People, Places and Things will make a triumphant return to London’s West End, this spring.
Where and when?
People, Places and Things is playing at Trafalgar Theatre until 10 August 2024.
The show garnered widespread critical acclaim when it had its world premiere at the National Theatre’s Dorfman theatre in September 2015 in a co-production with Headlong. The production transferred to Wyndham’s Theatre in March 2016 in London’s West End before transferring to St. Ann’s Warehouse in New York in October 2017.
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours 20 mins including a 20 mins interval
Recommended Age: 14+
Who’s in the cast?
Denise Gough will reprise her Olivier Award-winning role as Emma, a struggling actress whose life is spinning recklessly out of control. She is joined by Sinéad Cusack (V for Vendetta, Warner Bros; Rock ‘n’ Roll, Royal Court Theatre) who will play the roles of Doctor/Therapist/Mum, Malachi Kirby (Small Axe: Mangrove, BBC; upcoming Anansi Boys, Amazon Prime) who will play Mark, Danny Kirrane (The Sandman, Netflix; The Serpent Queen, Amazon Prime) who will play Foster and Kevin McMonagle (Scoop, Netflix; Best of Enemies, Young Vic) who will play the roles of Dad/Paul.
Holly Atkins (This Country, BBC; Sons of the Prophet, Hampstead Theatre), will play Charlotte, Paksie Vernon (Shetland, BBC; Angels in America: Part One, National Theatre) will play Jodi, Ryan Hutton (A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Royal Shakespeare Company; Only Fools and Horses, Theatre Royal Haymarket) will play Shaun, Ayọ̀ Owóyẹmi-Peters, will make her West End debut playing Laura and Dillon Scott-Lewis (Piglets, ITV; &Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre) will play T. Completing the company are Russell Anthony (Call the Midwife, BBC; Trouble in Butetown, Donmar Warehouse) and Louise Templeton (Jayson Bend: Queen and Country, Amazon Prime; Sherlock Holmes: The Final Curtain, Theatre Royal Bath).
Denise said:
“I am beyond excited and so grateful to be returning to the role of Emma in People, Places and Things. Duncan Macmillan’s incredible play was a life changing experience for me and many others. It brought me pure joy, night after night, to take to the stage to share Emma’s story and I can’t wait to bring her back to new audiences and to give voice, and space, to people that live with or have experienced any form of addiction”
Read my 2016 interview with Denise Gough about People, Places and Things
What’s the show about?
Emma was having the time of her life. Now she’s in rehab. Her first step is to admit that she has a problem. But the problem isn’t with Emma, it’s with everything else. She needs to tell the truth. But she’s smart enough to know that there’s no such thing. When intoxication feels like the only way to survive the modern world, how can she ever sober up?
Assisted performances
BSL Performance: Saturday 20 July, 2.30pm
Captioned Performances: Saturday 6 July, 2.30pm & Tuesday 16 July, 7.30pm
Audio Described: Saturday 13 July, 2.30pm & Thursday 25 July, 7.30pm
What did I think?
★★★★★
Having seen this show back in 2016 and loving it, I was excited to hear it was coming back to London and I went to see it with high hopes and fear that it may not live up to the memories I had of it. I needn’t have worried as it felt even more relevant today in 2024 than it did before.
Denise Gough was born to play this role of a woman on verge of a breakdown, high on drugs and nervously entering a rehabilitation clinic to try to deal with her demons. The play is a tough watch and not for the faint hearted but it is so worth it. It’s clearly a National Theatre production – perfectly created in every possible way.
I beg of you to go and see this show before it closes on 10 August 2024. It is a remarkable play and has stayed with me for eight years and I am sure will continue to for many more to come.
