Bringing to life Philip Ridley’s thrilling, heart-breaking, and at times darkly humorous play Vincent River, for a limited three week run, Greenwich Theatre presents their second in-house production of 2023. The Staging of Vincent River affirms Greenwich Theatre’s continued return to producing, following their recent in-house productions by Caryl Churchill, Michael Frayn and Mike Bartlett.
Hate crime, prejudice and the redemptive power of storytelling come together in Ridley’s tense game of cat and mouse set in London’s East End. Vincent River powerfully examines the things we broadcast about ourselves and the things we strive to hide. This modern classic proved to be a huge success when it premiered in 2000 and was a West End smash hit in 2007 & 2018. The multi award-winning playwright, Philip Ridley’s plays have become synonymous with some of the greatest pieces of contemporary theatre in the last century. Vincent River is now seen as one of the most powerful explorations of hate crime ever written.
Starring Kerrie Taylor as Anita (TV – Hollyoaks, Where The Heart Is, The Bay) (Stage – Bad Nights and Odd Days and The Dumb Waiter and A Slight Ache at Greenwich Theatre) and Brandon Kimaryo as Davey (Studying at Guilford School of Acting) (BBC Film – Searching for Cowardice).
Artistic Director, James Haddrell says “Philip Ridley’s voice is unique in theatre, fusing the heart breaking realism of a contemporary dramatist with the symbolism of a visual artist and the lyricism of a poet. I’m so thrilled to be bringing this story back to the stage – and to have Philip on hand both in and out of the rehearsal room to make sure we tell the story the way he intended.”
Throughout the run of Vincent River, Greenwich Theatre will be collecting donations for AKT; a charity that supports lgbtq+ young people aged 16-25 in the uk who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment. Greenwich Theatre will also be platforming artists from the LGBTQ+ community, who will be performing in their bar/studio every Saturday night of the run.
Vincent River by Philip Ridley is at Greenwich Theatre Friday 23rd June – Saturday 15th July, 2023 tickets are on sale at greenwichtheatre.org.uk