Alasdair Craig, Katy Brittain, Fiona Skinner, Annabel Smith, Tamlyn Henderson, and Paul Adeyefa to Star in THE DARK ROOM at Theatre503

Alasdair Craig (War Horse, National Theatre; Not About Heroes, tour/Trafalgar Studios; A Midsummer Night's Dream, UK/World Tour); Katy Brittain (Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Apollo Theatre; The Deep Blue Sea, National Theatre; Handbagged, UK Tour/Vaudeville Theatre); Fiona Skinner (Taboo, BBC One; Our Girl, BBC One; A Royal Night Out, Feature Film); Annabel Smith (The Last Ones, Jermyn Street Theatre; The Lighthouse, The Space Theatre; Black Sheep, Soho Theatre); Tamlyn Henderson (The Wind In The Willows, Kew Gardens; Ladies in Black, Queensland Theatre; Les Misérables, Austalian/International Tours) and Paul Adeyefa (Ransom, CBS; DCI Banks, Leftbank Pictures; Henry VI, Union Theatre) will bring Angela Betzien's intricately layered psychological thriller to life. This exciting run at Theatre503 is the UK premiere of this award-winning play.

The Dark Room takes a sober look at one of the devastating issues of contemporary Australian discourse - the abuse of defenceless children. The show serves as a timely reminder that no matter how far apart we are in distance and time, we are all responsible for each other's lives.

Deep into the night, in a run-down motel somewhere in central Australia, six lost souls collide in a distant tragedy of lovesickness and social breakdown - only it's not the same night. A teenage boy from a nearby country town longs for a stranger. Pregnant Emma longs for her husband, a country cop, drunk after his best friend's wedding. Anni, a government youth worker accompanied by a withdrawn and violent fourteen-year-old girl, longs for the dawn. As the night draws on, each of them become trapped in a dark and dangerous territory, all searching for a way out.

Director Audrey Sheffield comments, The Dark Room is a real gift of a play - it immerses us in a richly atmospheric, disturbing and far-away world, which is also instantly recognisable and frighteningly familiar. It's a joy to have this rare combination of complex characters - beautifully and warmly drawn - whose compelling stories are so ambitiously and intricately played out. Angela's play is brilliantly suited to the intimate immediacy of Theatre503, and it's a privilege to be working with such an exceptional and exciting company of actors. I can't wait to get into the room with everyone, and to start bringing this extraordinary play to life.

Tickets are priced £15 (£12 concessions), previews are £10, and Saturday matinees are Pay What You Can. Available from Theatre503 Box Office and https://theatre503.com/, 020 7978 7040.

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