What's on at the Park Theatre for the 2019/20 season?

The new Park Theatre London season is here. What's on?

The Off-West End theatre venue features several different performance spaces, including Park200, Park90, Morris Space, and Gallery Space. Four productions to be staged at Park90 have been announced, including Gerald Moon's Corpse!, the world premiere of Time and Tide, and Andy Dickinson's Shackleton and his Stowaway. Also running at the venue this season will by Sally Rogers' The Still Room, Carey Crim's Never Not Once, and Sarah Henley and Shamia Chalabi's Burkas and Bacon Butties. Here is the list of Park Theatre shows this 2019/2020 season in detail:
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Fast 
Booking until 9 November 2019
The psychological thriller based on a true story is now showing at the Park Theatre until 9 November 2019 after its sell-out shows in Brighton and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year. Set in 1910 long before celebrities and social media influencers like Kylie Jenner were promoting protein shakes and diet pills, "Dr." Linda Hazzard promotes a fasting cure the likes of which hasn't been seen before. Explore the "doctor's" fascinating and complex response to her public clinic and its subsequent press attention. Is she being slandered for being a professional working woman at a time before women even had the right to vote, or is there something far more sinister behind her cure?

Stray Dogs (by Olivia Olsen)
13 November - 7 December 2019
Set in 1940's Russian and the perfect play for Russophiles, Stray Dogs follows the true events of celebrated poet Anna Akhmatova who lost her first husband during the great purge of a land shrouded in terror. While her son awaits the death penalty in prison, Akhmatova is approached by Stalin who seeks a favour from her. She is soon dragged down into the depths of despair and presumed dead. But British philosopher Isaiah Berlin goes behind the Iron Curtain and into the hornet's nest to save her. With poetry as her greatest weapon, Anna Akhmatova must soon choose which side she is on. Just how far can her loyalty go to save her?

The Snow Queen 
4 December 2019 - 4 January 2020
It's snow Christmas without the Park Theatre's The Snow Queen, adapted from the fairytale by legendary Danish author Hans Christian Anderson and made overwhelmingly popular by Disney's Frozen film and musical. Gerda embarks on an epic journey to rescue her best friend Cei from the ice-cold clutches of the snow queen. Treat the whole family to this festive new show complete with snowball fights, Bae the talking reindeer, flowers that argue with each other, and the mean old teacher Mr Oversko.

Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis 
11 December 2019 - 4 January 2020
The Park Theatre is set to stage the first-ever London production of Charlotte Jones' heartwarming comedy on the play's 21st anniversary. Middle-aged dominatrix Josie has lost her lust for life as she spends most her time at home these days caring for her daughter Brenda and trying to survive the cold Boston winter. The last thing she needs is a birthday celebration to remind her of how old she is... but that doesn't stop her loyal client Lionel, her Catholic house cleaner Martha, and her daughter from throwing a big birthday bash to cheer her up, and to top it all off, they've invited a surprise guest: Elvis impersonator Timothy Wong. But no one knows who else is coming to crash the party.... Don't miss this hilarious play full of belly laughs and a fabulous Elvis soundtrack!

Shackleton and his Stowaway 
8 January - 1 February 2020
Stolen Elephant Theatre's new play based on true events of the ill-fated Endurance expedition to Antarctica is coming to London's Park Theatre this winter for a limited run. An 18-year-old stowaway sneaks his way onboard the Endurance. But when the ship breaks down and sinks, the crew are left stranded on the Antarctic ice with not a trace of civilisation in sight. How will they fare?

Rags 
9 January - 8 February 2020
The Hope Mill Theatre production of Rags The Musical is set to receive its highly anticipated London transfer at Park Theatre's Park200 venue. A group of Russian-Jewish immigrants journey to America in search of a better life. Fresh from Ellis Island, Rebecca slaves away at a New York sweatshop as she looks for her husband Nathan, who arrived to the US before she and her son did. Rebecca struggles to assimilate into society but is shocked to discover her husband has taken on the American lifestyle, rejecting his Jewish heritage and former identity. Featuring catchy lyrics by Wicked's Stephen Schwartz and music by Annie's Charles Strouse, Rags is definitely a season highlight!

Time and Tide
5 February - 29 February 2020
Relish Theatre's new LGBT dramedy follows the struggles of the community in Norfolk who are faced with the tide of change. Themes of unrequited love and loss are explored in this moving play by award-winning playwright and poet James McDermott. May's cafe is in shambles, her delivery man Ken is running out of customers, and Nemo is an aspiring actor hellbent on moving to London whilst his crush Daz refuses to accept that he is fighting to cope with his best friend leaving him. Don't miss this fresh new drama this February.

La Cage aux Folles  12 February - 21 March 2020
The world premiere of the English language version of La Cage Aux Folles is set to be staged for a six-week run at the Park Theatre in London. The Jean Poiret-penned play has been translated by Simon Callow and follows a St Tropez nightclub owner whose son's fiance causes controversy. Callow has called the play brilliant, hilarious, and a great play about living the life you lead. Press night is scheduled for 19 February.

Corpse! 
4 March - 28 March 2020
Jobbing actor Evelyn is out of work and growing poorer by the minute. His only solution is to kill his twin brother and inherit his wealth. As he and his friend Powell plot their dodgy deed, their plans are often interrupted by their hysterical landlady. With a master plan now in tow, the two are ready to commit cold-blooded murder. Don't miss the revival of this hilarious black comedy, which first premiered in the US in 1983 and later at the West End's Apollo Theatre in 1984.

Clybourne Park 
25 March - 2 May 2020
The 10th-anniversary production of Bruce Norris' Clybourne Park is heading to the Park Theatre this spring. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play is directed by Oliver Kaderbhai and explores the consequences of racial tensions in 20th-century America, daring to ask whether the same issues are as prevalent in society now as before. Press night for Clybourne Park is scheduled for 30 March and is set to be one of the season's longer-running productions.

Never Not Once​ 
1 April - 25 April 2020
This raw, refreshing new drama by award-winning playwright Carey Crim follows the story of Eleanor, an American college student who is determined to find out who her father is. Her two mothers don't want her to know, but she doesn't care. Her boyfriend Rob hires a private investigator for her and soon she is faced with her family's darkest secrets as she uncovers the answer to the burning question, "Where do I come from?" Don't miss the UK premiere of Never Not Once, which opens at the Park Theatre on April Fools Day 2020.

The Still Room 
29 April - 23 May 2020
Set in 1981 on the day of the royal nuptials between Princess Diana and Prince Charles, The Still Room follows a banqueting waitress named Janice who is desperate to save up and leave home as she waits for the results of her O Levels. Soon a new waitress comes into her life. Unlike Janice and her colleagues, she's confident, sexually intelligent, and full of fresh new ideas. How will the two get along? This funny, sexy, and dark new play is set to make its world premiere at the Park Theatre this spring. Don't miss it! 

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A Place for We 
6 May - 6 June 2020
Examining the aftermath of the Windrush scandal, Archie Maddock's play A Place for We features themes on the interrelationship of London communities. The Park Theatre production is directed by Michael Buffong and follows the lives of both a fifth-generation pub owner and a funeral director named Clarence as they struggle to adapt to their urban environment to survive. Press night for the world premiere of this summer production is scheduled for 12 May 2020.

Burkas and Bacon Butties 
27 May - 20 June 2020
The triumphant comedy by Shamia Chalabi and Sarah Henley is set to transfer to the Park Theatre following a sell-out run at the 2018 VAULT Festival. Based on Chalabi's real-life experiences, Burkas and Bacon Butties takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride through the many culture clashes and compromises that come from living in a multi-cultural family. Exploring the father-daughter relationship between Ashraf — an Egyptian-Muslim taxi driver — and his daughter Shazia — a half-Egyptian / half-Wigan, Burkas and Bacon Butties delivers us a bundle of fun from driving lessons, fancy-dress bingo, ex-wives, hot sauce, bad karaoke, and meddling uncles. This play will bring you to tears, whether it be from laughter or heartfelt moments. Be sure to catch the play this summer.

The Garden of Words 
15 July - 15 August 2020
The first season to be presented in 2020 at the Park Theatre will finish with the highly anticipated world premiere of The Garden of Words, which is based on the hit Japanese anime series of the same name by Makoto Shinkai/CoMix Wave Films. The play will utilise anime's emotive animation for visual storytelling as this tale of loneliness, budding romance, and unforeseen disabilities unfolds. Alexandra Rutter directs The Garden of Words, which will have its official press night on 23 July. This innovative "anime-play" is not to be missed and is set to close the inaugural 2020 Park Theatre season with a bang!