THE CHAINSAW MANICURE
Cast and Creatives:
Dan Dawes
Hannah Hawkins
Tamaryn Payne (2017)
Alice Osmanski (2018)
Director: Dan Dawes
Production: Simon Reilly and Nina Flitman
Sound and Lighting Design: Francois Langton (2017) and Matt Part (2018)
Operator: Rosie Nisbet (2017) and Julian Starr (2018)
Programme Design: Claire Durrant
Poster Design: SAAN Designs
Photography: Carl Stuart, Dan Dawes, and Thomas Kett
by Thomas Kett
Tabard Theatre: 2nd - 20th May, 2017
Churchill Theatre: 3rd - 7th April, 2018
Thomas Kett's pugnacious farce, The Chainsaw Manicure, transferred to The Churchill Theatre after a sold-out and critically acclaimed run at The Tabard Theatre (now The Chiswick Playhouse) in 2017.
Two housemates, Abigail and Frances, personify the spirit of the 90s.
Frances is the 'retired' party-goer; a lascivious socialite with a hefty appetite for sex and booze. Abigail is the 'new age hippy'; a smorgasbord of bold colours, camomile tea, yoga and enlightenment. But both are victims of an insatiable disease: desperation.
Frances' newly found sobriety belies a lingering hunger for excitement, whilst Abigail's futile journey for inner peace is an attempt to cover some deep rooted neuroses. Their self-reflecting musings are interrupted by their weird new flatmate, Gary - an unhinged young man who happens to have a penchant for ketchup sandwiches, playing the trumpet all night, and also has a chainsaw...
A recipe for farce is created and an exploration of the darker side of Girl Power ensues. A fast-paced, jam-packed comedy, featuring brilliant 90s tunes.
