New Play DECLAN Makes Its Debut Online, Raising Funds For The Actors Centre

Declan, a new play written and performed by Alistair Hall, is making its debut online to raise funds for London's The Actors Centre, during its period of closure due to the Covid-19 crisis. The streaming of the play (Friday 19 June - Sunday 28 June) precedes an on-stage run later this year at The Actors Centre's John Thaw Studio.

Set in a Wiltshire suburb, Declan is a contemporary ghost story, exploring isolation, fear of the outside world and the distance between two friends. As Jimbo recalls the disappearance of his best friend Declan, he is plagued by ghosts of the past, present and future, and the boundaries between the real and imagined, the dead and the living, become blurred. With the scent of Declan thick in the air, this is a story of magic realism and total obsession.

This new production is directed by playwright, director and actor Alexis Gregory, following his 2020 residency at Soho Theatre, London for Sex/Crime and a UK tour of the critically acclaimed verbatim piece Riot Act. With videography by award-winning filmmaker Layke Anderson (Mankind and Dylan's Room), the digital play is available to be streamed for ten days (19 - 28 June).

The digital streaming of Declan raises funds for the #SupportTheActorsCentre appeal - a campaign backed notably by actress and activist Joanna Lumley OBE during the Covid-19 crisis. The play is programmed to make its on-stage debut at The Actors Centre later this year.

Alexis Gregory, director said, "Declan, with a great performance from the writer himself, Alistair Hall, is a wonderful piece that beautifully mixes fantasy and reality, truth and lies. At this challenging time for our industry and as we try to find new ways to share our stories, I am really excited to be directing this special digital version of Declan for streaming by The Actors Centre."

Declan is streamable on The Actors Centre's website here (19 - 28 June, goes live at 7.30pm on 19 June).