Distance
Fine Line in association with Rough Fiction and Park Theatre present
DISTANCE
By Alex McSweeney, Directed by Simon Pittman
Park Theatre London, 5th – 29th September 2018
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Nominated for three Off West End Awards including Best Director
Off West End Award Nominations: Best Director: Simon Pittman, Best Stage Design: Bethany Wells and Best Actor in A Supporting Role (Male): Abdul Salis
Press:
**** ‘Emotionally compelling… Pittman’s direction fuses elements of physical theatre and punchy realism to devastating effect. Humour erupts at precisely the right moment’ The Stage
**** ‘Brilliant staging… a constantly shifting landscape that reflects the turbulence of the protagonist’s mind. Distance tackles a serious issue with a grace, poise, boldness and fierce intelligence that means it lives long in the memory’ The Upcoming
**** ‘Utterly brilliant… In ninety minutes with no interval, it creates an utterly compelling and gripping slice of life. It’s a nuanced social and psychological exploration of the issue….’ London Theatre1
**** ‘Exceptional… a harrowing and compelling story about one man’s descent into depression and beyond. It’s visceral, powerfully told and superbly played’ Stage Review
**** ‘Powerful and thought-provoking yet enjoyably accessible… efficaciously negotiates being laugh-out-loud entertaining and heartbreakingly honest within a matter of moments’ Spy In The Stalls
**** ‘unique and timely… intelligently written, ambitious in its experimentation with form, visually immaculate and performed with conviction’ Arthur’s Seat
‘With its inventive staging… [Distance’s] theatricality is engaging and captures the fluctuating state of Steven’s mental health in a way that is very effective’. British Theatre Guide
*** ‘elegant and perfectly controlled’… A super-sleek production by Simon Pittman. These delights are worth your investigation and admiration’. British Theatre
*** ‘An important, timely and noble project … artfully summons up the emotional distance and isolation integrally related to depression’. The Londonist
The distance between us can grow without taking a single step.Steven, recently separated and heading towards divorce, bumps into an old friend on the journey to a job interview.
A complex recent past and a fragile present collide, as Steven tries to make sense of the world around him and his place within it. We accelerate headlong into Steven’s chaotic and troubled inner life, as the everyday encounter unravels into something dark, disturbing, and unrestrained.
Following the acclaimed Out Of The Cage (Park Theatre), Fine Line, Alex McSweeney, and Simon Pittman, return with this powerful contemporary story, to bring you a darkly funny, physically dynamic, and technically bold portrayal of the mind.
With suicide the biggest killer of men under 50, DISTANCE is an urgent examination of mental illness, and its impact on the individual, their family, and the society around them.
Cast:
FOLAMI/TICKET INSPECTOR/WAITRESS | DOREENE BLACKSTOCK
STEVEN | ADAM BURTON
THE DUKE | RICHARD CORGAN
SONJA | LINDSAY FRASER
ALAN | ABDUL SALIS
Creative:
WRITER | ALEX MCSWEENEY
DIRECTOR | SIMON PITTMAN
DESIGNER | BETHANY WELLS
LIGHTING DESIGNER | DAN SAGGARS
SOUND DESIGNER | ALEXANDRA FAYE BRAITHWAITE
VIDEO DESIGNER | IAN WILLIAM GALLOWAY
PRODUCER | FINE LINE
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER | ROUGH FICTION
GENERAL MANAGER | CELIA DUGUA
PRODUCTION MANAGER | JANE ARNOLD-FORSTER
STAGE MANAGER | FANA SUNLEY-SMITH
The development of DISTANCE was supported by Park Theatre’s Script Accelerator programme and Arts Council England.
Artwork by Graham Turner. Production Photography by Richard Davenport.