From the pen of one of the most innovative and thrilling playwrights of his generation, Workhorse Theatre Company presents acclaimed Irish playwright Enda Walsh’s remarkable and compelling play, The Walworth Farce at the Kings Cross Theatre from 18 May 2018.
Dinny has kept his two boys Sean and Blake locked away from the dangers of the world in a tiny flat on Walworth Road, South London ever since bringing them from Ireland as young boys. He endlessly forces them to perform a farce at 11am every morning which is the story of their final day in their homeland.
But as the outside world begins to infiltrate their seclusion and cracks begin to appear in Dinny’s version of events, the blurry line between truth and lies threatens to tear the family apart.
Equal parts hilarious, menacing, absurd, terrifying, tender, violent and deeply moving, Enda Walsh’s The Walworth Farce is a wild exploration into what can happen when we get stuck inside the stories we tell. Because in the end … what are we if we’re not our stories?
“It’s very rare that a farce is produced in Australia,” said Producers Zoe Trilsbach and Troy Harrison It’s even rarer for an independent company to bring one to the stage, and for good reason. They are extraordinarily hard to pull off.”
“What makes The Walworth Farce exceptional is that it is a play within a play. The farce that is being performed is being played out in the middle of a dramatic psychological thriller by the characters in the play. The style of play jumps from drama to farce and back again at breakneck speed.
“While the play does become an extremely uneasy piece of theatre to watch, it is truly shocking and explores a multitude of issues that are very common and relatable to us all. More than anything we wanted to produce a play that is a rollicking good night at the theatre. The Walworth Farce is all of that and then some.”
Workhorse Theatre Company has assembled a wonderfully talented cast including Rachel Alexander (new graduate of The Actors Centre making her professional debut) as Hayley, Laurence Coy (The Removalists, The Night Alive) as Dinny, Robin Goldsworthy (Look Back In Anger, All My Sons) as Blake and Troy Harrison (The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Savages) as Sean.
The Walworth Farce is directed by Kim Hardwick (The Shifting Heart, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), with set and costume design by Isabel Hudson (The Shadow Box, The View UpStairs), lighting design by Martin Kinnane (The Shifting Heart) and sound design by Benjamin Freeman (4:48 Psychosis – Sydney Theatre Award winner).
Enda Walsh is a multi award-winning Irish playwright, who shot to fame when he won both the George Devine Award and the Stewart Parker Award in 1997 with his play Disco Pigs. In 2007 and 2008 Enda won Fringe First Awards at two consecutive Edinburgh Festivals for his plays The Walworth Farce and The New Electric Ballroom.
Walsh’s work has been translated into over 20 languages and has been performed internationally since 1998. His recents works include: The Second Violinist, The Same, Lazarus, Arlington, A Girl’s Bedroom, The Last Hotel and Ballyturk. He won a Tony Award (2012) for writing the book for the musical Once.
“The craziest thing about Enda Walsh’s Walworth Farce is how quickly it starts making sense.” – New York Times
Director: Kim Hardwick Featuring: Rachel Alexander, Laurence Coy, Robin Goldsworthy, Troy Harrison Set and Costume Design: Isabel Hudson Lighting Design: Martin Kinnane Sound Design: Benjamin Freeman Stage Management: Kianah Marléna
The Walworth Farce
Kings Cross Theatre – Kings Cross Hotel, 244 – 248 William Street, Kings Cross
Season: 23 May – 19 June 2018 (previews: 18 – 22 May)
Information and Bookings: www.workhorsetheatreco.com or www.kingsxtheatre.com
Image: Robin Goldsworthy, Laurence Coy and Troy Harrison star in The Walworth Farce (supplied)