AMERICAN CANDY to Tour UK This Autumn

The Mango Ensemble, finalists for the 2025 National Diversity Awards, will launch a UK tour of American Candy, a new comedy-crime play by Tom Murray and directed by Francesca Hsieh (I'm Sorry I'm Not Lucy Liu; Don't Call Me China Doll). The production will tour cities including London, Oxford, Bedford, Bolton, Newcastle, and Birmingham starting 8 September.

American Candy was inspired by the wave of enigmatic American candy shops occupying high-rent properties across the UK—stores with little foot traffic that have prompted speculation and reports of criminal fronts. Through this lens, the play explores themes of capitalist absurdity, societal distrust, and modern workplace alienation.

The story follows Zaynab and Connor, two employees closing up shop for the night, only to find a customer refuses to leave. Ten minutes later, her unconscious body is in the basement—and what they uncover from there alters the course of their lives.

Playwright Tom Murray describes the piece as “a sociological exploration of the ‘bullshitisation’ of the modern workplace.” He adds, “The ‘American candy store’ is a perfect metaphor: a shop no one asked for, no one visits, and whose real purpose remains unknown—a ‘front’ not unlike the artificial roles many of us play in today’s economy.”

Producer Layla Chowdhury emphasized the company’s mission: “We need to spend care and attention on diversity in the arts. When it doesn't happen, programming becomes ‘safe,’ white, and middle class. More companies need to think with diversity as a priority, not an afterthought or a box to tick.”

American Candy was developed with support from the Peter Shaffer Award and as a Charlie Hartill Finalist.

Full tour dates and ticketing details will be available soon at themangoensemble.co.uk.

Tour dates:

8 - 10 September, Omnibus Theatre, London

https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/american-candy/ 

11 - 12 September, Oxford Playhouse Studio, Oxford

https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/american-candy 

13 September, The Place Theatre, Bedford

https://www.theplacebedford.org.uk/shows/american-candy/

16 September, Octagon Theatre, Bolton

https://octagonbolton.co.uk/events/american-candy 

17 September, Northern Stage Studio, Newcastle 

https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/american-candy/

20 September, MAC, Birmingham 

https://macbirmingham.co.uk/events/american-candy-studio-tour