David Harrower's A SLOW AIR to Play at London's Tricycle Theatre, May 7-June 2

Following a sell out run at the Traverse Theatre during the 2011 Fringe, A Slow Air, written and directed by David Harrower, will tour to 59E59 Theatres, New York (4-28 April) before arriving at the Tricycle Theatre for a limited run from May 7 to June 2. A Slow Air is being produced by Tron Theatre Company.

Susan Vidler as Morna and Lewis Howden as Athol make up the cast for A Slow Air. Set and costume design is by Jessica Brettle, lighting design by Dave Shea and sound design by Barry McCall.

A Slow Air is the story of a brother and sister in their mid-40s who live in Lowland Scotland, fifty miles apart. Morna works as a cleaner for well-off families in Edinburgh. She spends her time drinking mostly, attempting affairs and trying to work out the mind of her 20 year old son who shares her flat in Dalry.

Athol, her elder brother by 2 years, lives in Houston, near Glasgow airport with his wife, Evelyn. The owner of a floor-tiling company, with two grown-up children, he is proud of his hard-won achievements.

Like any other brother and sister they have fond and not-so fond memories of their upbringing, differing views on their parents and definite opinions about each other. But they haven’t spoken to each other for fourteen years. When Morna’s son Joshua goes west to make contact with Athol he triggers a remarkable and life changing series of events.

Susan Vidler’s recent stage credits include David Harrower’s Knives in Hens for The National Theatre of Scotland, Petrol Jesus Nightmare for the Traverse Theatre/Kosovo Festival, Roaring Trade for Soho Theatre/Paines Plough, Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us for The National Theatre of Scotland, A Thousand Yards for Southwark Playhouse and Trainspotting and The Present for The Bush Theatre. Susan’s most recognised screen roles include Allison in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting and Maggie in Mike Leigh’s film Naked. Other screen credits include Fallout, Voices From Afar and Alone.

Lewis Howden’s stage credits include Defender of the Faith, The Beauty Queen ofLeenanne, The Trick is to Keep Breathing and The Witches of Pollock, all for Tron Theatre Company. Other theatre work includes The Company Will Over Look a Moment of Madness, Any Given Day, Petrol Jesus Nightmare and The Nest all for the TraverseTheatre and Mary Queen of Scots Got her Head Chopped Off for The National Theatre of Scotland. Howden’s screen credits include Hope Springs, Taggart and Rebus.

David Harrower is an award-winning playwright. David’s previous theatre work includes Knives in Hens for the Traverse Theatre/The Bush Theatre, Dark Earth and Kill the Old Torture Their Young for the Traverse Theatre, Presence at the Royal Court, Blackbird at theEdinburgh Festival, West End, Manhattan Theatre Club and Sydney Theatre Company and 365 for The National Theatre of Scotland. Harrower’s adaptations include Tales from the Vienna Woods and Ivanov for The National Theatre, Mary Stuart for The National Theatre of Scotland and Six Characters in Search of an Author and The Good Soul of Szechuan for the Young Vic.

Tricycle Theatre is located at 269 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7JR. For more information, go online at www.tricycle.co.uk. Performances run Tuesday – Saturday at 8pm, with a weekday matinee at 2pm (Wed May 16, 23) and Saturday matinees at 4pm. Tickets are £14 Mon 8pm, Midweek Mats, £20 Tues - Fri, Sat 4pm and £24 Sat 8pm.

More Articles by This Author...