James Alston's SCARLET SUNDAY Will Make UK Premiere at Omnibus Theatre

Aslant Theatre Company has announced the full cast and creative team for the UK première of Scarlet Sunday written by James Alston. Scarlet Sunday is Alston's debut play, the two hander delves into the struggle to reconcile great works of art with the actions of their creators.

Imy Wyatt Corner directs Camilla Aiko and Sorcha Kennedy, with set and costume design by 2021's Linbury Prize Winner, Cat Fuller. The creative team is completed by Catja Hamilton (lighting design) and Odin Orn Hllmarsson (sound design).

Scarlet Sunday opens at Omnibus Theatre on 1 March 2024, with previews from 28 February, and runs until 17 March 2024. For this production, Aslant Theatre Company partners with charity Daddyless Daughters to provide creative workshops inspired by the play. Daddyless Daughters provides safe spaces through mentoring and workshops to support vulnerable girls and young women who have been affected by family breakdown, abuse and adversity.

Performances run 28 February – 17 March 2024.

About the Show

Obsession, dark secrets, and the cult of celebrity. What can you get away with in the name of great art?

On a scorching summer's day, art curator Yasmin arrives at an old house in the middle of nowhere in the hopes to shed light on the enigmatic life of the late great artist Ray Blackwood. There she meets Ava, the artist's daughter, who guards a haunting secret intertwined with the mysterious painting “Scarlet Sunday.”

Scarlet Sunday is a mesmerising two-hander that delves into the struggle to reconcile great works of art with the dark deeds of their creators. Can we truly separate their art from their actions? Do we become complicit in their crimes by consuming their art?

Exploring the eerie connection between the cult-ification of celebrity and a culture of abuse, Scarlet Sunday promises an evocative and thought-provoking experience that confronts and challenges. In an age where the cult of celebrity's dark secrets is laid bare, this bold new play delves into the uncomfortable truths behind our obsessions, echoing recent events and reclaiming power for those whose voices are often left out of the narrative.

Scarlet Sunday is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.

Biographies

Camilla Aiko plays Ava. Her previous credits include News Plays: Japan (Royal Court Theatre) for theatre, Fifteen Love for television and Karven the Hunter and Lee for film.

Sorcha Kennedy plays Yasmin. Her previous theatre credits include Union, Rainer (Arcola Theatre), Contractions (Omnibus Theatre), Diary of a Somebody (Seven Dials Playhouse), A Comedy of Errors (Petersfield Shakespeare Festival), Hambug! (Citizens Theatre/Tramway), Calenture (Bread and Roses Theatre), Trapped (Cockpit Theatre) and Wannsee (Bridewell Theatre). For radio, her credits include Nazis: The Road to Power and Whenever I get blown up, I think of you.

James Alston's short film credits include House Party and The Ex. In 2020 he co-wrote A Cratchit Christmas Carol for the stage, which was produced by Get Out of My Space.

Imy Wyatt Corner directs. She is an award-winning theatre director and her theatre credits include Passing (Park Theatre), Snail (VAULT Festival), Duck (Arcola Theatre), Humane (Pleasance Theatre) and Beasts (Omnibus Theatre and Zoo Playground) – the Winner of a Scotsman Fringe First Award 2023.

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