 “era defining” play, Yen, is set to return to the North of England for a strictly limited run.){kind=link}
Anna Jordan’s (Succession, One Day) “era defining” play, Yen, is set to return to the North of England for a strictly limited run—a decade after its critically acclaimed premiere at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, in 2015.
The Bruntwood-prize winning play follows the story of two brothers—Hench, aged 16 and Bobbie, aged 13. They live alone and spend their time watching porn, playing on the PlayStation and looking after their pet dog, Taliban. Their mum, Maggie, adds to their somewhat chaotic lifestyle. She often visits them, much to their dismay; occasionally passing out on the lawn—making her more of a child than the two of them put together.
Hench and Bobbie’s life seems pretty predictable and solemnly directionless. However, when Jenny knocks on the door, both boys discover a world beyond what they already know, filled with love, possibility and danger!
Along with its explosive storytelling, Yen will also be performed by a stellar cast headed up by Coronation Street’s Vicky Binns as Maggie. It also stars Adam Owers as Hench, Jonny Grogan as Bobbie, and Lucy Eve Mann as Jenny.
The show is being remounted by Connor Goodwin and produced in association with Divided Culture Co., a theatre, film, and creative education company dedicated to championing Northern talent, which Goodwin co-runs with collaborator Dan Lovatt.
Following an extensive run at the MCC Theatre in New York and five-star, sellout runs in both Manchester and London, Jordan’s bold and daring deep-dive into brotherhood and the consequences of growing up alone will continue to evolve just as much as it will continue to entertain people of all ages and backgrounds.
In a blog post for the Royal Court Theatre, Jordan writes that: “Yen seems to speak to people of all ages, which for me as a playwright is tremendously exciting…it explores some of the issues and pressures on young people today – especially surrounding sex and masculinity.”
She goes on to say that: “I never write a play to send a message or labour a moral. I think the most exciting thing about a play is when it can start a conversation and make a member of the audience look at the world or young people’s lives with fresh eyes.”
Yen will run at the Bolton Octagon Theatre from 3-13 September, before making its Newcastle debut at the Alphabetti Theatre from 17-20 September.
Words by Cory Gourley
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