A new play about corporate sexism is running at the Playground Theatre in west London throughout October.
Located near Shepherd’s Bush, the theatre will be home to One of the Boys, written by Tim Edge.
The play delves into misogyny within the workplace, where Eve is about to become the first female CEO of the company.
However, when young hire Heidi starts to shake up the cultural norms in the company, Eve has to face the complacency she has fallen into with her ambition to rise to the top.
Edge said: “The play is a thriller, a battle of wits between two women for the soul of the company.
“The main female character is actively complicit, subverting her femininity in order to [succeed].
“It’s something that I hope will move people, and I want men to see it and change their behaviour.”
It looks to be an exciting cast, with Miriam Grace Edwards (Romeo & Juliet at The Globe) and debutant Jess Gough as Eve and Heidi respectively.
Gough said: “When I first picked up this script I couldn’t put it down.
“There was so much opportunity in this play and it’s rare that you get to make a character your own, but here we get to create from scratch.
Edwards added: “It’s always exciting to get a new script that no one’s ever worked on before.
“Looking at these characters and this culture, it feels very relevant to us today and it is a super exciting project to work on.”
This will be Edge’s second play, following the comic thriller called Under the Black Rock which ran at Arcola Theatre last March.
It starred Evanna Lynch (Harry Potter, Houdini) and it received positive responses with the Guardian giving it 4 out of 5 stars.
One of the Boys will be overseen by female director Lydia McKinley, who has experience developing new plays and will lend her expertise in the creation of Edge’s story.
Gough said: “I think it is important to let women have space to tell their stories.
“As a young woman who is starting her career, to see [ourselves] on stage, I hope that people who don’t feel like they are represented on stage enough can see that it is possible.”
Edge said: “I was brought up in a house full of women and I grew up listening to my grandmother, aunt and mother talk about what was happening in the world.”
“When I started working at 19, I was shocked at the lack of equality in the workplace.”
Edwards also praised the play’s portrayal of women in the workforce, and how it exposes the existing culture of corporate sexism and female stereotypes.
She said: “When you hit thirty as an actress, roles stop coming through or you are cast as a mum – which is wonderful, I know women who are mums or working professionals – but so many are actually both.
“It’s so necessary for young girls to see women of all ages, to see women in positions of power and do all of the things that they want to because then they get inspired when they see them on TV or stage.”
Edge, Edwards and Gough are determined to make change with this play and hope that it makes the audience reflect on their own experiences.
Edge said: “Theatre is a powerful medium, I want to use it responsibly and to focus on things that I am passionate about.
“I want people to think about this play not just as they leave the theatre, but over their breakfast cereal the next morning and three days later.”
Edge and the cast liken One of the Boys to ‘Succession on steroids’, and left with a joke.
He said: “If you come and see the play, don’t give away the ending because it’s the only one we’ve got!”
One of the Boys is running now at Playground Theatre until October 27.
Image – Credit to Craig Fuller and provided by Emma Holland PR
