RIGHT BEFORE I GO Will Transfer to Soho Theatre After Edinburgh Fringe Run
Iz Hesketh, Dominique Moore and Emrhys Cooper join Zimmerman in the cast, directed by Abigail Morris.
Stan Zimmerman's Right before I go. will transfer to London's Soho Theatre for a limited engagement from September 5-10, following its run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The London cast will feature Zimmerman alongside Iz Hesketh, Dominique Moore, Claire-Marie Hall, Emrhys Cooper, Gerard McCarthy, Paul Bigley and Tosh Wanogho-Maud. Abigail Morris directs.
Created as a suicide awareness play, Right before I go. draws on real suicide notes from people from a range of backgrounds, including celebrities, veterans, bullied teenagers and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as people who survived suicide attempts. Each performance will be followed by a talkback with the cast, audience and a local mental health professional.
The London engagement coincides with September's suicide awareness activities and will conclude on September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day.
Zimmerman created the piece following the death of his friend Kevin Gill.
"After the suicide death of my good friend, Kevin Gill, I was at a loss about how to process this," Zimmerman said. "Seeing so much shame around the topic, I decided to create a play in the vein of The Vagina Monologues, easily produced with actors on stools, reading the script from music stands."
Zimmerman added that he hopes the work will encourage discussion around suicide and its impact.
Right before I go. has previously been presented across the United States, including a New York run at The Tank. Previous participants have included Vanessa Williams, Olly Alexander, Christine Taylor and Patrick Page.
Zimmerman was joined by Wendie Malick and Emily Kuroda for the production's Edinburgh Festival Fringe run before its London transfer.
Zimmerman is a television writer whose credits include The Golden Girls and Gilmore Girls. He will also perform in the Soho Theatre engagement.
The London production is produced by Rodrigo Jorge for Dreamatorium Entertainment and co-produced by Joan Lane for Wild Thyme Productions.
