Press for Imaginationship by Sue Healy
Imaginationship sold out for its entire, extended run at the Finborough Theatre, London, in January 2018.
Set in the Brexit-voting faded East Anglian seaside town of Great Yarmouth the play explores imbalance in human connections via a daisy chain of couples, focusing particularly on one-sided relationships, not least between Yarmouth and London. Selling out for its entire original run at the Finborough Theatre in West Brompton, London, the play’s subsequent extension also sold out. The production closed on January 23rd.
Atilla Akinci and John Sackville
A selection of notices:
★★★★ Four Stars, The Upcoming
★★★★ Four Stars, Prestridge Squared
★★★★ Four Stars, London Pub Theatres
★★★ Three Stars, Michael Billington, The Guardian.
“A highly entertaining and freshly written play which explores the idea of a divided nation by setting the story in Great Yarmouth.” Aleks Sierz, sierz.co.uk
“Healy’s play has a very strong thematic core, convincingly showing how a nostalgia for the past skews perceptions of the present”. Aleks Sierz, sierz.co.uk
“An acutely drawn family drama and a sharply outlined picture of Brexit Britain.” Aleks Sierz, sierz.co.uk
“[Healy’s] writing is lively and perceptive; plus there are plenty of good laughs.” Aleks Sierz, sierz.co.uk
“I applaud Healy’s attempt to link private and public worlds and explain why so many seaside towns feel marginalized.” Michael Billington, The Guardian.
“Ebullient and lively play,” Michael Billington, The Guardian.
“A compelling, entertaining, thought-provoking success.” Catherine Sedgwick, The Upcoming.
“A play with much food for thought. And, without a doubt, is a tremendous piece of work.” Richard Braine, London Pub Theatres
“Healy constructs her piece quite brilliantly. The Classical unities of action, time and place are observed with relish.” Richard Braine, London Pub Theatres
“Healy’s story is a challenging one. Yet she leavens it with astonishing amounts of humour. Her love of language zings out at us.” Richard Braine, London Pub Theatres.
“Events and characters, each embodying some aspect of the title (imagination-plus-relationship) fit together like a mosaic.” Heather Neill, The Stage
“Wildly ambitious, always absorbing.” Jeff Prestridge, Prestridge Squared
“You cannot help admiring Healy’s febrile mind.” Jeff Prestridge, Prestridge Squared
“Healy’s play has strong characters with plenty of life in them, and a seaside setting that reinforces the clash of past and future, a world and people emerging from years of neglect and abandonment.” Maryam Philpott, The Reviews Hub.
“A deeply meditative study of one-sided relationships and personal illusions.” Aleks Sierz, sierz.co.uk
“Healy’s writing in this piece is excellent and intelligently conceived.” Catherine Sedgwick, The Upcoming
“Good work from Jilly Bond as the abrasive disco queen, Patience Tomlinson as her man-chasing chum and Joanna Bending as the latter’s daughter.” Michael Billington, The Guardian
“Bart Suavek plays the priapic Hungarian with a perpendicular vigour that even Barry Humphries’s Sir Les Patterson might envy.” Michael Billington, The Guardian
“Strong performances from Jilly Bond as Ginny and Bart Suavek as embarrassed Attila.” Howard Loxton, British Theatre Guide
“Patience Tomlinson’s performance is worth the entrance fee alone.” Jeff Prestridge, Prestridge Squared
“Joanna Bending is certainly the star of the show. Her performance as Brenda Joy’s shy and somewhat angry daughter, Melody, is outstanding.” Felicity Peel, Everything Theatre
Patience Tomlinson and Bart Suavek.
Cast and Crew:
Directed by Tricia Thorns. Designed by Leigh Malone and Isabella Van Braeckel. Lighting Design by Richard Haines. Sound Design by Eugene Sully.
Presented by Two’s Company in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre.
Cast: Atilla Akinci. Joanna Bending. Jilly Bond. John Sackville. Bart Suavek. Patience Tomlinson. Rupert Wickham.
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