Tracie Bennett and John Partridge to star in a brand-new London production of THE CODE by Michael McKeever
THE CODE will run at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 12 September to 11 October 2025, directed by Drama Desk award-winning and Tony-nominated Christopher Renshaw (The King and I, Broadway; We Will Rock You, West End).
Starring two-time Olivier winner Tracie Bennett (Here We Are, National Theatre; Hairspray, West End; High Society, West End) as Tallulah Bankhead and star of stage and screen John Partridge (Eastenders, BBC; Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, West End; Cats, West End & UK Tour) as Billy Haines.
THE CODE lays bare the unspoken rules of Hollywood, then and now: a world where image still shapes opportunity, where authenticity is curated and identity remains politicised.
Starring alongside Tracie Bennett and John Partridge will be Solomon Davy (Hairspray, UK Tour; Grease, West End) as Chad Manford and Nick Blakeley (Underdog: The Other Brontë, National Theatre; 24 Hour Plays, The Old Vic; Father Brown, BBC; Goodbye Christopher Robin, Fox Searchlight) as Henry Willson.
Hollywood, 1950. A fading star. A rising one. An agent with an agenda. And a legend who’s seen it all.
Tallulah Bankhead – magnetic, mercurial, and unapologetically sharp-tongued – stops in for a cocktail at the home of former screen idol turned interior designer Billy Haines, who may – or may not – be planning to disappear from the town he once ruled.
Enter power agent Henry Willson and his all-too-perfect protégé Chad Manford, setting the room alight. In a world where image is everything, and identity must be carefully edited to survive, can any of them break “the code” without losing everything?
“This entire town is a cesspool, darling. Beautifully lit. Well appointed. But a cesspool nonetheless.”
THE CODE has set and costume design by Ethan Cheek (This Is My Family, Southwark Playhouse Elephant; Constellations, Barn Theatre), lighting design by Jack Weir (The Woman in White, Electric Theatre; The Friends Experience, London Excel; To Wong Foo, Hope Mill Theatre), and casting by Nicholas Hockaday (The Creakers, Southbank Centre; Sappho, Southwark Playhouse Elephant). The full creative team will be announced at a later date.
Age Guidance: 14+
Content Warnings: Strong language
