This week, the Oxford Theatre Guild brings to life Tom Stuart’s After Edward, an eclectic and introspective play about LGBTQIA+ identity. Only performed once before at the Sam Wanamaker Theatre, as a companion piece to Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II, this revival marks the 50th anniversary of the Pride movement in the UK. Daily Info sat down with the director Simon Tavener to discuss this exciting production.
Daily Info: What made you choose After Edward for the Oxford Theatre Guild?
Simon Tavener: I heard about the play when it opened in London and thought it sounded fascinating. So I ordered the script and was blown away by the audacity and theatricality of the writing and so it immediately went on my ever-growing pile of plays I must direct at some point.
When OTG was looking for plays for this autumn, I thought it would be a great opportunity to mark the 50th anniversary of the Pride movement in the UK by staging After Edward. And thankfully the committee agreed!
DI: This is a very eclectic cast of characters: what was the casting process like?
ST: One of the great strengths of OTG is their commitment to fully open auditions for every project. And that was always going to be the key to success for After Edward.
It was important to me to have a truly inclusive cast to honour the themes of the play and we prompted the auditions as widely as possible to encourage as many people as possible to be part of the process.
We had a great turnout and the decisions were always going to be tough. My casting choices are very instinctive so I trusted myself and selected eleven candidates who all said yes.
And the cast is probably the most inclusive of any OTG production throughout their long history. I feel genuinely proud of the team we have assembled.
DI: The production has only been performed once before, written for the Sam Wanamaker theatre in 2019. Have there been any challenges in adapting it for the OFS stage?
ST: Not having some of the infrastructure of the Sam Wanamaker has meant a few new choices had to be made. But the OFS is a very similar space in terms of the connection between the actors and the audience so it sits very naturally there.
DI: What would you like the audience to come away from the show thinking?
ST: Through the rehearsal process, we have laughed a lot, tears have been shed and really important conversations have been held. It is a genuinely funny and thought-provoking piece of writing.
So my hope is that our audiences embrace the wonderful madness of the play and leave the theatre having been royally entertained. Hopefully they will continue to think about the central themes of pride and shame over the coming hours and days.
DI: If you could sum up After Edward in three words, what would they be?
I have been asked this a number of times over the past few weeks and it is an almost impossible challenge!
But for today, let's go with:. Beautiful, Brilliant and Bonkers!
After Edward is on at the Old Fire Station until Saturday 5th November. Get your tickets now!