BRIGHT HALF LIFE Will Make UK Premiere at The King's Head Theatre in September

What if life came with a rewind button? Jumping across time, Bright Half Life, by award-winning American playwright Tanya Barfield, tells the four-and-a-half-decade story of Vicky and Erica, who meet, fall in love, start a family, and traverse the highs, lows, joys, and fears that come from sharing your life with someone else.

Author of the ground-breaking Pulitzer Prize-nominated play Blue Door, Tanya Barfield has written a contemporary classic about love, heartbreak, skydiving, and the infinite moments that make up a relationship. Depicting queer love in the richest and most original of ways, Bright Half Life is an intensely romantic and moving play depicting love that is complicated and ever-changing.

Tanya Barfield's plays have been seen off-Broadway as well as multiple theatres around the US. She is a recipient of a PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award, a LAMBDA Literary Award (celebrating the very best in LGBTQ literature), a Lilly Award recognizing extraordinary women in theatre, the inaugural Lilly Award Commission, and a Helen Merrill Award. In 2016, The Profile Theatre in Portland, Oregon devoted their entire season to her work. In 2020 Barfield became co-director of The Juilliard School's Playwrights Program, alongside David Lindsay-Abaire.

Steven Kunis is Greek-American director for theatre and opera, currently based in London. He is the founding artistic director of Panorama Productions, a new company committed to international collaboration through the arts of theatre and music. His credits include Straight White Men (Southwark Playhouse Theatre), Rocky Road (Jermyn Street Theatre); Refugee Orchestra Project UK Launch (LSO St Luke's); Afterglow (Waterloo East Theatre); and The Demon (Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston). Steven has received several recognitions for his theatrical work, including two nominations for Best Director at the Off West End Theatre Awards.

Dramaturg & Assistant Director Krysianna Pappadakis is a Greek born -theatre director and playwright based in London. Her credits include Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again at The Space. Movement director Maria Koripas has worked with various companies including Opera Circus, Palace Opera, European Chamber Opera, English Touring Opera, Floral Opera and Abbey Opera. She began her career as a dancer and worked for The Royal Opera, Covent Garden and English National Opera at the London Coliseum, in productions directed by many leading directors.

Set & costume designer Cara Evans's credits include Instructions For A Teenage Armageddon at Southwark Playhouse and Pericles at Jackson's Lane Theatre. Offie nominated Lighting designer Alex Lewer has been the technical director of critically-acclaimed theatre company DELIRUM since 2010. Alex recently designed Clybourne Park, at the Park Theatre. Sound designer Asaf Zohar is a composer for film, television, dance and theatre. His recent credits include Paines Plough's Sorry, You're Not A Winner by Samuel Bailey and Romeo & Juliet at Southwark Playhouse.

Casting to be announced shortly.

Trigger warning: Please be aware this production contains themes of long-term illness

Company information

Playwright - Tanya Barfield
Director - Steven Kunis https://creatorsprogram.youngvic.org/member/801
Dramaturg & Assistant Director - Krysianna Pappadakis https://creatorsprogram.youngvic.org/member/5781
Movement director - Maria Koripas https://www.mariakoripas.com
Set and costume designer - Cara Evans http://caravansdesign.com
Lighting designer - Alex Lewer https://alexlewer.com
Sound designer and composer - Asaf Zohar http://asafzohar.co.uk
Stage manager: Isobel Hobby Norris
Casting director - Anne Vosser

Producer - Panorama Productions
General manager - Paul Virides for David Adkin Limited
Assistant general manager - Bailey Harris-Kelly

Marketing - Emma Martin
PR - Anna Arthur
Artwork design - Steph Pyne

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