pluck. productions in association with Park Theatre present the World Premiere of
Alkaline
By Stephanie Martin
Directed by Sarah Meadows
A Story About Faith, Friendship and Fear
10 July – 04 August 2018 | Park Theatre
‘People love being in control, don’t you think? But you can’t control something you don’t understand.’
pluck. productions in association with Park Theatre are proud to present the world premiere of Alkaline by Stephanie Martin, which is set to be performed at Park Theatre from 10th July – 4th August 2018. Alkaline is a play about faith, friendship and fear, but at its heart a story about female friendship, shining a light on painful endings and new beginnings. The play also explores ideas surrounding British identity and who chooses to define it, questioning whether we dare to be different in today’s society. Alkaline follows pluck. productions’ most recent production, Birthday Suit, which played to critical acclaim and was nominated for three Off West-End Awards.
Alkaline is directed by Sarah Meadows, and stars Claire Cartwright, Nitin Kundra, Reena Lalbihari, Alan Mahon and EJ Martin.
Sophie and Sarah have been best friends forever. Sophie is newly engaged to her fiancé Nick and wants to celebrate. Sarah also has a new fiancé, Ali, and some more big news – she has recently converted to Islam.
One hot summer evening the two couples have a get together. Sophie is desperate to meet Ali and even more desperate to rescue her drifting friendship with Sarah. Sophie also wants to ask Sarah if she’ll take off her hijab for Sophie’s wedding – a headscarf ‘just won’t quite go’ with the other bridesmaids, and Sophie likes things to match. It’s all going well (ish) until an uninvited guest arrives with some news that turns the evening – and the couples’ lives – upside down.
The role of Sarah will be played by returning Park Theatre actress, Claire Cartwright, whose theatre credits include What Would Quentin Do? (Black Lives, Black Words, Bush Theatre), The Mousetrap (West End), A Christmas Carol (Pleasance Theatre), Macbeth (UK Tour/Pleasance Theatre), Thark (Park Theatre), The Pitmen Painters (National Tour and West End), and Henna Night (Pleasance Theatre).
Nitin Kundra plays Sarah’s fiancé, Ali. Nitin’s extensive theatre credits include Too Clever By Half (Royal Exchange Manchester/Told By an Idiot), 66 Books (Bush Theatre), The Swan (National Theatre), There Is A War(National Theatre), Make Me A Martyr (Finborough), Facts on the Ground (Live Theatre) and The Black Album(National Theatre), with television credits including Count Arthur Strong (BBC), Boy Meets Girl (Tiger Aspect), EastEnders (BBC), Edge of Heaven (ITV), Silent Witness (BBC) Celebrity Juice (Talkback Thames), Coronation Street (ITV), Emmerdale (ITV), Doctors (BBC) and Casualty (BBC).
Reena Lalbihari plays Aleesha. Her theatre credits include Faustus (Headlong), Madame de Sade (Donmar Warehouse), One Night Fran (Hen and Chickens), Dubailand (Finborough) and Pole Factor (Vaults Festival), television includes Day of the Triffids (BBC); EastEnders (BBC) and The Bill (Talkback Thames).
Alan Mahon and EJ Martin play dinner party hosts, Nick and Sophie. Alan’s theatre credits include If We Got Some More Cocaine I Could Show You How I Love You (Old Red Lion), Hamlet (Tobacco Factory), King Lear (Helix, Dublin), The Waste Ground Party (The Abbey Theatre, Dublin), Into the Woods (The Lir) and Twelfth Knight (The Lir Academy). EJ’s credits include Joy (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Boxed (The Vaults), Birthday Suit (Old Red Lion), A Room with a View (Theatre Royal Bath and UK Tour), The Last Tycoon (The Arts Theatre) and In Lipstick (The Arcola).