Brand New Indie Musical, How Soon is Now? confirms a stellar cast line-up for the world premiere production by acclaimed playwright Siân Owen which opens this October in Salford ahead of a UK Tour.
Stuck in a life that feels too small BETHAN MCLEAN (The One That Got Away, BBC; A Visit, Paper trail Theatre Company) plays Jean, a Welsh outsider, who meets life and soul of the party Angie, played by KAITLYN AKINPELUMI (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; 10 Reasons Why, Arcola Theatre) and the warm and compassionate Polly, played by LAURA ROBINSON (making her professional debut having recently graduated from LIPA) in a 90’s Manchester nightclub.
DJ Spin Jim is played by actor musician DARRAGH COWLEY (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre; The Essex Serpent, Apple TV; Spring Awakening, Hope Mill Theatre) shaping the rhythm of the night through iconic 90’s tunes his ‘Puck-like’ master of ceremonies blurs the boundaries between memory, fantasy and reality.
Actor musicians THEO WOOLFORD (The Red Rogue of Bala, Theatr Clwyd; Dial M For Mayhem, UK Tour) plays Carl, Jean’s controlling boyfriend, and LJ WILLOW (Take Flight, Rebel Sparks: Live Odyssey, Camden Stables) completes the band ensemble.
“You open the door into this club. And the noise and the smell and the heat hit you. It smothers you. Jumps all over you. Gets right in.”
It’s New Year’s Eve, 1997. Manchester. The DJ’s in full flow, and as your favourite indie songs blast out into the smoke-filled air of the club, the whole place feels electric.
Three girls are on the dancefloor. Polly and Angie are up for a big night. Jean is lost and alone. Change is in the air – New Labour, New Year, a new millennium. After decades of grey, this should be their time. But as darkness falls and midnight arrives, will they find their light?
Celebrating Northern voices and featuring top tunes, How Soon is Now? tells a story of mates, music and magic – finding your place and finding yourself. Featuring a live soundtrack of iconic 90’s indie anthems from the likes of The Stone Roses, Radiohead and The Smiths, it captures the highs and lows, darkness and light of a big night out on New Year’s Eve.
How Soon is Now? is presented by the Manchester-based Box of Tricks (Narvik, UK Theatre Award for Best New Play; SparkPlug, Sky Arts; The Last Quiz Night on Earth, Guardian Best of Culture 2020). It is written by award-winning playwright Siân Owen (Under Milk Wood, National Theatre; This Land, Pentabus/Salisbury Playhouse; Classic, Theatre503). It is directed by Adam Quayle for Box of Tricks, designed by Hannah Sibai with musical direction from Vidar Norheim, lighting from KJ and movement from Chris Brown.
Adam Quayle, Artistic Director, Box of Tricks said: “I’m so excited about working with this company to bring How Soon is Now? to life. With some serious talent in the room – actors with incredible voices, multi-talented multi-instrumentalist actor-musicians – this promises to be an all-singing, all-dancing theatrical experience. Total theatre.”
“Ten years in the making, How Soon is Now? is an electric story of female friendship and empowerment, driven by a live soundtrack of iconic indie classics. A reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is a light that never goes out”
Writer, Sian added: “I want audiences to feel like they’ve walked into the middle of a nightclub where a story is unfolding around them full of laughter, heartbreak, music and magic. But above all I hope people leave feeling lighter than when they arrived. It’s really a love song to music, friendship, courage and remembering that together we can all find glimmers of hope.”
Following its premiere at Lowry, the musical will also visit Bradford, Bristol, Chester, Exeter, Ipswich, Lancaster, Scarborough, Sheffield, Stockton and Wakefield.
Filled with heart, humour and hope, How Soon is Now? captures the magic of those nights that change us forever. An uplifting new musical about finding your tribe, it reminds us that even in our most difficult moments, these connections can bring light and hope to even the darkest of times.