Following its critically-acclaimed and hit run receiving fifteen 5* reviews at Park Theatre in May, Philip Ridley’s gripping four-hander of memory, manipulation, and power - now regarded as a modern classic - is coming back by popular demand.
Kacey Ainsworth (EastEnders & Grantchester) Ned Costello (Britannicus, Lyric Hamersmith), Joseph Potter (Philip Ridley‘s one-man Poltegeist, Arcola Theatre/Southwark Playhouse, OFFIE Award Winner Best Lead Performance) return to the cast and are joined by Kate Eldred (This Beautiful Future, Jermyn Street, Hunger, Arcola Theatre).
Jez Bond, Artistic Director Park Theatre said: ”We are delighted to have Philip Ridley’s Leaves of Glass return to Park Theatre after a successful run earlier this year, which saw the show break Box Office records for Park90. Lidless Theatre’s show received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from both the press and audience members. It’s a pleasure to have such high-quality work back in the building and we are delighted that audiences who missed it the first time - or those who want to see this powerful drama again - will get the chance to catch it.”
East London. 2024. Steven has always tried to be a good person. He works hard. He looks after his family. But, suddenly, everyone starts accusing him of things. His wife accuses him of being unfaithful. His mother accuses him of being coercive. And his brother, Barry, accuses him of...what exactly? Barry won’t say. Or can’t. Or perhaps...Steven hasn’t done anything at all.
Philip Ridley is one of the country’s greatest living playwrights. His first play, The Pitchfork Disney, changed the course of British drama.
Leaves of Glass, directed by Max Harrison, will run at Park Theatre, London Tuesday 16 January - Saturday 10 February, 2024.
Press night: Thursday 18 January at 7pm.
Creative team:
Director Max Harrison
Set & Costume Desinger Kit Hinchcliffe
Sound Designer Sam Glossop
Lighting Desing Alex Lewer
Casting Advisor Nadine Rennie CDG
Producer Zoe Weldon / Lidless Theatre
Cast:
Kacey Ainsworth (Liz)
Kacey has had a phenomenal career across stage & screen including six years and 515 episodes as
‘Little Mo’ on EastEnders and as series regular Cathy Keating from 2014 - 2023 in ITV’s Grantchester.
Kacey has been working in the entertainment industry since 1978. Originally starring in the West End cast of Annie. Reprising her role for a further 3 years. She then went on to study at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama gaining a BA (Bachelor of Arts for Drama). After graduation Kacey worked at The National Theatre, The Royal Court Theatre, The Bush and for the RSC. She continued to
successfully mix working in both musical and non musical theatre roles. In 1998 Kacey appeared in Mike Leigh’s Gilbert and Sullivan movie Topsy Turvy. In 2000 Kacey was cast as Little Mo in the BBC’s top rated continuing drama EastEnders. A role which won her five acting nominations. She was awarded Most
Popular Actress at The National Television Awards and collected the award for best continuing drama the the BAFTAS. Her theatre credits include LAVA (Soho Theatre & UK Tour); Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd (Liverpool Everyman); Holes (Nottingham Playhouse); Feed the Beast (Birmingham Rep/New Wolsey Theatre, Stephen Joseph Theatre); Miss November in Calendar Girls (National Theatre Tour); Anelle in Steel Magnolias (ATG); Carrie’s War (Apollo West End); Attempts on Her Life (Royal Court); Sleep With Me (Royal National Theatre); Serving It Up (Bush Theatre); and Pale Horse (Royal Court Upstairs). Voice work includes Torchwood and Dr Who (Big Finish).
Ned Costello (Steven)
Theatre Credits include: Hansel in Hansel and Gretel (Globe Theatre); Leaves of Glass (Park Theatre); The Clothes They Stood Up in (Nottingham Playhouse, directed by Adam Penford); Britannicus (Lyric Hammersmith, directed by Atri Banerjee). TV Credits include: Wreck (BBC); The Capture Series 2 (BBC). Film Credits include: The Nurse and the Swan.
Joseph Potter (Barry)
Theatre Credits include: Leaves of Glass (Park Theatre); Salt Water Moon (Finborough), Poltergeist (Arcola Theatre & Southwark Playhouse - OFFIE Award Winner for Best Actor); The Dwarfs (White Bear); Candida (Orange Tree); The Beast of Blue Yonder (Southwark Playhouse); Mercury Fur, Fury, Orestes, Romeo & Juliet (Guildhall). TV Credits include: Interview with the Vampire season 2 (AMC); Father Brown, Casualty (BBC); All At Sea (CBBC). Film Credits include: My Policeman.
Katie Eldred (Debbie)
Theatre Credits include: This Beautiful Future (Jermyn Street); Hunger (Arcola Theatre); The
Rubenstein Kiss (Southwark Playhouse); The Changeling, Naked Not Nude, Twelfth Night, Hotel
Paradiso, The Strip, Spring Awakening, Three Sisters, The Rivals, Rocket to the Moon (Drama Centre). Film Credits include: Simon is a Prick, Lie With Me. Television Credits include: Rivals, Doctors.
Max Harrison - Director
After training at LAMDA as an actor, Max set up his own theatre company, Lidless Theatre, and has
since directed at leading London fringe venues including The Pleasance, Southwark Playhouse and The King’s Head Theatre. He is currently under the tutelage of Mike Alfred’s (Shared Experience, National Theatre) studying directing and is about to work with Philip Ridley for a second time, after a five star production of Moonfleece a few years ago.
Philip Ridley - Writer
Philip was born and grew up in the East End of London. He studied painting at St Martin’s School of Art, and his work has been exhibited widely throughout Europe and Japan. As well as three books for adults (Crocodilia, In The Eyes of Mr Fury and Flamingos in Orbit) - and the highly acclaimed screenplay for the The Krays feature film (winner of The Evening Standard Best Film of the Year Award) - he has written many highly regarded and hugely influential stage plays: the seminal The Pitchfork Disney (now published as a Methuen Modern Classic), The Fastest Clock In The Universe (winner of a Time Out Award, the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright, and the Meyer-Whitworth Prize), Ghost From A Perfect Place (nominated for The Evening Standard Best New Play Award), Vincent River (nominated for the London Festival Fringe Best Play Award), the highly controversial Mercury Fur, Leaves Of Glass, Piranha Heights (nominated for the WhatsOnStage Mobius Award for Best Off West End Production), Tender Napalm (nominated for the London Fringe Best Play Award), SHIVERED (nominated for the Off-West End Best New Play Award), Dark Vanilla Jungle (winner of an Edinburgh Festival Fringe First Award), Radiant Vermin, Tonight With Donny Stixx and Karagula (nominated for the Off-West End Best New Play Award), plus several plays for young people (collectively known as The Storyteller Sequence): Karamazoo, Fairytaleheart, Moonfleece (named as one of the 50 Best Works About Cultural Diversity by the National Centre for Children’s Books),
Sparkleshark and Brokenville, plus a play for the whole family, Feathers In The Snow (shortlisted for the Brian Way Best Play Award) and a play for young children, Daffodil Scissors. In 2001 he was one of the writers chosen to contribute to the National Theatre’s Chain Play (celebrating the venue’s 25th
anniversary).
He has also written novels for children, including Scribbleboy (shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal), Kasper in the Glitter (nominated for the Whitbread Prize), Mighty Fizz Chilla (nominated for the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award and the Carnegie medal), ZinderZunder, Vinegar Street, Zip’s Apollo and the bestseller Krindlekrax (winner of both the Smarties Prize and WH Smith’s Mind-Boggling Books Award), the stage play of which – adapted by Philip himself – was premiered at the Birmingham Rep Theatre in 2002.
He has also directed three feature films from his own screenplays: The Reflecting Skin - winner of 11 international awards (including the prestigious George Sadoul Prize) - The Passion of Darkly Noon (winner of the Best Director Prize at the Porto Film Festival) and Heartless (winner of The Silver Meliers Award for Best Fantasy Film). For the latter two films, Philip co-wrote a number of original songs, one of which, Who Will Love Me Now? (performed by P.J. Harvey) was voted BBC Radio 1’s Top Film Song of 1998 and has since been covered by the techno-house band Sunscreem (as Please Save Me), becoming both a club and viral hit.
In 2010 Philip, along with song-writing collaborator Nick Bicȃt, formed the music group Dreamskin Cradle and their first album, Songs from Grimm, is available on iTunes, Amazon and all major download sites. Philip is also a performance artist in his own right, and his highly-charged readings of his ongoing poetry sequence Lovesongs for Extinct Creatures (first embarked on when he was a student) have proved increasingly popular in recent years.
In 2012 WhatsOnStage named him a Jubilee Playwright (one of the most influential British writers to have emerged in the past six decades). Philip has won both the Evening Standard’s Most Promising Newcomer to British Film and Most Promising Playwright Awards. The only person ever to receive both prizes.
Lidless Theatre and Zoe Weldon
in association with Park Theatre
and Theatre Deli present
Leaves of Glass
By Philip Ridley
Directed by Max Harrison
PARK90
Park Theatre
Clifton Terrace,
Finsbury Park,
London N4 3JP
Box office: parktheatre.co.uk
Dates
Previews:
Tuesday 16 - Thursday 18 January (mat)
Plays: Tue 16 January - Sat 10 February
Press night: Thursday 18 Jan at 19.00
Performances
Mon – Sat Evening 19.45
Thu & Sat Matinees 15.15
Prices
Previews: £15
Standard: £15 - £25
Access: £9
Running time:
1 hour 40 mins (no interval)
Age guidance: 14+
