The Old Fire Station Announces The World Première Of Mike Bartlett's MRS DELGADO

The Old Fire Station, a pioneering partnership between a professional arts centre and homeless charity Crisis, today announces the world première of Mike Bartlett's Mrs Delgado, the company's fifth original Christmas production. The production is directed by Clare Lizzimore, continuing the long-standing collaboration with Bartlett following the critically-acclaimed Snowflake, which premièred at the Old Fire Station, and Olivier Award-winning, Bull. Performed by Rakhee Sharma (Helen), the production opens on 10 December, with previews from 6 December, and runs until 21 December. It will also be livestreamed on 11 and 14 December.

Mike Bartlett said today, "It's great to be back at the Old Fire Station, making theatre about the current moment. Mrs Delgado touches on those experiences we've all had over the last 18 months, exploring how easy it can be to feel alone, and what our connections and responsibilities are to each other. Indeed community is at the heart of all good theatre, and I'm excited to be working once again with an arts centre which puts its community first in everything it does."

Helen, along with 67 million other people, is in lockdown. Unfortunately Helen's nearest neighbour, Mrs Delgado, is not.

Mike Bartlett's funny and poignant new play tells a story of desire, control, raised blinds and lowered boundaries.

Mike Bartlett is a multi-award-winning stage and screen writer. He has won three Olivier Awards for his plays c*ck(Royal Court Theatre - Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre), King Charles III (Almeida Theatre/Wyndham's Theatre - Best New Play; also winner of Critics' Circle Award for Best New Play), Bull (Young Vic - Olivier Award for Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre). He also won the UK Theatre Award for Best New Play for Love, Love, Love, which transferred to The Royal Court Theatre. Other plays include Snowflake (Old Fire Station, Kiln Theatre), Albion, Game (Almeida Theatre), Wild (Hampstead Theatre), 13, Earthquakes in London (National Theatre) and many others. He has previously been Writer-in-Residence at The Royal Court Theatre, National Theatre and Paines Plough. His television work has also won national acclaim, including hit BBC One series Doctor Foster, which won BAFTA, National Television, Royal Television Society and Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. Other television credits include Life, Press (BBC), Trauma, The Town (ITV - BAFTA nominated) and the television adaptation of King Charles III (BBC).

Rakhee Sharma plays Helen. Her theatre credits include Wuthering Heights (Royal Exchange Theatre), Crystal Clear (Old Red Lion), Macbeth, If Not Now, When? (National Theatre), Maktub (Complicité) and The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca (Hull Truck Theatre).

Clare Lizzimore is an award-winning writer and director. Mrs Delgado is her third collaboration with playwright Mike Bartlett, following Snowflake (Old Fire Station, Kiln Theatre) and Bull (Young Vic, Sheffield Theatres and 59E59 New York), which won the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre. She has also won a Channel 4 Theatre Directors Award (Formally the RTYDS Award) and Arts Foundation Theatre Directing Fellowship; and she was previously resident director at Citizens Theatre, Glasgow and staff director at The National Theatre. Her other directing credits include One Day When We Were Young (Paines Plough/Sheffield Theatres/Shoreditch Town Hall), Lay Down Your Cross, On the Rocks (Hampstead Theatre), Pieces of Vincent (Arcola Theatre), Faces In The Crowd, The Mother (Royal Court Theatre), Fear and Misery, War and Peace (Royal Court Theatre/Latitude), The Most Humane Way To Kill a Lobster (Theatre503), and Tom Fool (Glasgow Citizens/Bush).

Box Office: 01865 263990 / www.oldfirestation.org.uk

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