
Casting has been announced for the premiere of Christopher Adams’s Queer Noir play Tumulus, which opens at VAULT Festival later this month (24-28 January 2018).
Tumulus is a murder mystery that explores the dangers of the London chemsex culture and the murders and deaths which have plagued the gay community for the past decade since hook-up apps such as Grindr have been popularised.
When Anthony’s one-night stand turns up dead on the Hampstead Heath tumulus, police assume he’s another casualty of London’s dark and deadly chemsex scene, but details about the death don’t add up and Anthony suspects foul play. The more he investigates, the less it makes sense. Anthony can’t let it go. He has to unearth the truth.
The cast includes Ian Hallard (Doctor Who, Sherlock), Tom Rhys Harries (Chewing Gum, Jekyll & Hyde) and Ciarán Owens (Wallander, The Inbetweeners). The three actors will play over 40 roles between them, orchestrate live foley sound effects and create digitally generated voices for the play’s 40 characters using the latest VoiceLive Touch2 technology. The play is directed by Matt Steinberg (Trout Stanley, Kick Ass 2, $<0RP!0). Produced by Joanne L. Williams, the piece has design by Alison Neighbour (Ross & Rachel), sound design by Nick Manning (Lyric Hammersmith) and lighting design by Lucy Adams (Camden People’s Theatre).
The play has been selected to be published in ‘Plays from VAULT 3’ by Nick Hern Books, and the production has partnered with sexual health clinic 56 Dean Street’s Wellbeing Programme, the relationship charity Relate, and HIV Voices.
A post-show panel discussion is scheduled after 27 January’s 17.00 performance with David Stuart, 56 Dean Street chemsex support programme manager and Chris Sherwood, CEO of Relate.
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