Two new plays tour to Bath in the Ustinov Studio’s Visiting Company season

The Ustinov Studio’s Visiting Company Season continues this month as Katie Redford’s heart-warming comedy Tapped visits Bath on 26 May and Tom Marshman’s intriguing new show A Shining Intimacy appears on 27 May.

A witty and sensitive portrayal of managing mental health within a family, Tapped tours to the Ustinov Studio for an 8pm performance on Friday 26th May. Written as a response to the resurgence of the self-help dialogue, deeply embedded in today’s online culture, Katie Redford’s play highlights that positive jargon is ultimately meaningless without real human connection. 

Tapped tells the story of mother and daughter, Dawn and Jen, and Gavi, who discovers how to inspire the lives of those around him for the better, with the help of daily mantras, goal setting and repeated listening to Spandau Ballet. A play about eating too many biscuits, missed opportunities, big dreams in small places and how the idea of change is far easier said than done; Tapped highlights the barriers we put up in order to put on a brave face, whilst having those all-important lightbulb moments, like realising Aldi really does sell everything.
Gavi, Jen and Dawn, attendees of an amateur self-help group, all share one commonality: they’re desperate for escapism. Gavi wants to inspire his community, which is tricky when everyone would prefer to just stay at home and watch Bake Off. Adamant to succeed, he hosts motivational meetings from his garage for his fellow Co-op colleagues, believing he can change their lives. However, when the only two attendees are bickering mother and daughter Dawn and Jen, it’s not quite the enlightening experience they all thought it would be. Dawn wants more from life, Jen wants a brand-new life and Gavi just wants Jen in his life; but there’s only so much ‘positive visualisation’ they can all do before simply facing up to the painful reality of what’s really going on.

Marie Blount and AK Goulding play the roles of Dawn and Jen, and Max Hastings plays Gavi, directed by Piers Black. Katie Redford is a BAFTA Award-winning writer and performer from Nottingham. A BBC Comedy writer’s room alumnus, she also writes for screen and radio. Tapped was her debut play for stage, for which she received an Offie nomination for Most Promising Playwright. Tapped is designed by Ceci Calf with lighting design by Lucía Sánchez Roldán and sound design by Conrad Kira. Following its world-premiere at Theatre503 in 2022, Tapped visits Bath on its first tour presented by Bethany Cooper Productions.

On Saturday 27 May, Bristol-based Tom Marshman presents A Shining Intimacy at the Ustinov Studio at 8pm, a must-see, new show about theatre, queer friendships and grief. In this solo performance, Tom explores two of Britain's best loved stage actors, Kenneth Williams and Maggie Smith, both on a journey together to master their craft

Playing with the juxtaposition of the ‘performer’ in public and private, in A Shining Intimacy the narrative not only includes Kenneth’s and Maggie’s success and friendship, but a sensitive portrayal of issues such as depression, OCD and the loneliness of Kenneth’s one bedroom flat.

Using projections Tom examines their characters as apparitions within the theatre, and considers his own relationship with the late artist Clare Thornton. Their shining intimacy belongs to a particular moment in history, allowing Tom as narrator to also reflect on this close friendship, now lost. Television and radio interviews, newspaper articles, diaries and memoirs have created the backbone for Tom’s new work. 

Tom Marshman has been a practicing artist for 21 years and produced over 60 projects, across many mediums, including theatre, cabaret and museum audio-tours. An overarching theme of Tom’s work is that of the outsider and their story, particularly regarding the LGBTQ+ experience. 

Tickets for all performances at the Ustinov Studio are on sale at the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk/ustinov