Following acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Arcola Theatre, Vermin returns to London this September, playing at Park Theatre’s Park90 studio from 9–20 September.
Written by Benny Ainsworth and directed by Michael Parker, Vermin is a sardonic horror story that explores the fragility of love and the haunting persistence of grief. The play follows Billy and Rachel, whose whirlwind romance begins with a stranger’s suicide attempt and descends into macabre obsession as a rat infestation in their home begins to scratch at deeper emotional wounds.
Sally Paffett reprises her OffWestEnd Award-winning role as Rachel, alongside Benny Ainsworth as Billy. Their performances were previously praised for their intensity and emotional depth, with The Stage calling the production “an unsettling but compelling experience… uses horror as a way of exploring grief and the way loss can undo you.” ★★★★.
Vermin will be presented as part of a double bill with (God Save My) Northern Soul, a dark comedy about love, loss and Northern soul music.
Playwright Benny Ainsworth said, “Attention spans are shorter than ever, so I wanted to write a piece about grief and madness to go off like machine gun fire – and keep a modern theatre audience entertained from start to finish. Horror digs its claws in deepest when a populous develops a mutual fear. In an age of connectivity, we are experiencing and fearing a new type of isolation as a species. Vermin’s themes are now more relevant than ever, and I can’t wait for its horror and heartbreak to capture a new audience.”
Triptych Theatre, founded by Michael Parker, Sally Paffett, and Benny Ainsworth, has been creating original work since graduating from East 15 in 2014. Their previous productions include An Audience with Stuart Bagcliffe. Vermin was a finalist for Best New Play and Lead Performance in a Play at the OffWestEnd Awards, winning Lead Performance for Sally Paffett.
Park Theatre continues to champion emerging voices through its Park90 space, while also hosting major productions in Park200. The venue has enjoyed multiple West End and National Theatre transfers, and was recently awarded Theatre of the Year by The Stage.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
