Park Theatre has announced five new shows for their Summer 2024 season, with additions including two new Make Mine A Double performances exploring themes of identity, desire and lifestyle in small places, a kids comedy show about dreaming for the whole family and a revival of one of August Strindberg’s most famous dramas, Miss Julie. The venue also welcomes award-winning comedian Ivo Graham with his new theatre show that aims to move or confuse its audience.
The Make Mine a Double programme presents double bills of shows that aims to give theatre makers a lower-cost and lower-risk way of producing new work in the Finsbury Park venue, as well as offering multi-buy tickets to encourage local audiences to see compelling new work. Following The Light House and Sun Bear in April, two new shows have been added for May: Cold Water (14 May – 1 June, Park90) is a play about wanting things so much you can’t do anything about them. After university, Emma moves back with her parents in Hertfordshire, and gets a job at her old school, assisting in the Drama department. Before long, she’s spending every day in the studio with Matt, her boss, and Emma feels her life starting to change. In Sniff (14 – 24 May, Park90) two strangers meet in a pub toilet in a small town that no one cares about. Liam, struggling with addiction and money troubles, and Alex, cloaked in a Hugo Boss suit and the pride of a job in Canary Wharf. However, as the door locks, and time clocks, a dark connection begins to unearth itself.
In Park200, following a sell-out run and critical acclaim at Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Mr Sleepybum (28 May – 2 June) is a high-energy interactive kids show that the whole family will enjoy. Filled with fun and physical comedy, the character explores the most stupid dreams we have at night in a circus of silly sketches, re-enacting dream sequences from swimming with Sharks, to solving the mystery of a stolen chocolate cake, to dodging balls in the guide of the Cowboy Ball-Dodger.
A theatre show from award winning comedian Ivo Graham, Carousel (4 – 7 June) is a searingly direct, exquisitely soundtracked exploration of the places in his life that he aches to revisit again. Inspired by a quote from Mad Men, the show steps away from the frivolity of his stand-up and invites the audience to delve into the story of his life.
Next, long time collaborators Lidless Theatre return to Park90, this time with a revival of August Strindberg’s masterpiece Miss Julie (7 June – 6 July). Grippingly funny and beguilingly dangerous, the drama examines sex, power, gender and control in Sweden on Midsummer’s Eve, 1888. It’s hot, the sun isn’t going to set, and the flowers are in full bloom. While The Count is away, the servants dance through the night. Amidst the festivities is Miss Julie… wilder than the rest. The run follows two sell-out runs of Philip Ridley’s Leaves of Glass at Park Theatre.
The shows join the two previously announced shows in Park Theatre’s summer season: A Song of Songs in Park200 (9 May – 15 June) is a musical play from an unprecedented collaboration of international artists, winner of The San Francisco Critics Award for the best new production. A Song of Songs fuses a world music score, Middle Eastern harmonics, dazzling choreography and an inspiring story of passion and awakening. In The Marilyn Conspiracy (19 Jun – 27 Jul, Park200), Vicki McKellar teams up with Olivier Award-winning director Guy Masterson in a meticulously researched thriller about the five hours after the death of Marilyn Monroe. All the facts are revealed, lies exposed, the myths debunked, and the shocking truth of what happened in those missing five hours is laid bare on stage.
Park Theatre presents exceptional theatre in the heart of Finsbury Park, boasting two world-class performance spaces: Park200 for predominantly larger scale productions by established talent, and Park90, a flexible studio space, for emerging artists. In ten years, it has enjoyed eight West End transfers (including Rose starring Maureen Lipman, The Boys in the Band starring Mark Gatiss, Pressure starring David Haig and The Life I Lead starring Miles Jupp), two National Theatre transfers, 15 national tours, seven Olivier Award nominations, has won multiple OffWestEnd Offie Awards and won a Theatre of the Year award from The Stage.
Listings information
Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP
14 May – 6 July
www.parktheatre.co.uk | 020 7870 6876*
* Telephone booking fee of £3 per transaction applies. All ticket prices are inclusive of a £1.50 building levy.
Park200 9 May – 15 June | Press night: Tues 14 May, 7pm
A Song of Songs | Presented by John Gertz in association with Love Sick Development LLC and Park Theatre
European Premiere
Written and Adapted Directed by Ofra Daniel, Associate Director Victoria Góngora I Music by Ofra Daniel and Lior Ben Hur in collaboration with Ali Paris
From an unprecedented collaboration of international artists comes A Song of Songs, a critically acclaimed musical play, and winner of The San Francisco Critics Award for the best new production. A Song of Songs fuses a world music score, Middle Eastern harmonics, dazzling choreography and an inspiring story of passion and awakening. Drawing on influences that span continents and millennia - from ancient feminist eroticism to the sounds of modern European Flamenco, Klezmer and the Middle-East.
A Song of Songs tells the story of a young wife (Ofra Daniel) in a loveless marriage who discovers she has an unseen admirer. Intrigued, she enters into a mysterious and fervent love affair, finding herself on a dazzling journey of sexual and personal empowerment.
A Song of Songs creative team features a multicultural collection of award-winning artists including: the prolific Israeli actress and composer Ofra Daniel (Behind Closed Doors, Edges, What if?, Kassit – The Musical – San Francisco) and co-composed by Lior Ben-Hur (Sol Tevél).
This new production of A Song of Songs is a true multicultural theatrical event. The 2017 San Francisco premiere had audiences on their feet and was hailed as “extraordinary… lush… full of surprises… Highest Rating! This story seems ordained by gods!” (San Francisco Chronicles).
Running time 2hrs inc interval
Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I £47.50 - £22.50 (standard), £26.50 - £20 (65+ Mon eve and Thu mat), £17.50 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years Band C throughout the run) I Previews 9 – 11 May, £15 - £29.50
Park90 Press night Thu 16 May 7pm (Cold Water) & 8.30pm (Sniff)
Make Mine a Double
A double bill to give emerging artists and companies a chance to present their work in short run with another show
Cold Water | Presented by Tightrope Theatre Company in association with Park Theatre
14 May – 1 June
World Premiere
Written and directed by Philippa Lawford | Cast includes Julia Pilkington
When I’m walking with her the whole time I’m imagining I’m with someone else. Who do you imagine? You, sometimes.
After university, Emma moves back with her parents in Hertfordshire, and gets a job at her old school, assisting in the Drama department. Before long, she’s spending every day in the studio with Matt, her boss. Matt decides to teach Emma everything he knows, and Emma feels her life starting to change.
Cold Water is a play about wanting things so much you can’t do anything about them.
Running time 75 mins
Sniff | Presented by Make It Beautiful Theatre Company in association with Park Theatre 14 May – 24 May
Two strangers meet in a pub toilet in a small town that no one cares about. Liam, struggling with addiction and money troubles, has never left the claustrophobic town that birthed him. He's lost everything, if he ever had it. Alex, cloaked in a Hugo Boss suit and the pride of a job in Canary Wharf, comes down to visit this quaint place with his girlfriend. It seems like he has everything. However, as the door locks, and time clocks, a dark connection begins to unearth itself.
This play is an ode to the forgotten.
First performed at the Maltings Theatre in Hertfordshire, Sniff was then selected as an ‘outstanding’ script and was performed at Theatre503. It then went on to do a longer run at the Jack Studio in 2023.
Running time 70 mins
Cold Water performance schedule
Mon – Sat 7pm, matinees Thu and Sat 2.30pm
Sniff performance schedule
Mon – Sat 8.30pm, matinee Sat 18th 4pm
Standard: £22.50 | Both Make Mine a Double shows multibuy offer: £17.50 each
Access: £9
Park200 28 May – 2 June
Mr Sleepybum | Presented by Jody Kamali in association with Park Theatre
Created by Jody Kamali,
Do you have stupid and silly dreams at night? Well, Mr. Sleepybum does, and he’s going to re-enact them all for you in this high-energy, interactive, kids’ comedy show for the whole family.
Mr Sleepybum awakes in his bed to find a room full of parents and children. A circus of silly sketches and dream scenes ensues, from swimming with Sharks to solving the mystery of a stolen chocolate cake to dodging balls in the guide of the Cowboy Ball-Dodger. Mr Sleepybum’s imagination is limitless.
Mr Sleepybum is a multi-award-nominated, one-man, character comedy kids show, written and performed by character comedian Jody Kamali. Mr Sleepybum performed a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 and received rave reviews from the press and audiences.
Nominee: Best Kids Show – Leicester Comedy Festival 2024
Age recommendation: 3 – 8 years | Running time: 45 mins
Tues, Weds, Fri & Sun: 11.30am & 2pm, Weds & Sat: 10.30am &12.30pm I £15 (£12.50 children)
Park90 4 – 7 June
Ivo Graham: Carousel | Presented by Off The Kerb Productions in association with Park Theatre
“Teddy told me that in Greek, nostalgia literally means the pain from an old wound. It’s a twinge in your heart, far more powerful than memory alone."
Ivo Graham, who has watched this Mad Men clip approximately 100 times, steps away from the frivolity of his stand-up and invites you onto his own carousel: around and around, backwards and forwards, to the places he aches to go again. A searingly direct, exquisitely soundtracked story of a life: good luck at your next meeting.
Running time 60 mins
Tues – Fri 7pm, Standard: £16 | Access: 50% off up to two tickets
Park90 7 June – 6 July | Press night: Tues 11 June, 7pm
Miss Julie | Presented by Lidless Theatre & Zoe Weldon & Ross Chandler in association with Park Theatre
Written by August Strindberg | Translated by Michael Meyer | Directed by Max Harrison
Lidless Theatre returns to Park Theatre with the revival of Strindberg’s masterpiece, after two sell-out runs of Philip Ridley’s Leaves of Glass.
Sweden. 1888. Midsummer’s Eve.
It’s hot, the sun isn’t going to set, and the flowers are in full bloom. While The Count is away, the servants dance through the night. Amidst the festivities is Miss Julie… wilder than the rest.
As she descends into the servants' quarters, a battle for power and dominance between her father’s valet, will eventually become a fight for survival.
Grippingly funny and beguilingly dangerous, Miss Julie examines sex, power, gender and control. This 1965 original translation by Michael Meyer was first performed by Dame Maggie Smith at Chichester Festival Theatre.
Running time 75 mins approx
Mon – Sat 7.45pm, 3.15pm matinees Thu & Sat | £25 - £15 (standard, £9 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years, throughout the run I Previews 7 – 8 June (£15)
Park200 19 Jun – 27 Jul | Press night: Mon 24 June, 7pm
The Marilyn Conspiracy | Presented by Guy Masterson – Theatre Tours International Ltd and Park Theatre
London Premiere
Written by Vicki McKellar and Guy Masterson | Directed by Guy Masterson
On Wednesday August 1st 1962, seven people gathered at Marilyn Monroe’s home to celebrate her new $2m two-picture deal with 20th Century Fox.
At 04:30 the following Sunday 5 August, her apparent suicide was called in to the police and was reported as a drugs overdose. But the truth is far more shocking: She was found unconscious by her housekeeper the night before at 22:35, and subsequently died at 23:40, all after a late visit from a very important guest…
The same seven people then regathered in her home on Saturday night - and yet her death was only reported nearly 5 hours later.
What did they talk about?
In this powerful, new, meticulously researched thriller co-written by Vicki McKellar and Olivier Award-winning West End and Broadway director Guy Masterson, all the facts are revealed, lies exposed, the myths debunked, and the shocking truth of what happened in those missing 5 hours is laid bare on stage.
Running time 2hrs 15 mins including interval (approx.)
Captioned Wed 17 Jul 7.30pm
Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I £47.50 - £22.50 (standard), £26.50 - £20 (65+ Mon eve and Thu mat), £17.50 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years Band C throughout the run) I Previews 19 - 21 Jun, £15 - £29.50
