Soho Theatre celebrates the relaunch of its theatre programme this summer with an exhilarating new play. Shedding A Skin, written by Amanda Wilkin, the 2020 winner of the acclaimed Verity Bargate Award, sponsored by Character 7, introduces audiences to a fresh and fierce new voice. Shedding A Skin is a Soho Theatre production sponsored by NJA.
A story for our times, Shedding A Skin is a play about finding kindness in unexpected places, moments of connection, intergenerational friendship and joy. It will be the first new play staged in front of live audiences at Soho Theatre since the pandemic and brings together the creative talents of Amanda Wilkin and Elayce Ismail, who also directed the sell-out hit GIRLS (Soho Theatre 2016).
Wilkin, who starred in Morgan Lloyd Malcom’s hit show Emilia and will also be performing in this solo play, says she wanted to create a universal story that was “intrinsically hopeful” and “speaks to people no matter what gender, colour or age”. She also says: “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I’d want to see when I go back to the theatre and I want belly laughs and to feel invigorated.”
Elayce Ismail adds: “It’s rare to find a story that has weight and depth but is ultimately very joyful and positive. The friendship at the heart of Shedding A Skin is so beautiful and poignant. It’s the unsung moments that happen between people in real spaces that are the fabric of our lives and they can be just as informative and important as the big wider world stuff.”
The Verity Bargate Award is Soho Theatre’s flagship new-writing award, sponsored by Character 7. Since 1982, the biennial playwriting award competition has uncovered the best new play by an emerging UK and Irish writer and launched the careers of some of Britain’s most established writers. From a record number of 1493 entries for the 2020 Verity Bargate Award, Amanda Wilkin’s spellbinding play captivated the Award’s readers and judges and was announced as the Award winner in October.
Shedding A Skin will run for 5 weeks in Soho Theatre’s Main House from 17 June to 17 July. There will also be a live streamed performance on the 15 July.
Listings Information:
Dates: 17 June – 17 July
15 July – Live streamed performance
Times: 7.30pm (3pm matinees)
Prices: From £10
Booking Link: https://sohotheatre.com/shows/shedding-a-skin/
On sale: Soho Theatre Friends, Monday 19 April at 12noon
General on sale, Tuesday 20 April at 12noon
Shedding A Skin will be creating a relaxed, inclusive environment in Soho Theatre’s Main House for all performances.
Post-show Q&A: Sat 26 June, immediately following the matinee.
Free with purchase to matinee performance on the same day.
Parent and baby-friendly performance (for parents of babies up to around 15 months): Sat 3 July at 3pm
Audio Described:
Mon 5 July at 7.30pm (preceded by socially distanced Touch Tour at 6pm)
Audio Described by Miranda Yates
Captioned:
Wed 7 July at 7.30pm
Captioned by Alex Romeo
BSL interpreted:
Sat 10 July at 7.30pm
BSL interpreted by Jacqui Beckford
PRAISE FROM THE VERITY BARGATE AWARD 2020 JUDGING PANEL FOR AMANDA WILKIN’S SHEDDING A SKIN
Lolita Chakrabati …beautifully written, contemporary, poetic and delicate. The world she creates in the play is familiar and surprising all at once. She’s definitely a talent to watch.’
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
‘I was not prepared to be kidnapped by a play and a voice so completely.’
Russell T Davies
…’It’s heartfelt, it’s mysterious, it says a lot about the world, it’s really, really brilliant.’
Stephen Garrett
‘She’s captured a generation. It’s a work of incredible beauty and great wit, she will go far.’
CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAM
Writer and Performer: Amanda Wilkin
Director: Elayce Ismail
Set and Costume Designer: Rosanna Vize
Lighting Designer: Jess Bernberg
Projection Designer: Nina Dunn
Sound Designer and Composer: Richard Hammarton
Assistant Director: Nimmo Ismail
Producer: Ameena Hamid
Photography credit: Helen Murray
PRODUCTION
Produced by Soho Theatre
Sponsored by NJA, Core Values & Creative Management
VERITY BARGATE AWARD
Sponsored by Character 7
