Park Theatre presents:
Park Bench
Moving from the small screen to live on stage, a new play examines how we readjust to in-person interaction, and how old flames and old habits die hard
Written by Tori Allen-Martin
Directed by Christa Harris (Act 1) | Sarah Henley & Timothy O’Hara (Act 2)
Act 1(Digital): 22 June – 14 Aug
Act 2 (Live): Park Theatre, 4 – 14 August
‘Gifted with impeccable comic timing and a stage presence that makes it hard to take your eyes off her’
WhatsOnStage (about Tori Allen-Martin)
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In direct parallel with what audiences are experiencing now, Park Theatre reopens with a drama that shifts from the digital sphere to the live stage. Commissioned for this specific moment in time, it asks questions about how lockdown has changed the way we communicate and the relationships we have , and whether these changes are here to stay. Park Bench shows a knotty, complicated relationship that has over time shifted between friend to lover, from claustrophobic closeness to deafening silences. After more than a year apart and months of isolation, Liv and Theo reconnect online – only to find that the frank conversation they need have with each other is too big for the small screen. Has a year of sitting with their feelings made them any better at expressing them?
Liv and Theo used to be each other’s ride-or-die but that was back then… After more than a year of distance from their situationship, it’s time to talk – so they reconnect online. What happened to being mates? How’s his new life working out? Why did she just vanish? Will meeting up in person on ‘their’ park bench reignite an old flame or finally put out the flickering embers of feelings?
Tori Allen-Martin said, “It’s so rare that a theatre lets you run wild and write the show you feel you need to write or maybe even more than that, the play that you feel you need to see. Especially when you’re a woman of colour from humble beginnings. That’s what I’ve tried to do with Park Bench, write a sensitive play about human connection, that encompasses a lot of the feelings we’ve all experienced during this time, without this being a play ABOUT the pandemic. It’s about being human and being vulnerable and maybe most of all it’s about deciding to choose yourself. I’ve always found Park Theatre such an exciting venue at the heart of its vibrant and diverse community and to be trusted to open the doors back up after a sad and dark hiatus with a brand new play, is such a gift and not something I take lightly. It’s testament to what a forward thinking and vital building Park Theatre is that they’d make a bold decision like this where they prioritise a newer and underrepresented voice.”
Writer and performer Tori Allen-Martin’s work as a writer for theatre includes The Hardest One (The Other Palace) and musicals Streets (The Cockpit, Hackney Empire and The Vaults) and Another Way (The Cockpit). She was named as one of the BBC’S New Talent Hotlist in 2017 and more recently was selected for ITV’s 50/50 scheme. She also worked on Flack Season Two (Oli Lansley/Hat Trick Productions) and has work currently in development with Duchess Street Productions, Sky, Kilimanjaro Productions, Mammoth Productions and Park Theatre. Tori is also an associate artist at Chiswick Playhouse.
Park Theatre presents exceptional theatre in the heart of Finsbury Park, boasting two world-class performance spaces: Park200 for predominantly larger scale productions by established talent, and Park90, a flexible studio space, for emerging artists. In eight years, it has enjoyed eight West End transfers (including Daytona starring Maureen Lipman, The Boys in the Band starring Mark Gatiss, Pressure starring David Haig and The Life I Lead starring Miles Jupp), two National Theatre transfers, twenty-five national tours, four Olivier Award nominations, has won Offie Awards for Best New Play and Best Foodie Experience and won a Theatre of the Year award from The Stage. Park Theatre are grateful to all those who have donated to the Park Life fund, supporting the venue through the pandemic.
Park Bench has been commissioned by Park Theatre with support from the Culture Recovery Fund. Park Theatre will be reopening in line with government and UKTheatre guidelines, making sure audiences can See It Safely. Please visit the Park Theatre website for Covid-19 safety guidelines.
50 mins | Suitable for ages 16+
Trigger warning: contains themes of an adult nature and discussions around mental health that some may find upsetting. Contact Park Theatre for more information.
Company information
Directed by Christa Harris (Act 1: Digital) Sarah Henley & Timothy O’Hara (Act 2: Live)
Written by Tori Allen-Martin
Cast
Tori Allen-Martin, Tim Bowie
Listings information
22 – 14 Aug (Act 1: Online) | 4 – 14 Aug (Act 2: Live)
Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP
Act One: Online | Free
Act Two: Mon, Tues, Weds, Fri 7pm & 8.30pm | Thurs & Sat matinees 3pm & evening 7.30 | £10 – £7.50
Captioned 12 Aug 7.30pm
www.parktheatre.co.uk | 020 7870 6876*
*No booking fee online. Telephone booking fee applies.
Presented by Park Theatre with the support of Arts Council England