Glitterball: Details announced of new comedy about 'motherhood and identity'

Admin

Aug 1

A new comedy follows the story of a mixed heritage mother trying to navigate a midlife identity crisis as she approaches her 50 birthday.

Glitterball, from the Rifco Theatre Company is written by and starring Yasmin Wilde and directed by Pravesh Kumar.

Sonia's life has always been a bit of a double act, brought up as one half of a Shirley Bassey tribute act. alongside her overbearing mother Gloria, she left a trail of sequins across the working men's clubs of East Anglia.

Now she's divorced, battling through the middle-age jungle, wrangling unimpressed teenagers and navigating rocky friendships.

But the unexpected arrival of Sonia's half-brother Naim from Manchester brings a refreshed sense of belonging and cultural identity, as he introduces her to her Pakistani side she had never known before.

Sonia is excited to immerse herself in the culture and finally begins to piece together the mosaic of her life. But a disturbing discovery threatens to shatter her world all over again.

Inspired by a real-life, Glitterball is 'a midlife coming of age comedy about motherhood, identity and finding your time to shine'.

It is the first commission to come out of the Rifco Associates Programme, a talent development initiative to improve pathways into the industry for underrepresented voices.

Pravesh Kumar, Artistic Director, said "At Rifco, we are committed to telling the stories of underrepresented voices and are thrilled to be bringing you our first mainstage production born out of the Rifco Associates Programme.

"Yasmin Wilde's story felt so relevant to us because it sheds much-needed light on the mixed-heritage experience.

"It is also an empowering example of how a 'midlife crisis' can be a positive turning point with a strong intergenerational focus. We hope it will strike a chord with audiences and open up themes that are still too often missing from mainstream entertainment, while also giving them some feel-good, classic Bassey numbers to sing along to."

Listings information

Watford Palace Theatre, 20 Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JZ
Thu 15 - Sat 24 Sept
Eves 7.30pm, Wed & Sat mat 2.30pm
Tickets from £17, concessions available
watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk | 01923 225671

Riverside Studios, 101 Queen Caroline St, London W6 9BN
Tue 27 Sept - Sat 08 Oct
Eves 7.30pm, Thu, Sat & Sun mat 3.30pm
Tickets £25, concessions available
riversidestudios.co.uk | 020 8237 1000

Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Fairbottom St, Oldham OL1 3SW
Tue 11 - Sat 15 Oct (on sale 21 June)
Eves 7.30pm, Wed & Sat mat 2.30pm
Tickets from £18.50, concessions available
colliseum.org.uk | 0161 624 2829