Morgan Watkins stars as Tate in the UK première of Neil LaBute’s How to Fight Loneliness at Park Theatre. This timely new play, directed by Lisa Spirling, delves into the complexities of human relationships when faced with a devastating crisis.
The production reunites LaBute with producer Trish Wadley and director Lisa Spirling, promising a compelling and thought-provoking experience for audiences. Watkins, alongside Archie Backhouse and Justina Kehinde, brings depth and nuance to this dark and dazzling narrative.
How to Fight Loneliness runs until 24 May 2025 at Park Theatre.
You’re appearing in How to Fight Loneliness at Park Theatre. What can you tell us about the show?
This is an exhilarating, tragic and provocative play. It asks the darkest questions whilst charging through a battle of egos and souls. The dark humour is unavoidable throughout yet when forced to take a breath you feel as if you might cry.
How did you prepare for your role as Tate in this production?
I try to find the authenticity in his peculiarity. He is unconventional and lives by his own code. I try to listen to who he is or who he thinks he is by allowing the text to reveal that to me. He has a very troubled past yet a deeply pragmatic and driven way of dealing with the tragedy of existence.
What is it like working with director Lisa Spirling and the rest of the cast?
Lisa is a brilliant director. She is fun, deeply considerate and open. The other actors are truly fantastic and reveal more to me about the play and the characters every time I get the opportunity to rehearse/perform with them.
Neil LaBute’s plays often tackle complex themes. What do you think audiences will take away from How to Fight Loneliness?
Well… they will have be hauled through a thrilling examination of what it means to be confronted with the most tragic questions possible. But… they will have had some great laughs along the way.
Can you share any memorable moments or challenges you faced during rehearsals?
Lisa does a brilliant game called ‘push and pull’ and we all had fun with that, trying to understand the embodied and connected nature of scene work. The challenge has been learning all the lines to be quite honest.
Labute writes these brilliant but huge sprawling scenes/acts that are full of subtle speech mannerisms and repetition. So remembering that all whilst wrestling with the deep emotional challenges the characters are under has been a laborious and intensely challenging process.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see How to Fight Loneliness?
Please book. It’s really quite something. This feels like the type of play I wish there was more of. Uncompromising, provocative and brave. There is no moral lecture here just a cold and provocative examination of real humans battling with some of the toughest questions we could ever have to consider. There are no simple answers, just merely humans trying their best to survive in any way they can when confronted with tragedy. The writing is superb and the actors are exceptional. 😉
