Donmar Warehouse Kicks Off Local Schools' Tour of FRANKENSTEIN ADJUSTS HIS RING LIGHT (AND THEN STARTS DANCING)

The Donmar Warehouse has kicked off their annual schools' tour with the world premiere of Eve Leigh's Frankenstein Adjusts His Ring Light (And Then Starts Dancing). The piece has been developed in partnership with young people and teachers and led by Leigh and director Anthony Lau.

Since 2021, The Donmar Warehouse has produced an annual production for schools, offering original, innovative theatre created by leading artists for 11-14-year-olds. The tour spans four weeks, visiting schools in Camden and Westminster. Many of these young people are experiencing live theatre for the first time, making this tour a vital part of the Donmar's mission to ensure that young audiences have access to exceptional theatre at no cost. By bringing performances directly into schools, the Donmar aims to inspire future generations of theatre-goers while fostering a deeper connection to the arts.

This year's tour will reach over 4000 young people – more than ever before – and means the Donmar is now regularly working with 95% of the local secondary schools.

Tim Sheader, Artistic Director and Henny Finch, Executive Director said “with the continued reduction in provision of high quality arts education in schools, taking shows directly into local secondary schools is more important than ever, and furthers our mission to build the audiences, artists and workforce of the future. It's very exciting to have commissioned Frankenstein Adjusts His Ring Light (And Then Starts Dancing) specifically for, and in consultation with, an audience of 11-14 year olds. We're very grateful for the generous support of Howdens Plc and Westminster Council”.

When 13-year-old Adam dies, his Best Friend Vic uploads his phone data to create an AI version of him. What begins as a desperate attempt to get her friend back spirals into an emotional struggle as the AI Adam becomes increasingly influenced by toxic online communities. As his behaviour grows more disturbing and unpredictable, Vic loses control of her creation, forcing her to confront the blurred line between love for her friend and the danger he presents. Inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, this new play explores grief, technology, and the unintended consequences of refusing to let go.

Yanexi Enriquez plays Vic. Her theatre credits include Ballet Shoes (National Theatre); Cinderella; My Uncle is Not Pablo Escobar (Brixton House); Monologue Slam Night (Shakespeare's Globe); The Invincibles (Queen's Theatre Hornchurch); Though This Be Madness (UK tour); The Beast Will Rise (Tramp Productions/Southwark Theatre); Sense and Drinking Concrete (Royal Court Theatre). For television, her work includes FBI: International.

Issam Al Ghussain plays Adam. His theatre credits include Cutting the Tightrope; Gentlemen (Arcola Theatre); Word Play (Royal Court Theatre); Hide and Seek (The Vaults Festival); King Lear; Macbeth (The Globe) and The Three Seagulls (Bristol Old Vic). For television his work includes Patterns and The Beaker Girls; and for Typist Artist Pirate King.

Rachael Spence plays Julie. Her theatre credits include Some Old Street (Hampstead Theatre); Women Beware Women; Souled Out; Much Ado About Nothing; The Duchess of Suffolk (Shakespeare's Globe); Still No Idea; I Heart RC (Royal Court Theatre); Locker Room Talk (Traverse Theatre); Handle With Care (Shoreditch Town Hall); Calculating Kindness (Camden People's Theatre); Adelaide Rd. (RSC/Hampstead Theatre); No Idea (Young Vic); Theatre of Blood; The House of Bernarda Alba (National Theatre); Beyond the Tracks; Comedy of Errors; Twelfth Night (Royal Shakespeare Company); Black Comedy (The Watermill); NHS The Musical (Plymouth Theatre Royal); The Wolves in the Walls (National Theatre of Scotland); A Dulditch Angel (Colchester Mercury / tour); The Hanging Man (National & International tour); Presto or The Secret Life of Swift and Gulliver (Manchester Royal Exchange / UK tour); We Haven't Said a Porky Pie Yet; Sex 1:Death 2 (Soho Theatre) and The Fireraisers (Battersea Arts Centre). Her television work includes Lowdown; Thirteen; The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies; Best of Men; Eastenders; Wellington's Women and It's a Girl Thing; and for film, Grace; All Over and The Man Who Loved Flowers.

Eve Leigh is an award-winning, internationally recognised writer for performance. For theatre, her credits include Verbranntes Land (Schauspielhaus Wien); Salty Irina (Paines Plough); Wildfire Road (Sheffield Theatres); Pinocchio (Unicorn Theatre); Flächenbrand (Theater Bonn / TiG7 Mannheim / Theater Lüneburg); Midnight Movie (Royal Court / Theater Dessau / Theater Giessen / Honos Theater Athens); While You Are Here (The Place / Dance East); The Trick (Bush Theatre / UK tour); Spooky Action at a Distance (Royal Court Theatre / RWCMD); The Curtain (Young Vic Taking Part); Stone Face and Silent Planet (Finborough Theatre). Games, installations, and digital works include words fail: a fortune-telling game (Coney); Ghost Pine (Audible); The Delegation (Coney / Точка доступа); Invisible Summer (Royal Court); Movimento/Variations (36 маймуни/Bulgarian National Theatre Festival); Your Future (HAU/Sophiensaele/Ballhaus Ost/Camden People's Theatre) and A Short and Boring Story (Camden People's Theatre). She is the recipient of Berlin Theatertreffen Stueckemarkt selection 2021; Sarah Award for Audio Fiction 2020; Jerwood/Royal Court New Playwright Award 2019 (with Jasmine Lee-Jones); Women's Prize for Playwriting Finalist 2020 and Bruntwood Prize shortlist 2019.

Anthony Lau directs. He was Associate Artistic Director at Sheffield Theatres from 2020 – 2024. He was also previously Associate Artistic Director at the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme and Laboratory Associate Director at Nuffield Southampton Theatres. His theatre directing credits include The Jingleclaw (Birmingham Hippodrome); The Crucible - WhatsOnStage Awards nomination for Best Director and Best Play Revival; Miss Saigon - WhatsOnstage awards nomination for Best Regional Production, and UK Theatre awards nomination for Best Musical Production; Rock/Paper/Scissors - UK Theatre Awards winner for Best Director; Anna Karenina; The Band Plays On (Crucible Theatre); The Good Person of Szechwan (Crucible Theatre/Lyric Theatre); The Shadow Factory; Juicy and Delicious (Nuffield Southampton Theatres); The Cherry Orchard; A Better Man (Young Vic); The Common Land (Rose Theatre); Still Life/Red Peppers (Old Red Lion) and I Am a Camera (Southwark Playhouse).