A Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch production

by David Eldridge

A juicy slice of Essex family life

Len is a die-hard West Ham supporter who proudly made a career at Ford Dagenham. Now he’s on his deathbed with the nearest and dearest gathered to say goodbye.

His sisters, slogging away on the checkouts at Asda Romford and Tesco Basildon, haven’t spoken in 20 years.

Over a ham sandwich spread, the banter soon flows and old animosities emerge as it’s time to read the will…

A sharply funny play, charting an East End family’s history from the homelands of Hackney, via Romford, to Basildon and beyond.

Written by Romford playwright David Eldridge (Market Boy, National Theatre; Beginning, West End), this explosively knotty drama is being brought back to its roots after a 2012 premiere at the Royal Court Theatre

‘Gripping… funny, touching’ The Telegraph

‘A gloriously rich, humorous, agonising and politically provocative play’ The Independent

UNDER 26? In Basildon is part of our Essex on Stage programme.

On Saturday 23 March, you can see all three Essex on Stage readings (listed below) AND the evening performance of David Eldridge’s In Basildon for just £18! Put a ticket for each of the four shows in your basket and the discount will apply automatically. (Offer applies to the Sat 23 Mar performance only)

Essex on Stage is an ambitious new two-year programme led by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, championing positive notions of Essex, celebrating theatre made by working class people and raising aspirations for emerging artists from Essex and Outer East London. It includes commissioning new plays, establishing a network of venues, touring drama about Essex across Essex for new audiences, organising local events to develop talent and making life-changing projects with communities.

The programme kicks off with the regional premiere of David Eldridge’s In Basildon. Alongside the performance on Sat 23 March, there will be rehearsed readings of new plays in development from three exciting Essex playwrights.

Tammy by Kelly Jones

Legacy by Dan Murphy

Stiletto Beach by Sadie Hasler.

Essex on Stage has been made possible by the generous support of The Clothworkers’ Foundation. Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is the recipient of the 2018 Clothworkers’ Theatre Award, a competitive annual prize given to a regional producing theatre, that has only ever been awarded five times.