, Sky Comedy Rep).
£1 Thursdays is a new coming of age story set in 2012, which captures and celebrates the trials and tribulations of what it means to be young, Northern and working class, when for one Vodka-blurred second, you’re allowed to forget everything else. An expressive and honest portrait of the lives of so many young britains on the cusp of possible opportunity… AND DANCING.
Monique Ashe-Palmer (Six, Vaudeville Theatre; Waitress, Adelphi Theatre and National Tour) and Yasmin Taheri (Henry VI Parts II and III, The Merchant of Venice, Tartuffe and Tamburlaine, all Royal Shakespeare Company) play Stacey and Jen, 17 year-olds who have been best friends, since forever. Stacey dreams of being a dancer, whilst Jen is Oxbridge-smart. Yet all ‘smart’ gives her is the ability to see that there’s no use trying to change the story prewritten for her, growing up in an underfunded and forgotten Bradford in the 2010s.
Their one escape is Club Ocean on a Thursday Night and the freedom it brings. Freedom from controlling boyfriends, menopausal mums and the dreaded finality of having to leave school. The Freedom to get messy, peel themselves off pavements, and wake up knowing they’d pulled someone last night and hoping they were at least a 6 out of 10.
Completing the cast of £1 Thursdays is Joseph Ayre (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the National Theatre and The Cask of Amontillado at the Old Red Lion Theatre) and Sian Breckin (Yen at the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester; Geisha Girls at the Bush Theatre and But I CD Only Whisper at the Arcola Theatre).
£1 Thursdays is written by Bradford born and based playwright and actor Kat Rose-Martin, recipient of the inaugural Kay Mellor Fellowship and Royal Television Society nominee. She has also worked with BBC Writers Room and Sky Comedy Rep – a writer’s scheme with Birmingham Rep and Sky TV. Her acting credits include productions at Shakespeare’s Globe, Paines Plough, Sheffield Theatres and Leeds Playhouse whilst her writing has featured on Holby City, The Dumping Ground, Waterloo Road and the forthcoming Beyond Paradise and Dinosaur (all BBC).
The play is directed by Vicky Moran, whose previous work includes No Sweat (Pleasance London), Nomad (Tramshed), Khojaly (Union Theatre), In the Net (Jermyn Street Theatre) and Life in the UK (Theatre503), alongside Assistant Direction on Cathy (National Tour for Cardboard Citizens).
£1 Thursdays is at the Finborough Theatre from 28 November – 22 December
