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When you just can't quite ask someone to leave.... and other awkwardnesses!
SussexWorld
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2 months ago
If you caught The Unfriend on its premiere in Chichester a couple of years ago, you'll definitely be wanting to catch it again at The Barn Theatre, Southwick as the Southwick Players offer their take on Steven Moffat’s comedy masterpiece.
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00:00
Good morning, my name is Phil Hewitt, group arts editor at Sussex Newspapers, lovely to
00:06
speak to Sarah Pepui, and we've got a real treat coming up at the Southwick Players,
00:11
haven't we? Was it a couple of years ago, the unfriend absolutely monster hit in the
00:16
Minerva in Chichester, now you are directing it. You're directing it because you saw it
00:21
in the Minerva and absolutely loved it. Well, set the scene first and then tell me what
00:26
makes this play so special. Setting the scene, so the first 20 minutes of the play is actually
00:34
a true story, that Stephen Moffat, the writer, had some friends called Debbie and Peter who
00:39
went on a cruise, met this eccentric, fabulous American lady, and you know, you do the thing,
00:47
you swap emails, well, should we keep in touch? And she actually did get in touch with them
00:52
and said, can I come and stay for a couple of weeks, which they agreed to, but then Peter
00:57
Googled her and found out that she was actually wanted for mass murder in America. And that's
01:03
where the true story ends, because they just emailed her back and said, please don't come.
01:09
But the story here, yes, as you would, only with our British manners, this couple in the play
01:18
allow her to come and stay. And there comes this wonderful comedy of unique, inappropriate
01:28
humour, repression, hilarious gaffes and laughs. And that's why I decided to direct it, because
01:40
when I saw it at Chichester, it was just so fresh, so witty. I've never seen anything like
01:45
it before. And I knew Southwick Players could deliver it.
01:49
Yeah. And the fact that you loved it when you saw it in Chichester, does that heap up
01:52
the pressure or does that just make it seem now a fantastic opportunity?
01:57
Oh, the best opportunity. The cast that they had in the West End and at Chichester was awesome.
02:05
People that we all know, they're all household names. But we have the best actors at Southwick
02:11
Players. And they have completely risen to the challenge. And, you know, I think we do
02:17
a very, very good version of it. I'm very proud of it. And my cast and the creatives too.
02:22
Fantastic. With the dates, we should mention September the 24th to the 27th. It's The Unfriend
02:29
by Stephen Moffat, the Barnes Theatre, Southwick. Sarah, lovely to speak to you. It sounds like
02:35
it's going to be great. Thank you. Thank you.
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