Gibraltar Drama Group To Perform Local Play In London
Drama group Dramatis Personae will be performing a play by playwright Julian Felice at a London theatre later this month in the first time a Gibraltarian company has performed a play written by a local writer at a venue in the capital.
“The Blue Whale” - a dark comedy - will be performed between the 23rd and 25th February at The Space, a theatre close to Canary Wharf, after being selected to form part of the theatre’s winter season following an intense selection process. Located in a former church and patronised by famed actor Sir Ian McKellen, The Space places strong emphasis on supporting and promoting new theatre writing and the work of emerging theatremakers.
“The Blue Whale” tells the story of Lewis, a loser-in-love who meets a girl online. Determined to prove himself to her, he agrees to participate in a game where he has to meet a series of challenges. As the challenges escalate, though, so do the stakes, placing Lewis in growing conflict with those closest to him. The play won Best Original Play at the 2022 Gibraltar Drama Festival and Best Play at the 2022 Duncan Rand One-Act Play Festival held at Medway Little Theatre in Kent. The production has now been re-cast with former students of Bayside and Westside Schools who went on to study Drama at University. Sam Bush plays the role of Lewis, with Chris Ablitt playing Karl, his best friend. Natalie Bonavia rounds up the cast as Tasha, the woman Lewis meets online. Emma Cruz and Maria James form the team’s stage crew. The production has received funding via a Cultural Grant awarded by Gibraltar Cultural Services.
While Julian has had four short plays performed in London, this is his first extended run of a full- length play in the capital. Julian has been working closely with The Space and its associated companies for a few years, and his play Flavius was recently the subject of a Research & Development session at Lyric Theatre Belfast.
Keen to strengthen the connections with Gibraltar, The Space is offering reduced price tickets for Gibraltar ID card holders, while the theatre’s bar will also be hosting a Gibraltar-themed night on the 25th February. Local audiences can also catch the final performance via a livestream, with the recording available on demand for a number of weeks.
Tickets are available on https://space.org.uk/event/the-blue-whale/
