Following the successful tour of Alan Ayckbourn’s Absent Friends, which delighted audiences last year, London Classic Theatre Company returns to Gala next week with its latest production, The Birthday Party.
On Friday 8 and Saturday 9 April at 7.30pm, Gala’s stage will be transformed into a dilapidated, seaside boarding house in which an elderly couple take in a solitary, yet suspicious guest.
The arrival of some eccentric characters act as a welcome distraction from the usually dull and drab lives of the hosts; but when a seemingly innocent birthday party turns sour, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues in this cryptic thriller/macabre comedy by Harold Pinter.
The Birthday Party was this playwright, director, poet, actor and political activist’s first major work and is regarded as one of his most unusual yet absorbing plays. The writer, who is also famous for penning the plays including Betrayal, Old Times, The Homecoming and The Caretaker, also won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005.
Taking to the stage in this production’s latest revival is a stellar cast including: Jonathan Ashley, Gareth Bennett-Ryan, Cheryl Kennedy, Ged McKenna, Declan Rodgers and Imogen Wilde. Directed by a London Classic Theatre’s artistic director, Michael Cabot, the play opened its UK tour to rave reviews.
Tickets, costing £15 full price and £13 for concessions, can be purchased by calling the box office on 03000 266 600, in person at the venue or online at www.galadurham.co.uk.