VIVIENNE ACHEAMPONG JOINS THE COMPANY OF
ROB DRUMMOND’S PIN AND NEEDLES
Vivienne Acheampong today joins the company for the world première of Rob Drummond’s Pins and Needles at Kiln Theatre directed by Amit Sharma – his inaugural production as Artistic Director at Kiln. Acheampong joins Richard Cant, Gavi Singh Chera and Brian Vernel.
The production opens on 25 September, with previews from 19 September, and runs until 26 October.
Sharlene Whyte has withdrawn from the production due to personal reasons.
The world première of
PINS AND NEEDLES
by Rob Drummond
19 September – 26 October 2024
Director Amit Sharma; Designer Frankie Bradshaw; Lighting Designer Rory Beaton;
Sound Designer Jasmin Kent Rodgman; Casting Director Amy Ball CDG;
Kiln-Mackintosh Resident Assistant Director Imy Wyatt Corner; Linbury Associate Designer Finlay Jenner
Caution: Contains truth, lies and misinformation. You decide.
Rob is putting science and scepticism to the test in his new play. For research, he speaks to Mary, a mother trying to make the best decisions for her family, Toby, an angry son who distrusts institutions, and Edward Jenner, the father of modern vaccinations. The more he listens, the more he struggles to keep his own subjectivity off the table, which begs the question – how do you know who to trust?
Rob Drummond, whose plays are ‘utterly unpredictable’ (The Stage), explores the politics around vaccines, and the human stories behind them.
Vivienne Acheampong plays Mary. Her theatre credits include Is God Is (Royal Court), Nassim (Bush Theatre), City of Glass (Lyric Hammersmith/HOME Manchester), Monster Raving Loony (Soho Theatre), Rainbow Class (Assembly Hall, Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Elegies for Angela, Punks & Raging Queens (Criterion Theatre), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Gielgud Theatre) and Julius Caesar (Donmar Warehouse/St Ann’s Warehouse). Her television credits include The Sandman, Everything Now, Ellie & Natasia, The One, The Emily Atack Show, The Other One, Famalam, Death in Paradise, Turn Up Charlie, We the Jury and The Aliens; and for film, Jackdaw and The Witches.
Richard Cant returns to Kiln Theatre to play Edward Jenner – he previously appeared in Handbagged and Wife. His other theatre work includes Chariots of Fire, Talent (Sheffield Theatres), What It Means (The Lot at Wilton’s Music Hall), The Vortex (Chichester Festival Theatre), Orlando (MGC at the Garrick Theatre), The Normal Heart, Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear (National Theatre), After Edward, Edward the Second (Shakespeare’s Globe), Maydays, Henry VI – Rebellion and Wars of the Roses (RSC), Saint Joan (Donmar Warehouse), My Night with Reg (Donmar Warehouse/Apollo Theatre), Medea (Almeida Theatre), The Trial (Young Vic), War Horse (New London Theatre), and Salome (Headlong). His television credits include Doctor Who, Mapp & Lucia, The Crown, It’s a Sin, Silent Witness, Taboo, Outlander, Bleak House and The Way We Live Now; and for film, Take Care, My Policeman, Mary Queen of Scots, and Stan and Ollie.
Gavi Singh Chera plays Rob. His theatre credits include Our Generation (National Theatre/ Chichester Festival Theatre), Behind The Beautiful Forevers (National Theatre), Pygmalion (Headlong), The Cherry Orchard (Yard Theatre / HOME Theatre), Duck and 1922: The Waste Land (Jermyn Street Theatre); as well as numerous West End productions whilst a member of the National Youth Theatre REP Company, including Wuthering Heights, Consensual and The Merchant of Venice. His television credits include Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, The Undeclared War, The Lazarus Project, and Vera; and for film, Blitz, and Kavita and Teresa, and short film, Temple – for which he was nominated for Best Actor in the British Short Film Awards.
Brian Vernel plays Robert. His theatre credits include Mary (Hamstead Theatre), Stories, Certain Young Men – Queer Theatre (National Theatre), Instructions for Correct Assembly (Royal Court), The Seagull (Lyric Hammersmith), Barbarians, Future Conditional (Young Vic), Takin’ Over the Asylum (Royal Lyceum/Citizen’s Theatre), The Static, Blackout (Corby Cube) and Four Parts Broken (National Theatre Of Scotland/Traverse Theatre/Oran Mor). His television credits include Shardlake, Slow Horses, Gangs of London S1 & S2, Collateral, The Tunnel, Dr Who, The Missing 2, The Last Kingdom, The Casual Vacancy, Grantchester, Prey and The Field of Blood. For film his credits include Kill, Dunkirk, Papillon, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Winter Song, Offender and Let Us Prey.
Rob Drummond is an award-winning playwright and performer who has worked with the most prestigious theatres in the UK; and an associate artist at the Traverse Theatre. His plays include Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Perth Theatre, Macrobert Arts Centre and Eden Court Theatre), Milkshake, The Mack, Eulogy (Òran Mór, Traverse Theatre), Flesh (National Theatre Connections), Our Fathers (Traverse Theatre, Tron Theatre, Scottish tour), Pleading, Top Table, Rolls in Their Pockets (Òran Mór – A Play, A Pie and A Pint), The Majority (National Theatre), Grain in the Blood (Traverse Theatre, Tron Theatre), The Broons (Scottish tour), In Fidelity (HighTide, Traverse Theatre), Uncanny Valley (Edinburgh International Science Festival, Borderline Theatre – CATS Award, Best Production for Children and Young People), Dear Scotland (National Theatre of Scotland), Bullet Catch (Brits Off Broadway 59East59, international tour, Traverse Theatre – Herald Angel Award and Total Theatre Award), Riot of Spring (The Arches Theatre, Glasgow), Quiz Show (Traverse Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland – CATS Award for Best New Play), Rod Drummond: Wrestling (The Arches – Vital Spark Award), Mr Write (NTS, Tron Theatre – CATS Award, Best Production for Children and Young People), Hunter (NTS and Frantic Assembly), Allotment (Govan Shopping Centre), and Sixteen (Arches Theatre Festival). For television his work includes McDonald and Dodds.
Amit Sharma is an international award-winning director of theatre and television. Before joining the Kiln Theatre as Associate Director, he was previously Deputy Artistic Director of Birmingham Rep, Associate Artistic Director at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, and Associate Director at Graeae Theatre Company where his journey into theatre began. Sharma directed the critically acclaimed and sell-out run of Retrograde at the Kiln; and has also directed two productions at the National Theatre – The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Graeae Theatre Company/Theatre Royal Plymouth co-production) and The Boy With Two Hearts (also Wales Millennium Centre). He also co-directed Prometheus Awakes, one of the largest outdoor productions featuring Deaf and disabled artists as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad (Graeae Theatre Company/ Greenwich+Docklands International Festival/ Stockton International Riverside Festival/La Fura Dels Baus); and Aruna and The Raging Sun in Chennai, India as part of UK/INDIA Year of Culture 2017. Sharma is a BAFTA nominated director, for his two films which were part of the Criptales season on BBC and BBC AMERICA. He also co-directed the award-winning BBC and NETFLIX television drama Then Barbara Met Alan (Best Single Drama, 2023 Broadcast Awards). He began his training at Graeae Theatre Company with Missing Piece 1. His other theatre credits include One Under (Graeae Theatre Company/Theatre Royal Plymouth), Cosmic Scallies (Graeae Theatre Company/Royal Exchange Theatre), and Iron Man (Graeae Theatre Company/international tour). His other television work includes Hamish, and Thunderbox.
Kiln Theatre
Listings
269 Kilburn High Road, London, UK, NW6 7JR
Box Office: 020 7328 1000
PEANUT BUTTER & BLUEBERRIES
8 August – 31 August 2024
Alcohol-free 12 and 22 August, 7pm
performances
Tickets £15 – £35
Access performances:
Audio Described 29 August, 7pm, preceded by a Touch Tour
Captioned 22 August, 7pm
Relaxed 28 August, 2.30pm
PINS AND NEEDLES
19 September – 26 October 2024
Tickets £15 – £40
Access performances:
Audio Described 24 October, 7.30pm, preceded by a Touch Tour
Captioned 21 October, 7.30pm
Relaxed 19 October, 2.30pm
THE PURISTS
14 November – 21 December 2024
Tickets £15 – £40
Access performances:
Audio Described 19 December, 7.30pm, preceded by a Touch Tour
Captioned 9 December, 7.30pm
Relaxed 14 December, 2.30pm
THE LONELY LONDONERS
10 January -15 February 2025
Tickets £15 – £40
Access performances:
Audio Described 13 February, 7.30pm, preceded by a Touch Tour
Captioned 3 February, 7.30pm
Relaxed 8 February, 2.30pm
SHANGHAI DOLLS
April – May 2025
Under 26 – £10 (subject to availability)
Access, Over 65, Local, Student and Group rates available, for further details, please see the website.
Subsidised tickets
We offer free tickets and exclusive discounts to those who can’t afford to come. If you fit any of the below criteria, get in touch and we can help you get a ticket.
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