First look rehearsal images are released for The Gift at Park Theatre starring Laura Haddock (Myrna Dalgleish in Downton Abbey: A New Era, Meredith Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy, Alison in The Inbetweeners Movie) and Nicholas Burns (the title character in sitcom Nathan Barley, ITV comedy series Benidorm).
Completing the cast is Alex Price, who plays series regular Sid Carter in Father Brown and originated the role of Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child both in the West End and on Broadway.
When Colin opens up an unexpected mystery package, a cake box from his favourite patisserie, and what’s inside turns out to be very much not a cake, it begins a series of events that take him deep into the murky waters of past transgression and modern-day vengeance. At first confused, bemused and more than a little appalled, Colin quickly descends into a spiral of questions, suspicions and accusations as he frantically tries to figure out who would send him such a thing. The Gift is an irreverent comedy asking what can you do when someone seriously tries to upset your applecart? Should you see the funny side and let it go, or smoke out the perpetrator and make them pay? Written by Dave Florez (Fringe First winner for Somewhere Beneath), it’s directed by Adam Meggido (Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Magic Goes Wrong, co-creator of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical).
With Colin battling all-new levels of existential angst it isn’t long before he is trawling through his entire life – turning everything over – convinced that he can channel Poirot and unmask the offending sender. But as his sister Lisa and her husband Brian desperately scramble to save him from heading down this particularly murky rabbit-hole Colin’s appetite for vigilante justice shows no signs of abating – and his list of possible suspects has gotten way out of control.
