Old Red Lion Theatre Announces Autumn/Winter Season

The Old Red Lion Theatre has announced its autumn/winter season, which includes seven new plays. The London pub theatre also sees the return of the annual London Horror Festival, which has been extended to four weeks due to popular demand.

Launching the autumn season is That Girl by Hatty Jones, inspired by the writer's own experiences as a child actor in Madeline. The play is produced and directed by Tim Cook of critically-acclaimed Broken Silence Theatre.

Hear Me Howl by Lydia Rynne will follow. Led by an all-female team, including JMK Directors Award Finalist Kay Michael as director and Fay Milton as musical consultant - drummer of twice Mercury Award nominated internationally renowned all-female punk band Savages.

A funny, intimate new play about love and hate, Hedgehogs & Porcupines by James P Mannion, will also run as part of the theatre's autumn season.

The 2018 London Horror Festival will feature 33 productions, including the winner of the Women In Horror playwriting competition presented by Danse Macabre Productions. Other highlights will include Kim Newman's Magic Circle, a gender-switched version of Frankenstein and the return of many festival favourites such as Blackshaw's Scare Slam, Hermetic Arts and Fred Strangebone.

Indebted to Chance, a new play imagining the life of actress Charlotte Charke, by Charlie Ryall will run in rep with a modern adaptation of The Recruiting Officer in November, directed by Jenny Eastop.

AISHA, a shattering new play about the grave effects of child marriage, written and directed by AJ of AILIA kicks off December.

Seeing through the festive season is the world premiere of Stephen's Laughton's One Jewish Boy. A messed up bittersweet comedy about anti-Semitism, inherited trauma, the miracle of Chanukah, Prince, Bjork, graffiti, babies, neuroses, the end of youth and staying in love.

January features new Weinstein-inspired play Anomaly by Liv Warden, directed by Adam Small of WildChild Productions.

Finally, February welcomes the second annual London Lovecraft Festival, presented by Vulcanello Productions.

Artistic Director of the Old Red Lion Theatre, Katy Danbury, says: "The ORL is renowned for presenting challenging stories, pushing the boundaries artistically and asserting its power as a mighty little theatre in the Off-West End scene. This upcoming season features many diverse voices and artists, journeying through taboo subjects from a woman's choice to remain childless, the Jewish diaspora to #MeToo. Prepared to be entertained, shocked, moved and empowered."

The season at a glance

That Girl by Hatty Jones
Directed by Tim Cook
September 3 to 15, with press night on September 5

Hear Me Howl by Lydia Rynne

Directed by Kay Michael

September 18 to 29, with press night on September 19

Hedgehogs & Porcupines by James P Mannion

Directed by Marcus Marsh

October 1 to 6, with press night on October 2

London Horror Festival
October 7 to November 3

Indebted to Chance by Charlie Ryall & The Recruiting Officer by George Farquhar
Directed by Jenny Eastop
November 6 to December 1, with Indebted to Chance press night November 8 and The Recruiting Officer press night November 9

AISHA by AJ
December 3 to 8, press night TBC

One Jewish Boy by Stephen Laughton
Directed by Sarah Meadows
December 11 to January 5, 2018, press night TBC

Anomaly by Liv Warden
Directed by Adam Small
January 8 to February 2, press night TBC

London Lovecraft Festival
February 3 to 9

Tickets will be available from www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk or 0333 012 4963.

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