PHOTOGRAPHY © HANNAH BARTON TOR CLARK, JULIE ARMSTRONG, JACQUES MICHÉ & WILLIAM OXBORROW 2 Saving Jason A New Comedy By Peter Quilter Directed By Steven Dexter Presented by Daniel Krupnik Productions and Amanda Holland in association with Park Theatre Cast Julie Armstrong as Angela Tor Clark as Linda Gedge Jacques Miché as Jason Gedge Paddy Navin as Mary William Oxborrow as Trevor Gedge Cory Peterson as Derek For ‘Saving Jason’ Special Thanks To Writer: Peter Quilter Park Theatre Director: Steven Dexter Menier Chocolate Factory Set and Costume Designer: Andrew Riley Hilla Bar Krupnik Lighting Designer: Alex Drofiak Stage Manager: Jade Louise Hunter Assistant Stage Manager: Beth Absalom Producer: Daniel Krupnik Producer: Amanda Holland Assistant Producer: Craig Nom Chong Assistant Producer: Prudence Smith 3 About Park Theatre Park Theatre was founded by Artistic Director, Jez Bond. The building opened in May 2013 and, with two West End transfers, two National Theatre transfers and three national tours in its first two years, quickly garnered a reputation as a key player in the London theatrical scene. In 2015 Park Theatre received an Olivier nomination and won The Stage’s Fringe Venue of the Year. _____________ Park Theatre is a neighbourhood theatre with a global ambition. We present world class theatre, collaborating with the finest existing and emerging talent. We programme classics through to new writing, distinguished by strong narrative drive and powerful emotional content. We produce both in-house and in partnership with the most excellent existing and emerging producers, with whom we endeavour to provide an unparalleled level of support. With a welcoming and nurturing environment we want Park Theatre to be accessible to everyone, within our diverse community and beyond – and through affordable ticket pricing and outreach programmes we aim to engage with those with little or no experience of theatre. We aim to be a beacon for all and an ambassador for theatre worldwide. êêêêê “A five-star neighbourhood theatre.” Independent As a registered charity [number 1137223] with no public subsidy, we rely on the kind support of our donors and volunteers. To find out how you can get involved visit parktheatre.co.uk 4 For Park Theatre Artistic Director | Jez Bond Ambassadors Executive Director | Rachael Williams Creative Director | Melli Bond David Horovitch Development Director | Dorcas Morgan Celia Imrie Artistic & Executive Assistant/ Sean Mathias Assistant Producer | Tanya Moodie Amy Lumsden Hattie Morahan Finance Manager | Marlaina Darmody Tamzin Outhwaite Sales & Marketing Manager | Dawn James Associate Artists Box Office Interim Manager | Androulla Erotokritou Mark Cameron Box Office Supervisors |Natasha Olivia Poulet Green, Bessie Hitchin, Joshua Oakes- Sarah Rutherford (Writer in Rogers, Katy Shearstone, Alex Whitlock Residence) Venue and Volunteer Manager | Charlie Ward Naomi Dixon Duty Venue Manager | Barry Card and Trustees Rochelle Clarke Technical Manager | Sacha Queiroz Andrew Cleland-Bogle Building and Theatre Technician | Nick Frankfort Andre T. Robert Hingley Creative Intern | Lorna Heap Rachel Lewis Cafe Bar General Manager | Mars Lord Tom Bailey Sir Frank McLoughlin Bar staff | Gemma Barnett, Grace Nigel Pantling (Chair) Botang, Michael Byrne, Calum Budd- Jo Parker Brophy, Amy Conway, Robert Czibi, Leah Schmidt (Vice Chair) Nicola Grant, Philip Honeywell, Lasse Marten, Joshua Oaks-Rogers, Olivia With thanks to all of our supporters, Onyehara, Sara Pau, Emma Petrusson, donors and volunteers. Katy Shearstone and Sam Williams. Public Relations | Arabella Neville- Rolfe and Nick Pearce for Target-Live President | Jeremy Bond 5 THE JOURNEY OF ‘JASON’ FROM WRITER, PETER QUILTER This is the first play I’ve written that was inspired by personal experience. So the journey has been interesting, challenging, fulfilling, exasperating, and all those other painful things that playwrights endure on a daily basis when banging our heads on our desks. Which also hurts, by the way. A young relative of mine was going through a rebellious phase and came to visit me for a week so that I could try and sort him out. I didn’t. But my frustration over the situation gave me the idea for this play. Originally each character was based on somebody I knew, including friends and family members. But as the play developed, the personalities and their behaviours in the show have changed dramatically. So much so, that if I now told someone they were the basis for a particular character, they would almost certainly throw their drink over me. We were blessed in this production to have a director PETER QUILTER who has great instinct for new writing and was able to identify parts of the play that needed more work, re- shaping, editing, embellishing or several hours more of a head banging on a desk. I was in agony over any 11th hour re-writes, but ultimately very grateful. The cast also threw themselves into the process, filling the room with ideas, questions, concerns and a lot of enthusiasm. Which is a beautiful thing. This is, really, what all new plays should be about. Forcing each word, scene and storyline to validate itself - and then finding the final draft together... 6 JACQUES MICHÉ JULIE ARMSTRONG CORY WILLIAM OXBORROW PETERSON & TOR CLARK CORY PETERSON PADDY & JACQUES MICHÉ NAVIN PHOTOGRAPHY © HANNAH BARTON 7 THE JOURNEY OF ‘JASON’ FROM DIRECTOR, STEVEN DEXTER Peter Quilter and I first worked together back in 1995 on a musical version of The Canterville Ghost, with composer Charles Miller and I am thrilled to be once STEVEN again collaborating with him. Thank you to Peter, DEXTER along with our producers Daniel Krupnik and Amanda Holland for asking me to do this. I fell in love with the piece the minute I read it. New work needs nurturing and shaping. Peters’ original draft was set today. A contemporary piece dealing with a teenager going out and taking party drugs. While there are plenty of teens going out today and taking all sorts of “illegal drugs” we discussed that perhaps setting it in the late 90’s where the rave and ecstasy culture was at it’s peak would give the piece and it’s characters, higher stakes. JACQUES MICHÉ Peter’s scene setting in the script is as follows: SETTING THE YEAR IS 1996. THERE IS ONLY ONE SET - THE LIVING ROOM OF THE HOME OF TREVOR, LINDA AND JASON. A BUFFET TABLE DOWNSTAGE, NEXT TO THE KITCHEN EXIT. A LARGE SOFA AT UPSTAGE CENTRE, FACING THE AUDIENCE, A COUPLE OF CHAIRS, A DINING TABLE ALONG THE STAGE RIGHT WALL. A LARGE DRINKS CABINET WITH A SPACIOUS, DOORED WINE CUPBOARD UNDERNEATH ALONG THE STAGE LEFT WALL. A SYSTEM FOR PLAYING MUSIC CD’S. THE FRONT DOOR AT DOWNSTAGE RIGHT AND AN EXIT TO THE KITCHEN AND GARDEN AT DOWNSTAGE LEFT. A PRACTICAL WINDOW TO THE STREET AT UPSTAGE RIGHT. 8 TOR CLARK, JULIE ARMSTRONG, CORY PETERSON & WILLIAM OXBORROW When first viewing Park 90 I immediately knew I wanted to immerse the audience into the “living room” and wanted to do the play in the round. Directing in the round poses its problems but it also allows the actor to physically move and interact in a naturalistic fashion within the space. Designer Andrew Riley and I discussed the idea of an “Urban Prison”. People trapped in suburbia and in their way of thinking. While we needed the naturalistic elements I wanted a theatrical heightened reality to tie in with Peters’ writing. And so welcome to our world. We hope you enjoy the journey as much as we have enjoyed creating it! PHOTOGRAPHY © HANNAH BARTON 9 CAST JULIE ARMSTRONG TOR CLARK JACQUES MICHÉ ANGELA LINDA GEDGE JASON GEDGE WEST END & THEATRE: The Trained at Rose Bruford School THEATRE INCLUDES: Madame Rise & Fall Of Little Voice, Mrs of Speech & Drama, where she Butterfly (Theatre Royal, Bath); Henderson Presents, Spend represented the school in the Carousel (Bristol Hippodrome); Spend Spend (nominated Best William Poel Verse Speaking Beauty and the Beast (Bristol Female Off-West End Awards Festival, & the Carlton Hobbs Hippodrome); Oliver! (Theatre 2016), King Pit, From Here radio competition. Royal, Drury Lane); 13 The to Eternity, Annie, Stepping Musical (Apollo Theatre);The Out, Evita, The Snowqueen, RECENT CREDITS INCLUDE : Hired Man (St. James Jolson, Chicago, Beauty & the Titania‘ A Midsummer Nights Theatre); Bugsy Malone (Lyric, Beast, Merrily We Roll Along, Dream’ (The Hague Shakespeare Hammersmith) Scrooge, Magic of the Musicals, Festival, dir: Theu Boermans) The Cheeky Chappie, Just So, , Mrs Marchmont ‘An Ideal Follies, Chess (original cast), West Husband’ Stanhope Productions TV INCLUDES: The Revolting Side Story, Godspell, Spring & (The Vaudeville Theatre, dir: World of Stanley Brown Port Wine & Of Mice & Men. Lyndsey Posner), Played & Understudied:Sonja/Valerie & FILM/TV: London Road (BBC Jane/Sarah ’Speaking In Tongues’ Films), From Here to Eternity ACT/ (The Duke of Yorks, dir Toby (CineStage), BAFTA nominated Frow), Mrs Dubose in ‘To Kill A Hero of the Hour (Granada), Mockingbird’ (a joint production Close & True, Laurence Olivier for West Yorkshire Playhouse & Awards, Des O’Connor Show, The Birmingham Rep dir: Michael Royal Variety Performance (ITV), Buffong), Ensemble and lead in Crimewatch, Chucklevision, The ‘Blood & Roses’ and Two Ronnie’s, Pebble Mill, Dog ‘Island ‘(with mask theatre Eat Dog, Applied Learning (BBC) company Trestle dir: Toby Wilsher) & Geordie Runs for Gold (WTV) Fiona in ‘Humans’ for Channel RECORDING/RADIO: King Pit, 4/Kudos, Joanne in ‘Not Going From Here To Eternity, Merrily Out’ for Avalon, Clarreta Petacci We Roll