Next week a new comedy by playwright, actor and screenwriter Keelan Kember is set to open at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington. As a supporter of new writing, when I received the press release for ‘Thanks for Having Me’, I knew I wanted to hear more about this new piece of theatre produced by Kit Bromovsky Productions, which also sees the writer star as one of the principal characters, Cashel. The play focuses on two roommates with very different personalities and their individual romantic endeavours in their late twenties/early thirties. I recently had the opportunity to ask Keelan some questions about the play and find out what inspired him to get into playwriting.
How did you get into theatre and writing plays?
I started really getting into theatre when I was at Oxford. I had been in school plays and always loved acting, but university was when I really fell in love with it. I acted in as many plays as I could, and wrote and performed sketch comedy with the Oxford Revue. Then, after university, I read hundreds and hundreds of plays to try and figure out how they worked, and began writing on the side of various jobs. I have been full time writing (whilst working on the side) for almost seven years.
Your second play ‘February Face’ was nominated for a Standing Ovation Award for New Writing. How did it feel to have some of your early work recognised?
It was wonderful, and a big surprise. Of course you hope that it will resonate with people, and so any validation is very meaningful. You try to say you don’t care what critics think – as long as the audience enjoys it – but of course it is very gratifying, and made me feel I was heading in the right direction.
Your latest piece ‘Thanks for Having Me’ is opening at Islington’s King’s Head Theatre from Monday 3rd to Saturday 8th February and is described as ‘a fresh and witty take on mismatched roommates and the rollercoaster of modern romance’. What inspired you to write this comedy story?
As I rapidly approached 30 I found the juxtaposition of how people were living their lives hilarious and jarring. Some people were off to farmers’ markets with their husband/wife and children, and other people were going on dates and pulling all-nighters. I thought the idea of someone who was thrown from one world back into the other would be funny, as he tries to learn to be young and single all over again.
What can you tell me about the central characters in the play?
The two men are polar opposites – one is a heartbroken, neurotic, romantic who just wants to be in love. The other is an unneurotic, unromantic who loves being single and deeply does not want to be in love. Their different world views and attempted co-habitation are what provide the friction and the humour for the show. The two women that they meet and date are very different. One is warm and empathetic, and the other is more feisty and independent. They offer up the question of – in modern dating, who is really seducing who?
Who will ‘Thanks for Having Me’ appeal to?
I hope it will appeal to everyone. Young people will see what they have coming for them, and anyone aged 30 or above will I hope resonate with one or all of the characters, and the predicaments they find themselves in. I’m not sure there’s anything more universal than romance, heartbreak, longing, lust and rejection – so I’m hoping there is something for everyone in the play.
This is the second time that one of your plays will be performed at the new King’s Head. What is your favourite thing about the venue and why?
Well it’s a very vibrant place, and they really value new writing. Working with them was so wonderful and easy, as they have given us total freedom over the play, and allowed us to just get on with it. And it feels very large – it’s one of the few 200-seat venues in London. And that’s a really lovely size, especially for a comedy, as in the glorious moments when the joke lands with the audience, you can really feel the laughter.
A new comedy at the King’s Head
It has been brilliant to hear more about the play from Keelan, particularly the insight around reaching 30 and being surrounded by people who are all at different stages of their lives. As an almost thirty year old, this is totally relatable! A huge thank you to the playwright for taking the time to answer my questions. I wish the cast and creative team all the best for their King’s Head Theatre run. You can purchase tickets to ‘Thanks for Having Me’ via the theatre’s website. Performances run daily at 9pm from 3rd to 8th February (excluding Friday 7th) and with the exception of Saturday evening, when the show starts at 8pm.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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