Cold Feet actor-turned-playwright Sally Rogers’ debut play The Still Room finally gets its world premiere in June at London’s Park Theatre, with a cast that includes her former co-star in The Bill, Chris Simmons. Time to get booking!
Originally scheduled pre-pandemic for May 2020, The Still Room – written by Sally Rogers, directed by Nigel Douglas and produced by Rogers Douglas Productions – will now run at the Park Theatre from 1 to 25 June 2022, with a press night on 7 June.
This black comedy takes place in the still room. It’s where the waiters wait…
It is 1981, Charles is about to marry Diana. It’s a day off work – but not for everyone. Set in Manchester, the waiting staff are preparing for the “Miss North West” competition that might revive the fortunes of both the staff and the small, tired hotel. School leaver Janice is working as a banqueting waitress whilst waiting for her O Level results. If she gets less than four, her father says she has to move out.
Janice is desperate to leave her hometown and is struggling to see how that can happen – but then, a new waitress arrives. She is different to the other waiting staff and her sexual confidence and bold ideas challenge Janice’s own perceptions of the world.
The Still Room is a razor-sharp dark comedy play about dreaming big – examining class, attitudes towards sex and the concept of virginity in the 1980s, through the concealed moments in the room where the waiters wait. This is the debut play from Sally Rogers, one of the most distinctive voices in the UK.
Rising star Kate James leads the cast as Janice, alongside Chris Simmons (The Bill, All Or Nothing) as Kevin, Jane Slavin (Clocking Off, Moving On) as Bernice, Zoe Brough (The Nether, Harry Potter & The Cursed Child) as Diane, Larner Wallace-Taylor (How Love Is Spelt, An Inspector Calls) as Karen and Jack Colgrave Hirst (Romeo & Juliet, The Winter’s Tale – The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company) as Dean.
Bios
The Still Room is written by playwright and actor Sally Rogers. As an actor, Sally’s theatre credits include Hangmen (Royal Court, West End, Off Broadway) The People are Friendly, Uganda, Killing the Cat (Royal Court), Children’s Children (Almeida), Rutherford and Son, The Duchess of Malfi, Billy Liar, Murmuring Judges, Arturo UI and Black Snow (National Theatre), The Good Canary (Rose Theatre), Rita Sue and Bob Too, A State Affair, Some Explicit Polaroids, Our Country’s Good and Blue Heart (Out of Joint), Oliver Twist, Blithe Spirit (Bristol Old Vic) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chester). Film includes A Demon in My View and Hope Gap. Sally’s television roles include Cold Feet (ITV), Press (BBC), The Syndicate (Series 2, BBC), Siblings (BBC), Come Fly With Me (BBC), Little Britain (BBC), Messiah III (BBC), Pepys (BBC), Murphy’s Law (BBC), Attachments (BBC), Playing the Field (BBC), Out of Hours (BBC), The Lakes (BBC), Seaforth (BBC), The Bill (ITV), London Bridge (ITV), A Touch of Frost (ITV).
Actor Sally Rogers makes her playwriting debut with The Still Room at London’s Park Theatre
Writer, director and producer Nigel Douglas directs The Still Room. Previously, Nigel has directed David Hare’s The Vertical Hour at Park Theatre. Nigel’s television credits include BAFTA award-winning episodes of Grange Hill (BBC), EastEnders (BBC), BAFTA award-winning This Life (BBC), several major episodes of Casualty (BBC) including a Christmas special which was recognised by BAFTA, London’s Burning (ITV), The Knock (ITV), North Square (Channel 4), BAFTA-winning Clocking Off (BBC), Stan The Man (ITV), Holby City (ITV), Bad Girls (ITV), Waterloo Road (BBC), several episodes of The Bill (ITV), The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (BBC), Making Waves (ITV), Hotel Babylon (BBC), Wild at Heart (ITV) and more. Nigel has written and developed several screenplays for film and television including short film Hunter, which won awards globally including Best Film at the New York Film Festival, the Paris Film Festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival. Nigel also set up production company Nitromedia where he has written, directed and produced many educational, corporate and commercial projects for clients including The Open University and BMW. Nigel is a senior lecturer in film production at Oxford Brookes University and the University of Derby.
Chris Simmons plays Kevin in The Still Room. His theatre credits include Joe Orton’s What The Butler Saw, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Alan Ayckbourn’s Absent Friends, Elchin’s Telescope, Entertaining Strangers. In 2018, he played Stevie Marriott in the rock and roll musical All Or Nothing at The Ambassadors Theatre. Simmons’ TV credits include Touching Evil (ITV), Casualty (BBC), Doctors (BBC), EastEnders (BBC), The Dumping Ground (CBBC), Suspects (C5) Holby City (BBC). Chris was a regular on The Bill which won a BAFTA and National Television Award for Best Serial Drama during in his time on the show. He has also just finished a year on Hollyoaks (Channel 4) in a hard-hitting radicalisation storyline. Film credits include Ibiza Undead, The Snarling, Rocking Chair, Undercover Hooligan, Papadopoulos and Sons, The Tombs and The Boxer.
Jane Slavin plays Bernice in The Still Room. Her TV credits include Moving On (BBC), Clocking Off (BBC), Coronation St (ITV), Holby City (BBC), Doctors (BBC), Casualty (BBC), Always and Everyone (ITV), The Bill (ITV), Ultraviolet (C4), Harley and The Davidsons (DISCOVERY) and many others. Jane plays Tom Baker’s companion, Ann Kelso, in Dr Who for Big Finish Audio and has been in several plays for BBC Radio 4. Film includes Melody’s her Second Name, #67times and Real News. Jane’s theatre credits include the original production of All Things Considered for Hampstead Theatre. In the West End, she took the lead in Alan Ayckbourn’s Communicating Doors and played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet in a world tour ending the tour at the Globe Theatre, Japan. She has written scripts for Survivors, Ata Girl, and Transference for Big Finish Productions. Her novel, Writing on the Water is published by Transworld, Black Swan.
The Still Room cast: Kate James, Larner Wallace-Taylor, Zoe Brough, Chris Simmons, Jane Slavin & Jack Colgrave Hirst
Kate James plays Janice in The Still Room. Kate trained at Manchester Metropolitan University, the Stella Adler Studio for Acting and New York Film Academy. Theatre credits include Billy Liar (Stella Adler Studio Of Acting), for television, Casualty (BBC) and her film credits include Demon Eye, The Espadrillo Fortune, The Wait for Midnight Thirteen, Intrude, Irresolute.
Larner Wallace-Taylor plays Karen in The Still Room. Larner trained at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. Theatre includes How Love Is Spelt (Southwark Playhouse), An Inspector Calls (UK Tour), I Hate Alone (Middle Child Theatre), The Mouth of a Shark (VAULT Festival) and By My Strength (Women and War Festival). Television includes Doctors (BBC) and Blue Murder (ITV).
Zoe Brough plays Diane in The Still Room. Zoe is 17 and studying acting & film studies at Arts Educational Schools. Zoe’s first professional acting role was when she was 11 playing Iris in The Nether at The Royal Court Theatre directed by Jeremy Herrin, which she then transferred with to the Duke of York’s Theatre. She was very lucky to be nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress. Zoe played Blousey in Bugsy Malone at The Lyric Theatre Hammersmith directed by Sean Holmes. Zoe then played Lily Potter in Harry Potter & The Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre, directed by John Tiffany. Zoe’s first film role was playing opposite Lenny Henry in Porcelain which has just had its first screening.
Jack Colgrave Hirst plays Dean in The Still Room. Jack trained at RADA and has appeared in numerous film and television productions including the Trials of Jimmy Rose (ITV) and The Terror (AMC). In 2015 he embarked on a year with The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company in the West End, where he played The Clown in The Winter’s Tale for which he received an Ian Charleston nomination and Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, alongside Derek Jacobi and Judi Dench respectively. He recently appeared in the Branagh directed Shakespeare biopic All is True and has recently finished filming the second season of Liar (ITV).
