“It’s not every day that audiences get an opportunity to see a play quite like this,’ remarks Lovesong director, Hilary Foister. This poignant and universal story of a love which endures time and parting opens at Apollo Theatre on 4th September. First performed in 2011, this beautiful play by Abi Morgan is moving, charming, sad, funny, honest and true, written with an exquisite economy and promises many surprises. The story is a simple one: the optimism of youth and the wisdom of experience, told in an original and highly theatrical way. Around 1973, a young couple, William and Margaret, are settling into life in America, having emigrated from this country. Fifty years later, we view the same couple, now known as Billy and Maggie, inexorably moving towards the end of their life together. Just four actors and two characters. Past and present collide, with the older couple’s memories interacting with their younger selves.
‘I defy anyone not to be touched by this play, not to take something away with them to ponder,’ adds Hilary. ‘A script as good as this does not come along every day. It has no fat on it. It gives the audience just enough, treating it as intelligent, and with the ability to piece together what’s happening.’
Lovesong was developed with the theatre company Frantic Assembly. It encourages performers to be aware of their physical presence, using movement to convey emotions. ‘We are not dancers, but we will follow their lead and use our bodies to convey feelings that words cannot express.’ There are also a couple of moments which can only be described as coups de theatre. We won’t reveal what those surprises are – simply come along and enjoy a very different kind of theatrical experience.
The production dates are 4-12 September 2026; all shows start at 7.30pm. For more information, and to book tickets for all our shows, including ‘Screenings at the Apollo’, go to http://www.apollo-theatre.org.uk or call the box office on (01983) 210010.
