Theatre News

Tony-winning Stephen Karam's Speech and Debate to receive UK premiere

Tom Attenborough directs the dark comedy at Trafalgar Studios

Director Tom Attenborough
Director Tom Attenborough
© Dan Wooller

Trafalgar Studios will host the UK premiere of Stephen Karam's 2007 off-Broadway play Speech and Debate next year.

Karam's most recent work, The Humans, won last year's Tony Award for best play, and was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize for drama, as was his 2012 piece Sons Of The Prophet.

London-based company Defibrillator will present Tom Attenborough's production. Attenborough's credits include Burbage's Farewell at Chichester Festival Theatre, the ATG tour of Coward's Private Lives and Dinner With Friends at the Park Theatre. Casting is yet to be announced.

Dealing with such topical subjects as teenage alienation, homophobia and the power of social media, Speech and Debate is a black comedy focusing on a trio of high school misfits and their unorthodox response to a controversial sex scandal in their home town.

Speech and Debate will run at Trafalgar Studios 2 from 22 February to 1 April 2017, with a press night on 24 February