A comedy about the extraordinary lengths one man is prepared to go to in order to unmask the anonymous sender of a knowingly disgusting present…
Written by Dave Florez | Directed by Adam Meggido
Park200, Park Theatre, 22 January – 1 March
PRESS NIGHT: Tuesday 28 January, 7pm
“Dizzyingly brilliant. His writing is fresh, funny and achingly beautiful.” The Scotsman (on Hand Over Fist by Dave Florez)
When Colin opens up an unexpected mystery package, a cake box from his favourite patisserie, and what’s inside turns out to be very much not a cake, it begins a series of events that take him deep into the murky waters of past transgression and modern-day vengeance. At first confused, bemused and more than a little appalled, Colin quickly descends into a spiral of questions, suspicions and accusations as he frantically tries to figure out who would send him such a thing. The Gift is an irreverent comedy asking what can you do when someone seriously tries to upset your applecart? Should you see the funny side and let it go, or smoke out the perpetrator and make them pay? Written by Dave Florez (Fringe First winner for Somewhere Beneath), it’s directed by Adam Meggido (Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Magic Goes Wrong, co-creator of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical).
With Colin battling all-new levels of existential angst it isn’t long before he is trawling through his entire life – turning everything over – convinced that he can channel Poirot and unmask the offending sender. But as his sister Lisa and her husband Brian desperately scramble to save him from heading down this particularly murky rabbit-hole Colin’s appetite for vigilante justice shows no signs of abating – and his list of possible suspects has gotten way out of control.
Writer Dave Florez said: “The older I’ve got the more anxious and paranoid I’ve become; that creeping sense of guilt, recrimination and dread over the past. It’s that waking-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night feeling, that flashback to something otherwise insignificant – a faux pas here, a misunderstanding there – embarrassing snapshots. But hopefully we all turn these things over – we reflect on who we are, and what we’ve done – and our shortcomings gradually stop following us around and haunting us. So The Gift is a sort of turbo-charged version of all of that, except in the play the rude awakening arrives in a cake box, tied up with a bow. Because I wondered how I would react if someone sent me an anonymous package like the one Colin receives. And I think it begs the same question for the audience. It’s a peculiar recess of the human condition… that 3am paranoia… that interior monologue of self-recrimination and doubt; for some of us it will keep us prisoner, and for others it might just set us free.”
Dave Florez is a playwright and screenwriter, writing both comedy and drama. His Hampstead Theatre play Experience was runner-up in the Nick Darke Award; Dave then adapted it into the feature film Embers, which was part of a BFI London Film Festival showcase, before being nominated for Best UK Feature at Raindance Film Festival. Dave has had several plays at the Edinburgh Festival, including Somewhere Beneath, winner of a Fringe First Award. His short plays have been produced at Royal Court, Soho Theatre, and the Criterion, and his plays are published by Bloomsbury. Dave is a BAFTA Connect Member, a BBC Voices alumnus, and his comedy Shock Jock aired on Radio 4. His TV sitcom and drama pilots have been optioned by Hat Trick, LA Productions and Doorway Films; and he has developed projects with Red Productions, Rollem and Tiger Aspect. His feature thriller Sins in the Family premiered on Lifetime/Paramount+.
Adam Meggido is known for directing Olivier-nominated Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Broadway, UK Tour and internationally) and Magic Goes Wrong (UK Tour, West End) and as the co-creator and artistic director of Olivier Award-winning Showstoppers! The Improvised Musical, which has played in 12 countries. His current production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong on Broadway has been nominated for three Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Direction of a Play.
Park Theatre presents exceptional theatre in the heart of Finsbury Park, boasting two world-class performance spaces: Park200 for predominantly larger scale productions by established talent, and Park90, a flexible studio space, for emerging artists. In eleven years, it has enjoyed eight West End transfers (including Rose starring Maureen Lipman, The Boys in the Band starring Mark Gatiss, Pressure starring David Haig and The Life I Lead starring Miles Jupp), two National Theatre transfers, 14 national tours, seven Olivier Award nominations, has won multiple OffWestEnd Offie Awards and won a Theatre of the Year award from The Stage.
Running Time: 125 mins (including interval) | Suitable for ages 14+
Company information
Director: Adam Meggido
Writer: Dave Florez
Designer: Sara Perks
Lighting designer: David Howe
Sound designer: Amanda Priestley
Casting director: Abby Galvin
Listings information
Park200, Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP
22 Jan – 1 Mar
Preview: 22 & 23 Jan
Mon – Sat evening 7.30pm, Thurs and Sat matinees 3pm
Relaxed performance Thurs 30 Jan, 3pm | Captioned performances Fri 7 Feb, 7.30pm & Mon 17 Feb, 7.30pm | Audio described performance Thurs 13 Feb, 7.30pm with touch tour at 6.30pm
Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I £47.50 – £22.50 (standard), £26.50 – £20 (65+ Mon eve and Thu mat), £18.50 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years Band C throughout the run) I Previews 22 & 23 Jan, £15 – £29.50
020 7870 6876*
* Telephone booking fee of £3 per transaction applies. All ticket prices are inclusive of a £1.50 building levy.
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