THESE GIRLS today announce Bible John, written by Caitlin McEwan and directed by Lizzie Manwaring, will be returning to London following a short run at The Pleasance, Islington last year. The production opens at Vault Festival on 13 February, with previews from 12 February, running until 16 February.
1969 at the Barrowlands Ballroom in Glasgow, three women are murdered by an Old Testament-quoting serial killer, later nicknamed Bible John. He has never been caught.
In 2019, four temps discover they share a morbid obsession with true crime, and with one podcast in particular: a reinvestigation into the Bible John murders by American journalist Carrie LaRue. As their fascination takes hold, they immerse themselves into the world of 1960s Glasgow, in an attempt to solve the case once and for all.
Partly a retelling of one of Scotland’s darkest unsolved crimes, and partly an interrogation into the ethics of true crime as entertainment, Bible John is a riotous, furious, joyful exploration into violence and gender.
Caitlin McEwan today said "After a successful debut at The Pleasance, aided by the generous support of the Charlie Hartill Theatre Reserve, I’m so excited to bring a bolder, more furious and ambitious version of Bible John to London, and I can’t think of a more suitable venue than the eerie tunnels of The Vaults. The programme at Vault Festival is always comprised of fearless new voices asking big, tricky questions in interesting ways, so to be a part of it this year feels so exciting, and I’m really looking forward to reaching new audiences with this play and exploring the complicated ethical relationship to true crime that many of us share."
Caitlin McEwan’s previous work includes Harry (Kings Head, Underbelly Cowgate) and Thick Skin – for which she won the Samuel French New Play Award 2017 (New Diorama Theatre, Paines Plough Roundabout). In 2018, she was longlisted for The Old Vic 12, shortlisted for the Adopt A Playwright Award, and received a bursary from Paines Plough as part of The Big Room. Harry and Thick Skin have both been published by Oberon Books, who will also publish Bible John in 2020. She currently has a TV drama series, The Push, optioned by Studio21, and is participating in an invitational writers’ group at the Royal Court Theatre, led by Leo Butler.
Lizzie Manwaring directs. Her previous credits include The Woman Who Gave Birth To A Goat (Camden People’s Theatre) and WAGGO (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017). Previous assistant directing credits include Unknown Rivers (Hampstead Theatre), A New and Better You (The Yard) and Femage A Trois (Loquitur Theatre). She is currently Resident Assistant Director at Hampstead Theatre where she is being mentored by Roxana Silbert as part of her MFA in Theatre Directing at Birkbeck.
Director: Lizzie Manwaring; Lighting & Video Designer: Rachel Sampley; Sound Designer: Rachael Murray; Movement Director: Laurie Ogden
Bible John
Vault Festival – Forge
Leake St, Lambeth, London, SE1 7NN
Box Office: 0208 050 9241
vaultfestival.com
12 February – 16 February
Press night: Thursday 13 February 2020, 9pm
Tickets £13.50, with £12.50 previews
Performances are at 9pm, with a 4:30pm matinee on Saturday 15 February
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