THE SOFT OF HER PALM World Premiere Opens at Finborough Theatre Tonight, Oct 7

The world premiere of a new play by award-winning playwright Chris Dunkley, The Soft of Her Palm opens at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine performances - Sunday and Monday evenings and Tuesday matinees from tonight, Sunday, 7 October 2012 (Press Night: Monday, 8 October 2012 at 7.30pm).

The Soft of Her Palm is a devastating exploration of domestic violence, telling the story of Phil and Sarah’s troubled and complex relationship. It begins in the present day, moments after Sarah has crashed her car outside Phil's house - by accident or on purpose? As we return to the past and the horrifying story unfolds, our allegiances shift as the truth is slowly revealed. Jumping from moments of sheer joy to volcanic ferocity and underscored with a vein of sharp, brutal humour, the shadow of violence creeps insidiously across the landscape of Chris Dunkley’s painfully honest new play.

Playwright Chris Dunkley is currently commissioned by the Arts Council to research and write The Precariat, a new play that will premiere as part of the Finborough Theatre’s Vibrant – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights in November 2012. His play Mirita premiered at the Finborough Theatre, was named Time Out Critics' Choice, and transferred Off Broadway to the Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City, alongside his short play Lisa Says. Other theatre includes Almost Blue (Riverside Studios), How to Tell the Truth (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough), Lucy is a Minger (Spinney Hill Theatre, Northampton) and The Festival (Wimbledon Studio Theatre). Radio includes The All Colour Vegetarian Cookbook and The Architects, both for the BBC. Chris has been Writer in Residence at Royal and DernGate Theatres, Northampton, and Writer on Attachment at The Royal Court Theatre. He was the 2002 winner of the International Student Playscript Competition and winner of the PMA writers’ award in 2001.

Director Ola Ince is a former Resident Assistant Director and Senior Reader at the Finborough Theatre where she directed Namaskar as part of 2011's Vibrant – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights . Trained at Rose Bruford College with a First Class Honours BA in Theatre Directing. Previous direction includes Pets Corner (Arcola Theatre), One Million Tiny Plays About Britain (The Clare Theatre, Young Vic), Games (Pleasance Theatre), Far Away (The Studio, Rose Bruford College), The Inconvenient Store (Tooting Hub), The Frame (Unicorn Theatre), The Island (Unicorn Theatre) and Pop (Warehouse Theatre). Ola has worked as an Assistant Director for the The Young Vic, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Tristan Bates Theatre, National Theatre Studio, King's Head Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company Fringe Festival. Most recently, she was Assistant Director to Sacha Wares on Wild Swans (The Young Vic).

Press night is set for Monday, 8 October, 2012 at 7.30PM. Finborough Theatre, The Finborough is located at 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED. The show plays Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 October 2012; Sunday and Monday evenings at 7.30pm. Tuesday matinees at 2.00pm. Performance length: Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes.

Tickets £14, £10 concessions. Call the Box Office at 0844 847 1652 or visit www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk. More details about this premiere HERE.