Awkward Branch Productions has announced the world premiere of their new LGBTQIA+, all-female and non-binary comedy, One Year Itch, which will be playing at Barons Court Theatre from Tuesday 9th to Saturday 13th January 2024. The award-winning company sees founding members Anca Vaida and Andrew Phipps join forces in what will be the company’s first foray into theatre after a series of successful film projects.
One Year Itch, written and directed by Phipps, follows the story of lesbian woman Tania Hagi, played by Vaida, and her quest to win the top contract at her place of work. Whilst speaking of her ambitions, she exclaims that she’d much rather succeed at work than in dating, seemingly placing a curse on her love life.
Andrew Phipps said: “An Awkward Branch stage show is long overdue but we had to get it right. One Year Itch will ensure that we start 2024 with a bang and we’re very proud to be able to be taking such a funny and original piece to London”.
Anca Vaida added: “Part of the process was making sure we had a good team. Andy and I have worked together many times, both as actors, directors, and writers. It’s a testament to the strength and versatility that the company has. We have, likewise, brought Alice Catanzaro, an excellent Assistant Director and skilled Producer, on board as Stage Manager. I met Alice whilst she was Stage Manager of This Play Will Solve Climate Change by Reusable Theatre and knew I wanted to work with her going forward. She was later nominated for Best Set Design at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema for my TV Series Psyched!. She was also Assistant Director and Producer on my short film Too Important, which screened at this year’s Raindance Film Festival. We’re in very good hands”.
Awkward Branch Productions previous work includes the short film Can We Order First?, written by Vaida and Covadonga Camblor, which was nominated for Best LGBT Film and screened at the Berlin Short Film Festival, before winning the Jean Luc Godard Award for Best LGBT film at the Cult Critic Movie Awards. Championing diversity and inclusion, they create work which shines a light on the underrepresented narratives within society, working with people from all backgrounds, including LGBTQIA+, BAME, people with disabilities and people with mental health conditions.
Andrew Phipps is a director, writer and actor. With a reputation for great vision and a keen eye for detail, he directed a stage version of the musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying as well as working with Natasha Zierhofer’s Primal Theatre as a Guest Director on Cage, a series of short animal plays. He wrote the two handed, short film, comedy The Dress as well as dark screen thrillers The Devil You Know and Mysterious Ways. A talented comic actor, Phipps has been known to play warm, affable characters, such as the lovable George Burdett in Awkward Branch’s Psyched!, Mr Toad in Pandemonium Productions’ Wind In The Willows and crossdressing mechanic Jimmy in Puff Paddy’s Rinka Dinka. He has also translated this sense of openness into much darker pieces such as Ratchet playing the childlike Brick, In the Canterville Ghost playing patriarch Harry Canterville and Sir Henry Baskerville in 9 Lives’ Hound of the Baskervilles (which won an OffComm Short Run Commendation).
Anca Vaida is an award winning actor, writer and director known for creating unique and innovative pieces which challenge the perceptions of how we view society. Anca wrote, directed, produced and starred in the TV series Psyched!, a medical drama about mental health which tackles sensitive topics with care and understanding. Psyched! has received over 50 awards and official selections at international film festivals, including 2 Telly Awards for both Television Entertainment and Public Interest/Awareness, Best TV Pilot at the Equality International Film Festival and 7 Best Actress award wins for Anca for her well rounded and nuanced performance on screen playing Alex, the protagonist of the series.
Anca has performed on the prestigious stage of the Almeida Theatre in 24 (Day): The Measure of My Dreams, in Fine and Dandy at the King’s Head Theatre and has also appeared on BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service in Europe's Most Dangerous Capital.
Cast and Creatives:Anca Vaida - Tania Hagi
Iona McTaggart - Jayne Matthews
Kamanzi Gakuru - Betty Laine
Jhané Gibson - Louisa Peters
Buddleia Ceinwen - Matilda Montgomery
Jean Woollard - Mrs Beryl Montgomery
Susan Hoffman - Freya Larsen
Ozzy Algar - Vitoria De Luca
Kelly Craige - Gillian Clark
Andrew Phipps - Director
Alice Catanzaro - Stage Manager
Listing InformationOne Year Itch by Andrew Phipps
Presented by Awkward Branch Productions
Run Time: TBC
Suitable for ages 16+
9th - 13th January 2024 at 19:30
Tickets: £15 Standard, £10 Concessions (Students, unemployed, over 60s, NHS staff)
Barons Court TheatreAt 28a Comeragh Road, Hammersmith, London, W14 9HR
Box Office at
baronscourttheatre.com 
