Disco Inferno
Written by Martha Watson Allpress
Directed by Emily Aboud
7pm 3 - 5 July (Captioned performance 5 July)
Approx running time 2hrs 15mins including interval
Join us this July for the world premiere of Disco Inferno by award-winning writer Martha Watson Allpress (Lady Dealer), directed by Evening Standard Future Theatre Fund winner Emily Aboud (Tender).
After a fire takes the life of music superstar Gemini Knight, those left behind try and grapple with what it means to mourn; an artist, a person, and the money they made. Disco Inferno explores grief through fandom, family and friendship, with movement, song and humour.
Starring new talent from the NYT Playing Up Company, whose graduates include: Seraphina Beh (Crongton), Dionne Brown (Queenie), Gavin Singh Chera (The Rings of Power), Shalisha James-Davis (Punch) and Ria Zmitrowicz (Sherwood.)
Content information: This show will include discussions of grief, death and mental health
Cast
Alexander Wilford - Desmond
Benjamin Kuti - Riley
Chrissy Aidoo - Destiny
Daniel Sennett - Jhonny
Devinder Ramdeva - Ruby
Ella Lau - Eden / Gemini Knight
Filsan Arale - Aisha
Hiwet Zemelak - Winnie
James Huntly - Sam
Joseph Galea - Dominic
Julide Birnbacher - Morgan
Lee Mackenzie - Charlie
Sully Iqbal - Izaiah
Nabeel Abdilleh - Tariq
Aya Jenin Tai - Hannah
Peggy Holmwood - Cassie / Sylvia
Reshmi Perayeravar - Maia
Rhea W.Taylor - Dakota
Tamara Davidson - Malou
Tyler Britton - Jeremiah
Tyler Thomas-Akinjirin - Miguel
Wade Wiltshire - Malcom
William Coxall - Pollock
Ya'Eesh Ghodiwala - Byron
Team
Written by Martha Watson Allpress
Directed by Emily Aboud
Lighting Designer and Programmer - Han Sayles
Sounds Designer and Programmer - Ellie Isherwood
Movement - Mateus Daniel
Voice Coach - Marcia Carr
Production Manager - Meghan Sorohan
Costume Supervisor - Bolu Dairo
Wardrobe Manager - Ethan Bailey-Smith
Company Stage Manager - Thom Neta
Production Technician - Ceri Benjamin
Assistant Director - Grace Stotesbury
Dance Captain - Joesph Galea
Deputy Stage Manager - Lily Roake
Assistant Stage Manager - Emily Hill
Costume Assistant - Tia Rose Green
NYT Team
Associate Director - Anna Niland
Playing Up Project Manager - Hamish Macdougall
Playing Up Course Assistant - Grace Stotesbury
Learning Support Advisor - Betsy Robertson
Playing Up is a practical ten-month part-time drama training programme, offering young people aged 19 – 25* who are not in Education Employment or Training the opportunity to gain a Level 3 qualification in drama.
Find out more and apply to join Playing Up now
Promotional photo by Helen Murray
Graphic Design by October Associates
Martha Watson Allpress
Emily Aboud
Martha Watson Allpress is an award winning, working-class writer from the East Midlands.
Her debut play, Patricia Gets Ready (for a date with the man that used to hit her), received 5 star reviews (The Guardian, The Stage, Broadway World) and her second, Kick, won the Bill Cashmore Award and was staged for a limited run at the Lyric Hammersmith. In 2023 her play, Lady Dealer, premiered to critical acclaim at Paines Plough’s Roundabout in Edinburgh before transferring to The Bush for a five-week London run in May 2024. Martha was announced as the winner for the 2023 Ambassador Theatre Groups Playwrights Prize for her script, Ask Her If She Still Keeps All Her Kings in the Back Row. She is currently under commission to Nottingham Playhouse.
She has been shortlisted, and longlisted, for a number of awards and programmes, including the Verity Bargate Award, the Women’s Prize for Playwrighting, Blacklight’s 4Stories and the BBC Script Academy. She was also a supported writer under HighTide’s Lighthouse scheme and Hampstead Theatre’s INSPIRE programme.
As a screenwriter Martha is currently adapting Patricia with Various Artists Ltd and developing an original series, Fish Town, with Red Planet Pictures.
Emily Aboud is a theatre director, a film director and a writer of mixed heritage, born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, based in London.
She won the Evening Standard Future Theatre Award in 2021. She is an associate artist at the Bush Theatre and Artistic Director of Lagahoo Productions.
Most recently, she was shortlisted for the 2023 RTST Peter Hall Award. She was in the final round for the Genesis Fellow Associate Director at the Young Vic. She was shortlisted for the JMK Award 2021 and again in 2022. She was also shortlisted for the Genesis Future Directors Award and the Old Vic 12 2020.
Her directing credits include Tender (Bush Theatre), Sweet Charity (Mountview), Rock DJ and Three Other Songs That Saved The World (New Diorama Theatre), Lady Dealer (Bush Theatre, Paines Plough Roundabout), Haemosporidian (Lyric Hammersmith), Flip! (Regional Tour with Fuel Theatre), Close Quarters (LAMDA, 2023), BOGEYMAN (Edinburgh Queen Dome, Fringe 2022), SPLINTERED, (also writer Edinburgh Fringe 2019, Soho Theatre 2023), Pink Lemonade (Bush Theatre 2021, Edinburgh Fringe 2019), British Book (Roundhouse 2021), Exceptional Promise (Bush Theatre), & Salty Irina (Ovalhouse) among others.
Thank You
National Youth Theatre Accredited Courses are part funded by Adult Education budgets and delivered in partnership with Registered Training Providers. The care and support and creative outputs enabled through these programmes cannot be achieved only through these funding routes and philanthropic donations and trusts and foundations are essential supporters of our work in this area.
