The Wasp

A sharply comic twisting two-hander, The Wasp is an enjoyably nasty psychological thriller by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, the acclaimed author of Belongings and Emilia, which recently enjoyed West End success following a transfer from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
Once close childhood friends, Heather and Carla haven’t seen each other since school and their lives have taken very different paths. Carla is leading a hand to mouth existence, pregnant with her fifth child. Heather is affluent, successful and childless. All cashmere shawl and statement handbag. And yet, twenty years on, here they are in a café having tea and making awkward conversation.
That is, until Heather presents Carla with a bag of cash and an unexpected proposition…
Director Mel Powell is creating another claustrophobic in-the-round staging with virtually no set, relying on just lighting, sound and the two actors to bring this fabulous script to life.
The play runs for approximately ninety minutes with no interval. For the two actors, it’s a wonderful challenge, with both on stage for the whole play and it’s fascinating to feel the power shifting backwards and forwards between the two characters. Both are intelligent and resourceful, complicated and damaged. The audience’s sympathies see-saw as the two fence and feint around each other with hope, threat and awkwardness.
The play was first staged in a sell-out run at Hampstead Theatre in 2015, before transferring to The Trafalgar Studios.
Morgan Lloyd Malcom’s electric play asks how far beyond the playground we carry our childhood experiences, and to what lengths people will go to come to terms with them.
(This production contains swearing and adult themes).
At The Little Theatre only for 3 nights: 6th, 7th, 8th February, from 8pm. Directed by Mel Powell, with Josie Melton and Julia Arundale. All receipts will be going towards our Theatre Development Fund. Tickets available at: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cops

For more information visit https://www.cops.org.uk/production.php?id=280