From the writer of In Conversation with Graham Norton, Simon Perrott brings his honest and heart wrenching reflection on queer love to The Pleasance this February. A romantic tragedy for our times, Kissed by a Flame is a window into the final months of that once- in-a-lifetime kind of love.
Kissed by a Flame is peppered with beautiful, tragic, and bittersweet moments that will bind audiences together in this deep exploration of grief. Jamie knows what it’s like to live without the love of your life: Teddy has been dead 11 years. Everything acts as small reminders to Jamie of Teddy’s long-gone, but not forgotten, presence.
Having never fully recovered from Teddy’s death, Jamie has unboxed Teddy’s diary from that final 18-month period, with all the grief and unresolved issues that come with it.
It’s time to close this chapter of his life. Inspired by events from Perrott’s own life, the writer’s hope is that anyone going through difficult times can find solace in the play’s message. Audiences will join Jamie as he explores his own grief, and the struggle in finding comfort and inner peace when coping with love and loss. Having written the show back in 2017, Kissed by a Flame was Perrott’s first published play and offers a sentimental insight into the soundtrack of his life.
Kissed by a Flame is directed by James Callàs Ball (A Christmas Carol, The Royal Shakespeare Company; The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, UK and Ireland Tour) Associate Director for The RSC, as he returns to the iconic Islington venue.
Joining him will be Alexander Moneypenny (Boy in the Dress, The Royal Shakespeare Company) as Assistant Director, with Set and Costume Design from Jack Valentine (Into the Woods, Theatre Royal Bath; Bugsy Malone, UK Tour).
The Lighting Design is by Rebecca Lyon (Blud, Etcetera Theatre).
Writer Simon Perrott comments, Kissed by a Flame was inspired by a time in my life when I lost my partner and examines how I dealt, or didn’t deal with my grief. I hope that people who see this play will take three things from it. There is no right or wrong way to deal with grief, nobody has the perfect road map. No matter how dark life may see at times, there is always some light up ahead. We are never truly alone if we keep love in our hearts. They seem like terribly obvious platitudes, but we sometimes can’t see the obvious, especially when we are going through difficult times.
Kissed by a Flame is at The Pleasance Wednesday 1 st February – Saturday 11th February 2023
