• Martha: Katy Stephens
• George: Matthew Pidgeon
• Honey: Leah Haile
• Nick: Ben Hall

• Playwright: Edward Albee
• Director: Mike Tweddle
• Designer: Liz Ascroft
• Sound Designer/Composer: Max Pappenheim
  
• Lighting Designer: Ashley Bale
• Lighting Designer: Will Hayman
• Fight and Intimacy Director: Yarit Dor
• Associate Director: Jessica Mensah
• Assistant Director: Ben Newman
• Casting Director: Helena Palmer
• Dialect Coach: Nick Trumble
• Artwork: Patryk Hardziej

• Senior Producer: Ashley Bale
• Producer: Leah O’Grady
• Consultant Producer: Jenny Topper
• Production Manager: Milorad Zakula
• Production Assistant: Tom Freeman
• Workshop Supervisor: James Thearle
• Costume Supervisor: Immy Howard
• Sound No.1: Augustine van Spyk
• Sound Engineer & Lighting Operator: EB Hill
• Company Stage Manager: Grace Pattinson
• Deputy Stage Manager: Lara Paul
• Assistant Stage Manager: Rhea Cosford

• Strong language, raised voices, verbal abuse and humiliation.
• Physical violence
• Representation of heavy alcohol consumption and drunkenness
• Misogynistic language
• Racist language and racial stereotyping
• Discussion of mental illness
• Discussion of death by shotgun and road accident
• Theme of infertility
• Gun on stage
• E-cigarette on stage
• Some instances of audience interaction

The three-act play is set in the living room of Martha and George’s house on an American College campus in the 1960s.

Martha, the daughter of the college President, and her husband George, a history professor, arrive home after an evening with her father. Martha has invited Nick and Honey, who are new to the college, for drinks. When Nick and Honey arrive, Martha and George are verbally sparring with each other about their dysfunctional marriage and disappointment in their lives. This causes unease for the guests. Much alcohol is consumed and all the characters become drunk. Off stage, Martha tells Honey that she has a son who is about to turn 21, and when George discovers that Martha has said this, he becomes angrier, leading him to threaten her with a gun. When fired, the gun pops out an umbrella – it is a toy. The shouting intensifies and Honey becomes ill.

In Act 2, Nick and George are on stage alone. Nick reveals that Honey had a false pregnancy. George tells a story about a school friend who accidentally killed his mother with a shotgun. On a night out, the friend was teased about pronouncing Bourbon incorrectly. The friend went on to crash his car, accidentally killing his father, and was then confined to an asylum. Nick tells George about his father-in-law, who was a preacher, and implied that he stole money. Honey and Martha return and all continue to drink. George makes suggestive remarks to Honey; in retaliation, Martha dances flirtatiously with Nick, who reciprocates. Martha then taunts George about his failed book – which echoes the story told earlier by George. They start to physically fight and are separated by Nick. George suggests that they should next play ‘Get the Guests’ and recounts his second book – repeating everything Nick has told him earlier in the scene. Honey, in distress again, runs to the bathroom to be sick.

In anger, Martha openly seduces Nick in front of George, who pretends not to care. Martha and Nick leave together and George throws his book at the door.

Act 3 – Martha enters the auditorium alone and very drunk, she shouts and flirts with a member of the audience before retreating onto the stage. Nick returns and Martha taunts him for being unable to have sex with her and calls him the houseboy. George, returning from the garden with snapdragons, joins in the taunting. George demands Nick bring Honey back, as he’s going to finish the game, and asks Martha to tell everyone about their son. Once she has done this, he informs her that there has been a telegram saying their son has died in a car accident identical to the one described at the start of Act 2. Martha tries to interrupt, becoming increasingly distraught as Nick and Honey watch on in horror. It gradually becomes clear to them that the son is not real; he is their invention because they could not have children. George has decided to kill him because Martha told someone else about him. Nick and Honey leave and Martha and George remain together in despair.

Should you require a quiet space during the show please ask our Front of House team.

• Samaritans: connecting people in crisis to trained volunteers who will always listen – 116 123 – samaritans.org
• Mind: the leading mental health charity for England & Wales, providing information and support – mind.org.uk
• NHS Mental Health Services: via your GP or via NHS 111 - www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/

Alcoholism

• NHS Healthy Living Support - www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support
• Drinkaware - drinkaware.co.uk/advice-and-support/alcohol-support-services

Grief & Infertility Support

• Cruse Bereavement Support: helping people through grief and bereavement with support and information – cruse.org.uk
• Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HEFA) - hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/getting-emotional-support/