Papatango Theatre Company and Pentabus have announced the full casts and creative teams for the UK premieres of The Silence and The Noise by Tom Powell and Birdcatcher by Laura Waldren.
The productions form part of an ongoing collaboration between the two companies, supporting emerging playwrights and bringing new writing to audiences across the UK at a time when touring theatre continues to face significant challenges.
The Silence and The Noise, winner of the 2021 Papatango New Writing Prize, stars Deborah Olat as Daize and Joe Dolan as Ben. The play, which began life as an audio drama during the pandemic before being adapted for screen, will open at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury before touring to Bristol Old Vic, Chichester Festival Theatre’s Minerva Theatre and London’s Park Theatre.
The story follows two neglected teenagers whose unlikely connection offers hope amid difficult circumstances, exploring friendship, resilience and the possibility of changing the course of their lives.
George Turvey returns to direct the production, having previously overseen the original audio version. The creative team includes Stella Backman as set and costume designer, Si Cole as lighting designer and Asaf Zohar as composer and sound designer.
Tom Powell said: “Ben and Daize are very close to my heart, and I’m delighted Joe and Deborah will be bringing them to the stage, with all their tenderness, spikiness, and humour. The play has come to mean even more to me over the last year, since the death of my brother, and the campaigning I’ve done with my family in his memory. I’m glad to have a cast who can hold the lightness and joy in this story, as well as its weight.”
Director George Turvey added: “I’m delighted to be working with Deborah and Joe on Tom’s wonderfully subtle yet hopeful play. Ben and Daize have a wit, warmth and resourcefulness that transcend their circumstances. I can’t wait to get into rehearsals and explore their relationship together.”
Meanwhile, Birdcatcher, winner of the 2023 Papatango Prize, will receive its UK premiere with Lucy Mangan taking on the role of Eliza. Directed by Pentabus Artistic Director Elle While, the production opens at Middle Child’s venue on Humber Street before embarking on a rural tour and later returning for further performances in spring 2027.
Set in East Yorkshire, Birdcatcher is a darkly comic drama about a teenage girl growing up inside a doomsday cult, examining the realities of religious high-control groups and the search for identity in a world that appears to be ending.
The creative team includes Amy Jane Cook as designer, Jessie Addinall as lighting designer, Helen Skiera as sound designer and Asha Jennings-Grant as movement director.
Laura Waldren said: “I feel so lucky to have someone as phenomenally talented as Lucy playing this character. She’s a thrilling, fascinating actor to watch, both effortlessly funny and totally heart-breaking, and it’s a privilege to watch her bring the story to life.”
Elle While commented: “It’s wonderful to welcome Lucy Mangan to Pentabus to play Eliza. Her presence is electric and the rigour, wit and heart she is bringing to the room will ignite Laura’s complicated, funny and deeply human play. It’s a real privilege to bring Birdcatcher to the stage for the first time, and particularly to be taking Laura’s play home to Hull and across rural communities before reaching more audiences throughout the UK.”
Both productions continue Papatango and Pentabus’ commitment to championing new voices, with each writer having previously been recognised through the Papatango New Writing Prize and Pentabus’ writer development programmes.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
