Theatre503 Announces Casting For MILK AND GALL

Theatre503 announces the cast for Milk and Gall, the debut play by 2018 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award finalist Mathilde Dratwa. Directed by Theatre503 Artistic Director Lisa Spirling (Wolfie), the cast is led by MyAnna Buring (The Witcher - Netflix, A Very Expensive Poison - Old Vic) as Vera, alongside the double Olivier Award winning Jenny Galloway (Mamma Mia, The Boys From Syracuse) as Barbara, with Matt Whitchurch (Spiderfly -Theatre503, Pride & Prejudice - Nottingham Playhouse) as Michael, Sherine Chalhie as Amira, and Tracy-Anne Green as Alexa.

Milk and Gall exposes the messy reality of new motherhood in the shadow of one of the most divisive moments in modern American history. It is a theatrically dazzling, surreal and funny new play about the overnight birth of two screaming tyrants, and the shattered identity left in their wake.

It's election night 2016. An entire country holds its breath. Except for Vera, who has only her breating to focus on. She's in hospital, giving birth to a baby boy - and she has no idea that America just lost its mind. Over the course of one seemingly unending year, the personal and the political collide to push Vera to the point of exhaustion, as tensions mount between Vera and her husband, her second-wave feminist mother, her Alexa, and her Syrian-American best friend.

Lisa Spirling: 'Mathilde's play leapt out at us all when submitted for the 2018 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award, and we knew we had to produce it. A year later than originally scheduled, I am over the moon to finally go into rehearsals. Much like the period in which Milk and Gall is set (both with Trump's election and, for Vera, a time when new motherhood is experienced), the last year has been a surreal, relentless/crazy and often painful time. This play speaks as loudly to me now as it did when I first read it - and will resonate with anyone that has experienced a life suddenly changed, or the shock and absurdity of an identity suddenly shattered.'

Milk and Gall was one of five finalists for the 2018 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award, selected from 2,055 scripts submitted from 49 countries. Established in 2014, previous winners have enjoyed outstanding success with the staging of the plays and beyond, including Andrew Thompson (2016 Award winner) winning Best Writer at the 2018 Stage Debut Awards for his play In Event of Moone Disaster.

The Creative Team includes Mona Camille as Designer, Chi-San Howard as Movement Director, Simeon Miller as Lighting Designer, and Roly Botha as Sound Designer.

Milk and Gall was originally scheduled to premiere in October 2020. Since January 2017, there have been Parent & Baby matinees for every full-length run at Theatre503. Milk and Gall's Parent and Baby Matinee will be hosted at 12 noon on 17 November, before a Relaxed and Captioned performance at 7.30pm. There will also be a socially distanced performance of the play on 12 November.