GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT Comes to the Park Theatre
Performances run 10th December – 10th January.
By: Stephi Wild Oct. 20, 2025
Gawain and the Green Knight, a festive comic retelling of the Arthurian tale of Gawain reimagined at a modern-day office Christmas party is coming to Park Theatre this December.
A comic retelling of the classic Arthurian legend sees a modern-day Gawain spirited away from his office Christmas party on an outlandish quest as he tries to prove he's not unutterably boring. Written by Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson and Felix Grainger, returning to Park Theatre following The Nag's Head (2023) and Sniff (2024), Gawain and the Green Knight is a modern twist that reimagines the Knights of the Round Table as the workers of Camelot Corp, a surreal version of a big corporate providing cyber-security services fit for a king. Gawain is the ultimate office everyman – diligent, dependable, and about as exciting as a stapler.
Desperate to prove himself to his boss Arthur, tonight's office Christmas party might be his final shot at a long-overdue promotion and conjuring up the courage to ask out his workplace crush. So, when a mysterious medieval Green Knight inexplicably gatecrashes the party and challenges the employees to a deadly game, it is Gawain who rises to the challenge. Suddenly he is catapulted from photocopying and paperwork to a strange and perilous quest as he searches for the legendary Green Chapel. Packed with laugh-out-loud comedy, magical mayhem and festive antics, and performed by a multi-roling cast of four, this modern interpretation of the Arthurian tale of Gawain is a knight to remember.
OVO Artistic Director Adam Nichols said, “I'm really excited to see this modern mash up of the traditional Arthurian legend, infused with festive flavour. If you love Severance, Parks and Recreation and The Office, this is the show for you.”
Co-writer Felix Grainger said, “We are super-excited to return to the Park Theatre, and especially proud to do so with this production. Bringing this remarkable medieval tale into a contemporary setting and sending Gawain on a fantastical journey of self‑discovery has been a joy. We hope audiences will laugh, fall in love with the story, and—as you do when you see an underdog come out on top—leave with a warm, festive glow this Christmas.”
OVO is a theatre production company based in St Albans. It creates bold, imaginative and surprising adaptations of classic plays and stories as well as producing new writing. OVO has staged over 100 productions since being founded in 2003, being particularly well known for its musical Shakespeares, along with “first revivals” of modern classics. OVO runs the annual Roman Theatre Open Air Festival in St Albans, which has grown to become one of the largest outdoor theatre festivals in the UK, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024 in the country's oldest performance venue. The company also tours its work around the country, including regular visits to the world famous Minack Theatre in Cornwall. OVO has received numerous awards and critical acclaim. Its production of As You Like It won the 2016 Minack Trophy and was named as one of the Guardian's best shows of 2019. It was recently named one of the country's top seven boutique theatres in The Times. In 2021, Artistic Director, Adam Nichols, was named in The Stage 100, the definitive guide to the most influential figures working in the UK theatre and performing arts. Gawain and the Green Knight premiered at the Roman Theatre Open Air Festival in St. Albans in June 2024 and has since been reworked into a new version premiering at Park Theatre.
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