Soho Theatre Presents FIT AND PROPER PEOPLE, October 12

Following the critically acclaimed Realism by Anthony Neilson Artistic Director Steve Marmion presents a new play by Georgia Fitch in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company; opening for previews on 07 October, with a press night on Wednesday 12 October, 2011.

Soho Theatre
Friday 07 October - Saturday 05 November, 2011
Press Night: Wednesday 12 October 2011, 7.30pm

Casey Layton is back home. She's here to sort her club out and plans to get them back in the Premier League. Make it global. They have some problems to solve. The solution is obvious. Money. And Casey knows where to get it.

Set in the world of Championship football; FIT AND PROPER PEOPLE takes a hard look at our beautiful game. Transforming the theatre into a football stadium with real turf, floodlights and constant media coverage, Georgia Fitch exposes the backstage dealings that manufacture our national heroes and addresses the very topical question of who is running our social and cultural instituations.

Soho Theatre Artistic Director Steve Marmion said: ‘I'm thrilled to be working with the Royal Shakespeare Company to present Georgia Fitch's incredibly relevant and exposing new play about the backstage world of our national sport. My biggest passions are football and theatre (I'm named after a Liverpool player). I hope this play will be a catalyst for conversation and debate on what is happening behind the scenes of British football and who owns our cultural institutions.'

Royal Shakespeare Company Artistic Director Michael Boyd said: ‘The RSC has been commissioning plays and making work with other companies ever since our inception. In London we have presented that work in a variety of theatres, most recently at Hampstead Theatre, theTricycle and Soho Theatre. We are delighted to be working with Soho this Autumn where past successes including work by David Greig, debbie tucker green and Anthony Neilson have found a home. This latest RSC commission - Fit and Proper People - is an urgent and timely play about values in the world of football. Through our collaboration with Soho Theatre we can strike now, while this particular iron is getting hotter all the time and give it a London production with a fantastic director, Steve Marmion - who has worked with us previously as a director at the RSC.'

Before starting her solo writing career, Georgia Fitch co-wrote several plays with Tracy O'Flaherty including the critically acclaimed The Footballer's Wife (Hen and Chickens, Royal Festival Hall and Riverside Studios) and Come Dancing (Old Red Lion 1998). In 2001 Georgia and Tracy were joint Writer in Residence at the Bush Theatre. Fitch's other plays include: Dirty Dirty Princess (National Theatre, Connections); I like Mine with a Kiss (Bush Theatre); Adrenalin...Heart (Bush Theatre and Tokyo InterNational Theatre Festival) and Arrivals (Old Red Lion). Between 2006 and 2008 Fitch was on attachment to Royal Court and Soho Theatre. In 2004 she was Writer in Residence at BBC Radio Drama. She has also written extensively for BBC Radio 4, her work includes: Romeo and Juliet in Southwark, Untitled Lover, The Mother Of. Fit and Proper People, was a finalist for the 2011 Susan Smith Blackburn Award.

Steve Marmion's first season as Artistic Director of Soho Theatre began in May 2011; his credits at Soho include Anthony Neilson's Realism and Ed Harris' Mongrel Island. Previously he was a Literary Associate at Soho Theatre and, as a freelance director, worked on Anthony Neilson's much acclaimed Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness in April 2009. He directed Macbeth for Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in July 2010 and for the Lyric Hammersmith he directed the celebrated Jack and the Beanstalk and last year's Dick Whittington and his Cat. He worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company for two years and was Associate Director on Macbett and God In Ruins during his time there. He has also worked with The National Theatre, Royal Court, the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Theatre Royal Bath, and Sherman Cardiff amongst many others.

Tom Piper is the RSC Associate Designer, for the RSC he has designed over thirty productions including the History cycle and Macbeth, which reopened the new RST in Stratford. His association with Soho Theatre goes back to productions such as Rockstation, Tulip Futures and Kinder transport in the previous building. He worked closely with Abigail Morris on the design of the Dean Street theatre and has designed many new plays there including, Meeting myself coming back. His other theatre design credits include: The Birthday Party, Blinded by the Sun, Oh! What A Lovely War (National Theatre); Frame 312, A Lie of the Mind, Three Days of Rain, Helpless (Donmar Warehouse.) He has worked extensively for the Abbey Dublin, Tron Theatre, Dundee rep, Lyric Hammersmith, Bristol Old Vic and Scottish Opera. His design for Zorro the musical has been seen worldwide. Tom has won the London Fringe Best Design Award twice, Best design, Critics Award Scotland for Twelfth Night and won an Olivier Award (Best Costume Design) for the Histories Cycle in 2009

For further information about the RSC, please contact philippa.harland@rsc.org.uk / 020 7845 0512

 

 

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