Many of us will recognise the inside of a pub, especially during the festive season… but how does the boozer at the centre of Peter Mulligan’s Loop look and what’s going on in his bar-set drama? Find out with a look at our new production shots gallery, then book your tickets for this timely play.
Following sell-out runs in the Camden Fringe and at the Brewdog in Leicester, theatre company Tiny Room returns to London in January with an extended version of Loop. This updating of Peter Mulligan’s play, which runs at the Lion And Unicorn Theatre from 7-20 January 2019, delves into the relationships of the characters that frequent a pub.
Loop was first staged at the Camden People’s Theatre in August 2018 as part of the Camden Fringe. After its London success, when audiences asked for a longer version to be written, it moved to Leicester where it played this autumn from 26 November – 1 December. This new year production at the Lion And Unicorn Theatre has been developed since the play’s first London outing, with greater depth added to original characters and the addition of new drinkers to the pub.
Loop focuses on Chris, a barman who can barely get through the day anymore. While closing up the pub, he is on the verge of committing suicide when Steve, a volatile regular, bursts in with demons of his own to contend with. The two of them begin an all-nighter of booze, cocaine and half-baked schemes of self-development to fix their problems. They are joined by other regulars throughout the night.
Mulligan’s play explores depression and particularly male suicide, which is the biggest killer of men between the ages of 18 and 45.
According to the Samaritans, in 2015 almost 5,000 men committed suicide in the UK. The same charity states that men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Among some of the reasons the Samaritans found for male suicide are comparisons with a ‘gold standard’ alpha male, a loss of ‘male ‘ identity and the decline of traditionally male industries.
The situation in which Chris finds himself in Loop reflects that of many men suffering from suicidal thoughts and depression. Being stuck in the same monotonous routine only worsens his condition. When life is stuck in a monotonous, exhausting cycle there’s no easy answer or escape.
Loop stars Keifer Jones, David Richardson, Jaz Cox and Zoey Boyd, who also directs the production. It’s co-produced by Mulligan and Joe Idris-Roberts, who recently took the title role in the National Theatre production of Pinocchio and can currently be seen playing Albus Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
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