If the concept of a new West End opening brings to mind the acting world’s glitterati descending upon Theatreland in fancy cars, then new production ‘Papa Don’t Preach’ is going for a different angle.
This new play actually takes place in a car, which is parked on Drury Lane (and therefore totally still counts as the West End FYI), and invites its tiny audience to sit in within it.
Created by Olivier Award-winning playwright and screenwriter Bola Agbaje (writer of the acclaimed ‘Gone Too Far!’), the 20-minute production is centred around the relationship between a father and daughter as they wait to view a prospective new flat. The two actors playing said roles sit in the front, while the audience beds down in the back. And by audience, we’re talking an estate-car-full, ie five people per showing.
Running for three days between August 23 and 25, with three showings a day, it’s almost certainly the most unusual production to hit the legendary theatre stretch for a good long while. It does appear to be some sort of promotional wheeze for car insurance company More Than, but hopefully they won’t try and flog you anything.
If you do manage to bag a spot, pipe down with all that ’are we there yet?’ in the back, eh?
Tickets for ‘Papa Don’t Preach’ are free and available to book here.
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