[A]s a proud champion of new writing, Theatre by the Lake is delighted to present the world premiere production of Rails by rising star playwright Simon Longman, the first Studio production of the 2018 Summer Season, opening on 24 May.
The play was shortlisted for the prestigious Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2015, and Longman has recently been awarded the 49th George Devine award for Most Promising Playwright. Theatre by the Lake’s production is directed by Clive Judd, and features Christine Entwisle, Oliver Mott, Lydea Perkins and Toby Vaughan.
Mike is a 16 year old who’s really into his scooter. He’s really into Sarah too. But she’s probably not that into him. His brother Ben is stuck working in a petrol station and dreams of escape and their mum can’t seem to speak anymore. Cars are passing through the dead end town they live in, but they don’t ever stop.
One summer, with the temperature rising and the town sweltering in the grip of a heat wave, their lives collide and something, anything, has to break.
Clive Judd, the show’s director, said: “There are few stories as genuinely moving and necessary as those contained in Simon Longman’s extraordinary new play. Hilarious and heart-breaking in equal measure, this is an epic piece of theatre about our rural edge-lands and the beautiful, complicated human beings that live there.”
Of the four cast members, three are new to Theatre by the Lake, with Oliver Mott having performed in 2016’s summer season. Toby Vaughan, who plays the main character of Mike, added: “Mike is a 16 year old who loves his scooter, doesn’t want to grow up and has a difficult home life. He dreams of whisking away the girl who lives in the house opposite, into the cosmos on a romantic expedition, and thinks if he could just achieve this then everything would be alright.”
I am really thrilled to be performing the world premiere of this wonderful play in Keswick. It’s a great theatre, in a spectacular location, and it is so rare to be able play such a range of parts in such a varied season.”
Oliver Mott and Toby Vaughan will also be performing in Single Spies (from 14 June) and Sense and Sensibility (from 9 August), with Christine Entwisle and Lydea Perkins also performing in Bold Girls (from 21 June) and Sense and Sensibility. All these plays will run in rep until the end of the season alongside Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense.
Funny, poignant and emotionally arresting, Rails plays in Theatre by the Lake’s Studio from 24 May to 27 October. Tickets are priced from £10 to £36; for more information and to book tickets visit www.theatrebythelake.com or call the box office on 017687 74411.
