Fat Jewels
The Hope Theatre, 2018
A South Yorkshire council estate. Pat’s having strange dreams. He can’t shake them. He’s gone round to Danny’s for a chat and some
healthy advice. Lonely and dangerous, Danny insists that what Pat needs is a therapy programme of Danny’s own making, involving
cricket bats and trips to the zoo…
Fat Jewels is a dark and surreal tragi-comedy about two lonely, repressed and marginalised individuals - from the creative team behind
The Conductor (winner of the Jonathan Beecher Award).
Written by Joe Skelton
Directed by Luke Davies
Press:
***** 'This is a brilliant piece of theatre, well-written, well-executed and unapologetically dark, investigating masculinity, mental health and abuse with an unflinching depth' - Spy in the Stalls
***** 'Director Luke Davies has drawn unique, intricate, intimidating, tour de force performances from Walters and Train. Fat Jewels is a play that should be seen at all costs… Theatrical experiences and accomplishments like this don’t come along every day.' - The Review Chap
***** 'Extraordinary, intense and totally absorbing with outstanding and transfixing performances, Fat Jewels ranks with the must-see plays of the year and looks well-placed for award nominations' - Act Drop
**** 'Luke Davies' excellent production … is what theatre should be about. Highly recommended' - British Theatre
**** 'Luke Davies' production is masterful … offering one of the most dynamic stage performances I’ve seen in years' - London Theatre 1
**** 'Writer Joseph Skelton and director Luke Davies have created an atmospheric and intense work'- The Peg Review
**** 'Really fun, disturbing and unique piece blessed with performers who can carry the material off' - Please Mind the Blog
**** 'Captivating … I urge you to see this piece. Beautifully crafted' - Ginger in the Theatre
'An intriguing plot and two utterly absorbing performances on stage, there’s more than enough in this disturbing production to keep us gripped throughout' - Theatre Things
'Director Luke Davies adds much visual interest to this extraordinary production' - Islington Tribune
The Chemsex Monologues
King's Head, London; The GC, Adelaide; The Blood Moon, Sydney;
The Oscar Wilde Theatre, Berlin; St Brides, Liverpool;
LGBT Foundation, Manchester, 2017-8
A nameless narrator meets a sexy boy on a Vauxhall night out, who introduces him to G’s pleasures; a club night poster boy gets taken to Old Mother Meth’s place by a porn star; Fag Hag Cath is finding the chillouts have become more about the sex; Daniel is a sexual health worker who does community outreach in the saunas; and the nameless narrator meets up with his sexy boy again.
Explicit, funny and touching, The Chemsex Monologues displays a realm that is sometimes dark but populated by very real, loveable people. Published by Oberon Books, and soon to be made into a radio drama for BBC Sounds.
Written by Patrick Cash
Directed by Luke Davies
Press:
***** 'An extraordinary tapestry of pleasure and pain, woven together with wit and weight by a master wordsmith.' - Gay Times
***** 'An amazingly well written and performed insight' London Theatre 1
***** 'Peppered with rich humour and entertaining on many levels ... engrossing, strikingly thought-provoking work' Act Drop
***** 'Intense and thought provoking scenes ... go see this if you possibly can!' - Jack the Lad
***** 'Quality entertainment... A must-watch' - What's On in Adelaide
***** 'An evening full of emotionally explosive monologues' - Plays to See
***** 'An awesome production that definitely deserves to be seen at least once' - Tezza's Theatre Place
****1/2 'An enthralling watch' - The Upside News (Adelaide)
****1/2 'The British cast were excellent and the 70 minutes flew by' - Limelight (Adelaide)
**** 'Raw, edgy and thought-provoking... Beautifully-written prose' - The Advertiser (Adelaide)
**** 'Hard hitting and tough to watch' - West End Wilma
**** 'Each performer shines' - Islington Gazette
**** 'There’s no need for laughing gas. You’ll rush, and sink to the bottom, in this well-quilled chem-hole' - Gay UK
**** 'The cast excel ... a thought provoking production' - British Theatre
'A spellbinding story... I highly recommend this excellent show' - Broadway World
'An incredibly powerful, moving and funny piece of writing, superbly performed throughout' - EQView
'Gold standard theatre. The Chemsex Monologues will make you laugh, cry, think, love, hurt and hope' - QX Magazine
'The Chemsex Monologues might well be the desperately needed conversation starter we've been waiting for' - DAZED
The HIV Monologues
Theatre 503, London; King's Head, London; Ace Hotel, London, 2017
Alex knows nothing about HIV but knew he should have worn the power bottom singlet. Nick is his Tinder date who’s just been diagnosed positive, struggling with self-worth. Their date is going amazingly until Nick discloses his diagnosis...
A play exploring the history of HIV from the AIDS crisis in the 1980s to the current struggle for PrEP. Offie Award nom. for Best Ensemble. Published by Oberon Books.
Written by Patrick Cash
Directed by Luke Davies
Press:
***** 'Impeccable, poignant and informative storytelling, hugely recommended' - Act Drop
***** 'The HIV Monologues is an amazing play' - London Theatre 1
***** 'A hilarious and poignant play - British Theatre
***** 'This is storytelling at its best' - Last Minute Theatre Tickets
***** 'Not only is it vastly important, it is also incredibly enveloping and moving' - Grumpy Gay Critic
***** 'A careful balance found between comedy and tragedy' - Boyz Magazine
***** 'A Thunder Looper of emotions: stigma, humour, shame and love' - The Gay UK
***** 'A compelling and emotional rollercoaster' - QX Magazine
***** 'Another triumph! ... Luke Davies brings the script to life- Gay Times
'Sure, there is sadness, wreckage and rage - but there is also life, love and a lot of laughter' - Neil Bartlett
'Luke Davies ensures the emotional intensity hits with pinpoint accuracy through an excellent cast' - There Ought to be Clowns
'Incredibly moving and thought provoking ... Luke Davies does a great job once again' - Jack the Lad
'Brilliantly acted, well crafted and poignant ... Luke Davies evokes a whole rainbow of emotions' Human Conditioned
'The play is well written, tender and cleverly constructed ... Luke Davies’s direction is unobtrusive and fluid' - Live Theatre UK
'A moving, heartfelt, and humorous piece of theatre' - Gay Star News
'Tackles the subject with emotion, humour and empathy' - Attitude
Swifties
Theatre N16, London; Jujus Bar and Stage, London, 2017
A play about Taylor Swift, instagram and having no money. Yasmin and Nina work in an Amazon "fulfilment centre". They live in Luton, the birthplace of Britain First. And they are Taylor Swift's biggest fans. Ever. Their ultimate dream is to be a part of Tay Tay's famous 'girl squad'. But the closer they get to realising that dream, the blurrier the line between fantasy and reality becomes.
Exploring the alienating and destructive effect that poverty, celebrity fetishism and social media can have on the lives of normal people, Swifties is a bold new adaptation of Jean Genet's play The Maids.
Written by Tom Stenton after Jean Genet
Directed by Luke Davies
Press:
**** 'Cleverly and thoughtfully written and directed ... this is an unusual and strangely entrancing play' - Act Drop
**** 'Works astonishingly well ... a very well-directed piece ... exploring the identities of two troubled young women' - Arthur's Seat
**** 'Entertaining ... Reflects the age of celebrity in all its vulnerability and awfulness' - Live Theatre UK
'A thought provoking, intimate performance ... the energy of the two actors is palpable' - Hiive
'A brave adaptation of Jean Genet’s The Maids … thoroughly entertaining' - The View From Here
Jelly Beans
Theatre 503, London; Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh 2017
Set in a post-industrial town just outside of Glasgow, Jelly Beans explores what happens the moment a young man with a toxic combination of fear, loathing and delusions of grandeur is presented with a very real image of himself in the future, of what he's doomed to become.
From the creative team behind BU21 (Trafalgar Studios) and award-nominated Cans (Theatre 503).
Written by Dan Pick
Directed by Luke Davies
Press:
Featured in The Stage's Best of Edinburgh Fringe and in Fest Magazine's Ones to Watch
**** 'An outstanding solo performance ... the audience is mesmerised throughout' Broadway Baby
**** 'Grotesque and hilariously honest' - Theatre Bubble
**** 'A searing insight into the challenges and lost promises of modern living' - The Reviews Hub
**** 'An important play about modern times' - London Theatre 1
'Brilliantly performed ... with barely a pause for breath' - The List
'A compulsive hour's viewing ... genuinely unsettling' - What's on Stage
Henry Cafe: Quiz Machine
Whistebinkies, Edinburgh; 2Northdown, London, 2018
&
Henry Cafe: It's Gameshow Time
The Warren, Brighton; Free Fringe, Edinburgh, 2017
Henry Cafe is a writer and comedian who trained at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Paris. He was selected for the 2018 BBC New Comedy Award and has written for BBC 4Extra's Newsjack.
Written by Harry Carr
Directed by Luke Davies
Press:
***** 'Exceptionally written and brilliantly performed ... Everything is spot on with this performance from stage presence to material, from
delivery to framing, it’s just masterful ... The narrative of the show is also so superbly shot though that everyone in the room is not only invested but leaves with the sense that they’ve seen and been a part something brilliant.' - Bunbury Magazine
**** 'A master of providing accessible and crowd-pleasing surreal comedy that you’ll be glad you’ve experienced. He has a rare talent for finding the surreal in the ordinary' - Entertainment Focus
**** 'A hidden gem of a show ... filled with a good mix of dark flights of fancy, jokes that go to the bone, bad puns that work for the character ... this is a bloody funny show to see this Fringe and Harry Carr is a name very well worth keeping an eye on' - Short Com
**** 'This show bursts with energy ... Henry Café is a very confident performer who controls the room effortlessly... A highly enjoyable show is the perfect way to lose yourself for an hour' - Bunbury Magazine
Constance and Eva
Bread and Roses Theatre, London, 2017
A new play by Kimberly Campanello about two sisters who abandoned their privileged upbringing in Ireland to become political radicals. Constance Markievicz and Eva Gore-Booth battled imperialism, fought for women's rights, and sought to redefine gender and sexuality. They were famous - even infamous - during their lifetimes, but history has largely forgotten them.
Constance and Eva is a multimedia reimagining of the lives of these two sisters, bringing together archive footage, found text and performance to tell their story.
Written by Kimberly Campanello
Directed by Luke Davies
Press:
'Brave, refreshing piece of theatre ... an enlightening performance' - Remote Goat
'Beautifully acted piece about two sisters during the Irish revolution ... made all the more poignant and captivating by the highly clever use of film' - His Kind Magazine
'A thoughtful, meditative examination of the early 20th century through the eyes of two women, whose empathy led them to try and change inequality because they could' - Breaking the Fourth Wall
Superficial
The Glory, 2016
A riotous carnival through the pop music, masculinity and drag on the London gay scene - performed inside London's iconic queer venue The Glory. Funded by Arts Council England.
Written by Patrick Cash
Directed by Luke Davies
Press:
***** 'Important and timely piece... Full of song and dance and joy, Superficial is a precious gem' - Gay Times Magazine
'Fantastic laugh-out-loud humour... connects with emotions... impressive cast' - Gay Star News
'Cleverly grappling with issues of masculinity and identity, this astute play is a riot of colour, lights and music' - Shadows on the Stage
'Fantastic moments of laugh out loud humour … Impressive' - Equality and the Rest
Article by Pat Cash on why he wrote Superficial - Vice
Queers
King's Head, London, 2016
Meet Patricia Primarché, the cheap drag queen, as she returns to her rural home town; Raving Robbo the Vauxhall clubber bumping the odd drug at work; Old Tom as he recounts his fight for gay liberation to a bored young barman; Carol the vegan lesbian whose life changes when she meets PJ the activist; Larry the Laydeez' Lothario on a real straight stag-do; and Queen Marsha F Star Star King Fabulous, a street trans star of Dalston.
Written by Patrick Cash
Directed by Luke Davies
Press:
***** 'Queers is definitely worth a watch ... Luke Davies does incredibly well' - Gay Times
'Queers is a masterpiece ... Davies has given it life' - Flazeda
'This is a must see ... I saw real people telling their stories, which is the hugest compliment to [Davies'] skill' - Celeb Mix
'You should all go see it' - EQView
'Queers is accessible, fun and surprisingly optimistic' - North Four
The Clinic
King's Head, London, 2015
Two boys go on a date through Grindr. Ash is trying to use less chems for sex, whereas Elliot has recently been diagnosed HIV positive. But they're making each other smile, until they're about to kiss... Written by Patrick Cash with unprecedented access to NHS sexual health clinic 56 Dean Street, The Clinic is shaped by creative work, verbatim transcript, spoken word and multimedia. Funded by Arts Council England.
Written by Patrick Cash
Directed by Luke Davies
Press:
***** ‘The show gives a whole new definition to intimate theatre’ - Flazeda
**** ‘Deserves a wide audience’ - Gay Times
**** ’A very strong piece of theatre, tackling issues head-on’ - Culture Fly
'These stories are not only popular but there’s a huge audience for them' - Camden Review
‘This is a play we all need to see’ - Boyz
'Does not shy away from controversy, and engages the brain' - EQ View
The Prince of Homburg
Linbury Studio, London, 2015
A stripped back reimagining of Heinrich von Kleist's play about a Prince who defies his uncle the Elector's instructions during the Battle of Fehrbellin, and who suffers the consequences. The Prince of Homburg is a play about political responsibility and personal sacrifice.
Adapted by Luke Davies after Heinrich von Kleist
Directed by Luke Davies
Journey to Sex Colony 01
Teatre de l'Enjòlit, Barcelona; Leicester Square Theatre, London;
Otherplace, Brighton; just the Tonic, Edinburgh, 2014
All aboard the space balloon for some ceremonial cleansing. An interactive ritual gameshow, sacrificial ritual and show puppetry experience.
Written and devised by Luke Davies and Harry Carr
Press:
**** ‘If you are willing to take the plunge you'll be rewarded with a unique experience that sits somewhere between pagan ritual, The Mighty Boosh and the cheapest weirdest episode of The Twilight Zone you've ever seen. Baffling but really kind of wonderful.’ - The List
‘Hysterical and bizarre... an experience I will not be forgetting in a hurry’ - Barcelona Connect
**** ‘A unique and original mix of darkly fascinating and frequently hilarious comedy’ - QX
**** ‘Time well spent indeed' - Three Weeks
Jet de Sang
A reimagining of Robert Weine's 1920 German expressionist silent horror film.
Adapted by Luke Davies after Alfred Jarry Directed by Luke Davies King Ubu
An adaptation of Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi as a vaudeville verse drama. Adapted and directed by Luke Davies Press: **** ‘Provocative and hilarious enough that it should be inflicted on everyone' – British Theatre Guide **** ‘A great adaptation … delightfully absurd’ - Fringe Review 'A talented ensemble cast ... in this playfully robust take on power and its outrageous (mis)fortunes' - The List ‘Fresh, exciting and brilliantly funny’ - The Stage (Must See Show) |
Cabinet of Dr Caligari
A re-imagining of Antonin Artaud's experimental play Jet de Sang as an immersive, interactive audiovisual experience.
Adapted by Tom Stenton after Antonin Artaud Directed by Luke Davies East
Steven Berkoff's verse elegy to the East End, reimagined as a punk protest set in the 1980s. Written by Steven Berkoff Directed by Luke Davies Press: **** ‘A highly applaudable debut for their new company ... one to watch in the future.' - British Theatre Guide **** ‘Promising’ - Broadway Baby **** ‘There is a wonderful physicality to the whole piece’ - Three Weeks |
