A new comedy exploring privilege, party rings and the pressures of parenting is coming to Salford’s Lowry Theatre next month, with a special baby-friendly show taking place.
Parents and carers have been invited to bring babies under the age of one for free to a unique performance Party Season, with the theatre saying there is no expectation for them to stay quiet, and that “baby noises, feeding and wriggles are all welcome.”
A designated area will be marked out in the auditorium, giving you extra space and flexibility to settle little ones, or move around as needed while you watch the baby-friendly performance and all babies will be admitted free with a paying adult.
The baby-friendly matinee on Wednesday, 13 May at 2:30pm arrives alongside evening performances of the show from Tuesday, 12 May until Saturday, 16 May.
Co-commissioned by Lowry and co-produced by Royal & Derngate Northampton and The Wardrobe Ensemble, Party Season has been described as a sugar-fuelled, bobbin-winding fever dream where class identities collide, social niceties unravel, and underslept parents do their best to hold it all together when three children’s parties take place across one weekend.
A collective of nine founded in 2011, The Wardrobe Ensemble are celebrating their 15th anniversary year in style by bringing their show to Salford.
Known for their energetic, irreverent, silly and serious plays that dissect the twenty-first century experience, they have enjoyed acclaim for work including The Last of the Pelican Daughters, Mog’s Christmas, RIOT at the National Theatre’s Shed 1972: The Future of Sex and Education, Education, Education which subsequently transferred to the West End.
Party Season is co-directed by Royal & Derngate’s Artistic Director (and Wardrobe Ensemble founding member) Jesse Jones (Top Gs Like Me, Breaking the Code) and The Wardrobe Ensemble’s Helena Middleton (Mog’s Christmas, Royal & Derngate).
The cast includes Wardrobe Ensemble members Tom England, Jesse Meadows and Ben Vardy (all seen most recently in Mog’s Christmas), James Newton (Moby Dick, Simple8 in association with Royal & Derngate), and Kerry Lovell (The Last of the Pelican Daughters, Royal & Derngate). Other cast members are Jacade Simpson (Get Up, Stand Up, West End) and Fowzia Madar (Henry V, Insane Root Theatre at Temple Church).
The Set and Costume Designer is Bronia Housman (The Wizard of Oz, Salisbury Playhouse), the Lighting Designer is Chris Swain (Kin, Gecko Theatre Company), the Sound Designer is Beth Duke (The Jolly Christmas Postman, Royal & Derngate), and Tom Brennan, another founding member of The Wardrobe Ensemble, is Dramaturg for the production.
Party season is set to come to Salford in May, tickets are available on The Lowry Theatre website.
