LAMDA Directors' Showcase: Back to Act 1
Venue: Theatre503
Date: 14–17/08/2026
Type: Theatre
See all forthcoming events for this venue:
Theatre503
Event web site: https://theatre503.…
"You see everything else but your part in this: okay, we are characters in a play, why do you think you can outsmart your writing?"
You're trapped in a play and are the only one that knows it – do you stay to see the ending or fight to write your own?
Doug is convinced that he and his best friend are characters in a play, but each time he gets a step closer to escaping the play jumps back to the beginning of the scene, resetting any progress and trapping him in a loop of meaningless conversations and desperate choices. Staying sane gets harder as the same song keeps playing on repeat and the damn coat hanger won't stay in place. It's a little sad, mostly funny. Then sad again. Also, his best friend Nicky is a woman. I mean, he's played by a woman. Never mind.
Back to Act One is a new absurdist play exploring the futile yet human quest for meaning: chasing the illusion one is in control of their own life. The tragedy of existentialism served with physical comedy and a pinch of clown.
Running time: 70 mins (no interval)
Age guidance: 13+
Address:
Theatre503, 503 Battersea Park Road, London SW11 3BW
Phone: 020 7978 7040
Web site: https://theatre503.com