Everyman Theatre

This is an invitation from myself, Mark Jenkins, the author of Strindberg Knew My Father, to encourage you not to miss a unique theatrical production from 11-15 May at 8pm on Chapter’s Arts centre’s main stage. Actors of Everyman Theatre are currently mastering the arts of levitation, mesmerism and alchemy that feature in this surrealistic but true comedy-romp.

Never before has such a crazy bunch of characters – three feisty women and two wily, scheming men – engaged in such gloves-off sexual warfare. You, as a member of the audience must judge who comes out on top. The language is, shall we say, fruity and the action tastefully (well, almost!) explicit. After all, they are Scandinavians, so leave the kids at home.

To see my plays such as Playing Burton and Rosebud; The Lives of Orson Welles you would often have had to travel to New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Sydney, Adelaide or Auckland, but a short trip to Canton will allow you to enter the bizarre world of August Strindberg.
Strindberg was, as you know, one of the founding fathers of modern drama. But I want to make it clear he did not know my father. Dear old Dad had never heard of him. However this is your chance to get to know Strindberg – up close and personal. What an awfully strange and weird fellow he was! You’d better believe it!

Background

Mark Jenkins is one of Wales leading writers of theatre and film. Playing Burton, his best known stage-work, is the most successful new Welsh play of the last twenty five years with over a thousand performances in numerous productions since its London premiere in 1992.

Strindberg Knew My Father was first performed at the Old Red Lion Theatre, Islington in 1992 as part of the London New Play Festival, transferring to the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. It went on to win Best Play of the 1990s at the New Play Festival and was published in Best of the Fest, a collection of new plays celebrating ten years of the London New Play Festival (1998).

Strindberg Knew My Father ran at Chapter Arts Centre from 11-15 May 2010.