Interview: S. Asher Gelman on Afterglow at Southwark Playhouse

S. Asher Gelman is the writer of international hit Afterglow, which opens at Southwark Playhouse Borough on 12 January 2024.

After sell-out runs in 2019 at Southwark Playhouse and Waterloo East Theatre, and following extended runs in New York, Madrid, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City, this new staging comes to London, directed by creator Gelman himself.

The cast comprises Peter McPherson (currently appearing as Gareth in Hollyoaks, stage credits include Sweet Charity – Manchester Royal Exchange, Goodbye Norma Jean – Park Theatre)  as Josh, James Nicholson (stage credits include Les Miserables – West End, Cinderella Nottingham Playhouse) as Darius and Victor Hugo (film credits include Gemini Man – Paramount, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them – Warner Bros) as Alex.  Paddy Cavendish (stage credits include Swimming – The White Bear, Labyrinth and Ilyad – The Almeida) will understudy each of the roles.

Your hit play Afterglow is returning to London, how would you describe the show?

Afterglow is a play about three men who attempt to navigate their complicated and complex relationships with each other and themselves, and how they ultimately lack the tools, vocabulary, and experience to do so sensitively, ethically, and frankly, honestly. 

The play explores concepts and ideas I’d never seen onstage before (which, ultimately, is why I wrote it).  Our team has created some exquisitely beautiful stage pictures, including (but certainly not limited to) an onstage shower.  And yes, there is a bit of nudity in it as well, so there is truly something for everyone (unless, you know, that’s not your thing…).

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What inspired you to write it?

Nearly a decade ago, shortly after my husband and I opened our relationship, I entered into an extra-marital romantic relationship that nearly torpedoed my marriage.  Through great difficulty, my husband and I were able to navigate through that situation, which ultimately strengthened our marriage. 

A few years later, I decided to (in the words of the late, great Carrie Fisher) “take my broken heart and make it into art”.  Afterglow launched my career, and I couldn’t be more proud of it and its journey.  It is worth noting that, much like the character Josh (who is based on me), I also have two primary partners – my husband Mati of 14 years and my partner Stefano of three years.  I am so proud of the family the three of us have built together. 

I learned that transparency, honesty, and communication (especially about complicated feelings) are essential elements of any relationship, whether it be with one other person or multiple people.

It’s been staged all over the world, why do you think audiences relate to it so much?

Afterglow, at its heart, is about connection.  It’s about trust and communication, and what happens when that breaks down.  Ultimately, that is the source of all conflict, and conflict is certainly something audiences can relate to.

And you’ll be directing for this new London staging, what are you enjoying most about directing your own work?

I was a director and choreographer long before I became a playwright.  I performed those roles on both the Off-Broadway and Los Angeles productions with Afterglow’s original creative team, who have reunited for a third time for this London production. 

For me, it’s about taking an idea from its inception, nurturing and developing it, and finally, creating a fully-realised world with a spectacularly talented group of artists.  We get to take full advantage of every aspect of storytelling through every aspect of performance.  I love building worlds, playing in them, and sharing them with others.  I love bringing these characters and their worlds to life.

And what’s the biggest challenge?

I wear many hats on this production.  As such, it can be a bit overwhelming – in addition to eight-hour rehearsal days, I have back to back meetings about this and other productions that usually keep me working past midnight (hence the name of my production company, “Midnight Theatricals”.  Luckily, I have an incredible support network, both professionally and personally.  I honestly don’t know how I could possibly do this without such an incredible team.  I am deeply indebted to them.

What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Afterglow?

Tickets are selling fast and the run is limited to only four weeks (with no option for an extension), so the longer they think, the lower their chances become to actually see the show (and I’d strongly recommend seeing it, though I may be slightly biased).  Take a friend, a lover (or two or three or four) and spend 90 minutes in our theatre while some of the most incredibly talented artists I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with take you on a beautiful, raw, and poignant journey.

Afterglow by S. Asher Gelman runs at Southwark Playhouse Borough from 12 January to 10 February.  For more information and tickets please visit  https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk