Fifth Word and Nottingham Playhouse present James Fritz’s Lava, a multi-award winning team join forces for the first UK tour of this hopeful, moving and humorous four-hander, set in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Focusing on the stages of grief and the ways we find to cope, exploring love, friendship and human connection, Lava is set in the aftermath of a natural disaster which has struck London. The production, a co-production from bold new writing company Fifth Word and Nottingham Playhouse, has an added poignancy in light of our experiences during the pandemic.
In a small town far from the capital, a young man called Vin can no longer speak. Is it shock? Grief? Or something else? While Vin’s mum Vicky is struggling with a loss of her own, his friend Rach is determined to help him find a way out of silence. But when Rach’s family take in a charismatic and articulate survivor of the asteroid disaster, who thinks talking – or even singing – about your suffering is the way to heal, Vin’s plight is suddenly eclipsed.
Lava considers what happens to those who can’t express themselves in a world that celebrates self-expression, and looks at the lengths we will go to to make sense of our sadness.
Originally due to tour in May 2020, the production was postponed due to the pandemic and will now open in London before touring nationally.
Previously announced cast, including Ex-Eastenders and Grantchester star Kacey Ainsworth (Vicky), Dan Parr (Vin) and Fred Fergus (Jamie) are confirmed for the 2022 run, with a new cast member playing the role of Rach to be announced soon.
Writer James Fritz said: “We’ve waited a long time for this. We were supposed to share Lava with audiences back in 2020, before the pandemic, so I’m excited to see how people respond to the play in the very different world of 2022. At its heart Lava is about four people looking for healing and connection in the wake of a national tragedy, which feels like a good story to be telling after everything we’ve been through. But more importantly, Fifth Word’s production is so funny, hopeful and full of beautiful moments that I can’t wait for people to see it. It’s been a long time coming.”
Fifth Word’s Laura Ford said: “Fifth Word commission work that tells the stories of people who often find themselves on the margins or struggle to be heard, and with LAVA this is literally the case. LAVA tells the story of Vin, a young man who stops talking in the wake of a catastrophic disaster, and who is struggling to make sense of his feelings in a world that feels out of control. Unbelievably, this piece was commissioned before the pandemic, so audiences will be watching through a different lens to its premiere in 2018. But this play feels so right for now and will be more pertinent than ever, asking questions around how a seismic global event ripples through our everyday lives and emotions, how we begin to process a tragedy that can feel distant and unfathomable, and whether some people’s grief or sadness has more legitimacy than others.
“At a time when the world feels unpredictable and sometimes terrifying, LAVA shows that there is also hope, resolve, humour, and a sense that anything is possible. At the very heart of this play is a story about love, friendship and an asteroid-shaped hole.”
Fifth Word work to commission writers they believe will be part of the next mighty wave of playwrights leading the way in British Theatre. They are currently working with Mufaro Makubika on a brand new adaptation of a Man Booker shortlisted novel We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo, and with Sophie Ellerby and Sonali Bhattacharyya on two new plays in development; demonstrating their commitment to seeing more commissions and productions for female playwrights, regional playwrights and playwrights of colour.
