Danielle Tarento and Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford to co-produce THE WHITE CHIP at Southwark Playhouse
It has been announced that Danielle Tarento and Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford will co-produce the UK premiere of the Off Broadway smash hit The White Chip at Southwark Playhouse Borough from 9 July-16 August.
Despite spending more time drunk than sober, Steven McAlister has managed to graduate from college, create an extremely successful theatre group, get married, and thrive in a dream job at one of the most prestigious regional theatres in the United States.
Sure, it’s gratifying to go to an AA meeting where they reward you with a white chip token just for showing up, but does he really have a problem?
Even with an ailing father, a marriage on the rocks, and his professional life careening out of control, Steven has a carefully constructed balancing act that keeps it all together - until it all falls apart.
Told with humour, honesty, and compassion, The White Chip is about living with addiction and coming alive through recovery.
Casting is to be announced.
The White Chip will be directed by Matt Ryan, with design by Lee Newby, lighting by Jamie Platt, and sound by Max Pappenheim
Writer Sean Daniels said: “It’s an honour to get to work with Danielle Tarento and Annaleigh Ashford to bring The White Chip to London. After the response we had in New York - the mix of laughter-filled shows and someone saying ‘I’m ready to get help’ after every performance - we knew we wanted to keep this going as long as we could. When you write a comedy about recovery you hope it finds the right people, people who get your dark sense of humour - from actors to producers to audience - and how lucky am I that it has.”
The production is working closely with Performing Recovery, the public face of the Addiction Recovery Arts Network, a non-profit organisation which promotes, connects and shares creative recovery practices thereby reducing the stigma of addiction-recovery. A percentage of every ticket sold will be donated to Performing Recovery.
The production is also delighted to be partnering with Club Soda, a global mindful drinking movement that helps people change their drinking habits, and sponsored by Everleaf.
On 17 July, Soberistas founder Lucy Rocca and Alcohol Change’s Brie Barros will be discussing ‘What Happens If I Don’t Want to Drink Anymore?’ following the show, whilst after the captioned performance on 6 August, “Through an Addict’s Looking-Glass” author Waithera Sebatindira and music industry and diversity professional Paul Bonham will be discussing ‘Is Addiction a Disability?
At both talkbacks, the guests will be in conversation with Performing Recovery’s Leon Clowes and taking questions from the audience. They are free to all ticket-holders for that night’s performance.
