Room
Theatre Production
Written by Emma Donoghue
Songs written in collaboration with Kathryn Joseph
Director/Songwriter
Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel Room was adapted as a new play with songs by Scottish Maverick songwriter Kathryn Joseph and Cora Bissett. Previously adapted by Donoghue for the screen, the film won Academy Awards.
Kidnapped as a teenage girl, Ma has been locked inside a purpose built room in her captor’s garden for seven years. Her five year old son, Jack, has no concept of the world outside and happily exists inside Room with the help of Ma’s games and his vivid imagination where objects like Rug, Lamp and TV are his only friends. But for Ma the time has come to escape and face their biggest challenge to date: the world outside Room.
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
UK Production. Photo by Scott Rylander
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Canadian Production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
The production began life in Stratford East, London UK in 2017 in partnership with Covent Garden Productions, the National Theatre of Scotland and The Abbey Theatre, Dublin. It played to standing ovations.
Then Dennis Garnum of The Grand Theatre, London Ontario, Canada contacted Sam Julyan of Covent Garden Productions and said they would like to mount the Production with a Canadian cast.
Cora Bissett went out to Canada in 2019 and worked on the show for 5 weeks with a tremendous new cast, including two wonderful young boys. On opening night, disaster struck as the Pandemic hit and Canadian Theatres were told to close their doors. The show went into storage for 2 years.
Finally in 2022, the team were pulled back together, but since Cora had a very sick mother she couldn’t leave the country and so directed the show (with two new boys!) on Zoom across oceans. It was a very bizarre experience but the cast duly met every day and Cora in her tiny office at home for 3 weeks and pulled the piece together once more with the help of brilliant associates.
It finally played to a rapturous audience in Donoghue’s home town and then transferred to the stunningly beautiful Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto in April 2022.
UK Trailer
Canada Trailer
Cast
UK
Stephen Casey
Janet Kumah
Fela Lufadeju
Liam McKenna
Lucy Tregear
Witney White
Darmani Eboji
Taye Kassim Junaid-Evans
Harrison Wilding
Canada
Alexis Gordon
Lucien Duncan-Reid / Levi Dombokah
Brandon Michael Arrington
Ashley Wright
Stewart Arnott
Tracy Ferenz
Shannon Taylor
Creative Team
UK
Written and adapted for stage by Emma Donoghue
Music and Lyrics by Kathryn Joseph and Cora Bissett
Directed by Cora Bissett
Designer Lily Arnold
Video Designer Andrzej Goulding
Lighting Designer David Plate
Additional music and musical direction Gavin Whitworth
Soundscore Alexandra Faye Braithwaite
Puppet Designer David Cauchi
Movement Director Siân Williams
Associate Director Ellen Havard
Casting Director Debbie O'Brien
Canada
Associate Director Megan Watson
Lighting Designer Bonnie Beecher
Sound Designer John Gzowski
Movement Coach Linda Garneau
Fight & Intimacy Director Siobhan Richardson
Photographer in Canada Dahlia Katz
Originally produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East, The Abbey, Dublin and Covent Garden Productions. Then produced in Canada by Covent Garden Productions, the Grand Theatre, London Ontario and Mirvish Productions, Toronto.