Elysium Theatre Company and Andy Jordan Productions have announced the London premiere of The Moth at the Finborough Theatre, following an award-winning, sell-out Northern tour.
Written by Paul Herzberg and directed by Jake Murray, the production runs from 27 October to 21 November 2026, with press performances on 29 and 30 October.
Inspired by a true story, The Moth follows a chance meeting on a train between John, a Black British journalist, and Marius, a White South African ex-soldier, which sparks a decades-long reckoning with the past.
As their lives become entangled over thirty years, the play builds towards a final confrontation played out in front of television cameras, exploring race, war, trauma and the limits of forgiveness.
The production stars Micky Cochrane as Marius Muller and Faz Singhateh as John Josana, with a recorded cameo from Adjoa Andoh as John’s mother.
The play was originally developed from a short video monologue that reached over 30,000 views and went on to be selected for 26 festivals worldwide, winning the Kwanzaa Film Festival Best Monologue Award in New York.
Its stage adaptation toured the North in 2025 to critical acclaim, playing venues including Live Theatre Newcastle, The Lowry Salford and Shakespeare North Playhouse, and earning Micky Cochrane the Best Performance award at the North-East Culture Theatre Awards.
Playwright Paul Herzberg said, “The Moth looks at racism through the eyes of two men in the present, who are forced to confront their troubled past after a chance encounter. It explores the nature of forgiveness: What it really is; Who has the right to confer it; Whether it has any meaning in the context of human progress.”
Director Jake Murray added, “I was astonished at the response to the play as it toured northern England. Audiences were hungry to be pulled into the world of these two men and wanted to talk about how it related to the present state of our world. It often incited fiery and stimulating discussion after a performance. I’m thrilled we’re now sharing it with London audiences.”
The creative team includes set and costume design by Amelia Mitchell, and sound, music, projections and film by Paul C Clark, with projections also by Amelia Mitchell.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
