Sedos Announces Ambitious Trio of Shows for September

Continuing an exciting and eclectic year for Sedos, London's premier amateur theatre company is embarking on an ambitious trio of shows to round out September 2017's programme. Two plays and a musical, Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals (19-23 September), Jennifer Haley's The Nether (26-30 September) and Adam Gwon's Ordinary Days (27-30 September) will all run at Sedos' resident theatre, the Bridewell Theatre off Fleet Street.

Written in 1775 and described as a superb 'comedy of love and manners', The Rivals is written in the Restoration style. Playwright Sheridan steers the plot through a number of hilarious complications and deceptions, following the desire of head-strong beauty Lydia Languish to marry a poor man, simply to offend her guardian Aunt. Attempting to thwart her plan, the wealthy Jack Absolute adopts the fake identity of a poorly paid Ensign in the hope of winning Lydia's affections himself. With direction from Sylvia Finnimore, The Rivals has been refreshed and revived, but full period costume has been retained for this riotous period comedy.

The Nether and Ordinary Days are being uniquely presented (by respective directors Kimberly Barker and Yojiro Ichikawa) as a double bill from 27-30 September. For these performances, patrons can either attend one show, or take advantage of Sedos' special offer of a 'combo rate' for both shows. Sci-fi drama The Nether will have a standalone performance on its opening night, 26 September, after which the London branch of the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers (NOTA) will be hosting a free post show discussion with a panel of experts in the field of online harmful sexual behaviour. This will be an opportunity for the audience to reflect and explore the themes of the play.

The Nether takes a hard-hitting look at the ethics of society's relationship with the internet. Set in a future where the internet has evolved into 'the Nether', there now exists a vast network of virtual reality realms which allow users to log-in, choose an identity and indulge any desire. When Detective Morris investigates a realm called The Hideaway where people with a sexual interest in children may live out their fantasies, she brings its creator in for interrogation. Following its London premiere at the Royal Court in 2014, The Nether transferred to the West End's Duke of York Theatre, receiving an Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play.

A new production of Adam Gwon's award-winning musical Ordinary Days rounds off the double bill with an uplifting ode to New York City. A refreshingly honest and funny musical about making real connections in the city that never sleeps (but probably should at some point), Ordinary Days tells the story of four young New Yorkers whose lives intersect as they search for fulfilment, happiness, love and cabs. Through a score of vibrant and memorable songs, their experiences ring startlingly true to life. With equal doses of humour and poignancy, Ordinary Days is an original musical for anyone who's ever struggled to appreciate the simple things in a complex place. For Ordinary Days, Adam Gwon won the 2008 Fred Ebb Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre Songwriting and the 2011 Kleban Award in the Lyricist category.

Matt Gould, chair of the Sedos Management Committee, commented, "We're incredibly excited for this trio of shows. Their complexity and diversity are a testament to the ambitious, bold and highquality work Sedos continues to produce. We're proud to be able to offer our members such a variety of opportunities, be it an 18th Century situation comedy, a ground-breaking play exploring difficult societal preconceptions, or a millennial piece of warming 'new musical theatre' writing."

Tickets for all three shows are on sale now at www.sedos.co.uk.