Alpha Beta
by Ted Whitehead
by Ted Whitehead
Ted Whitehead’s Alpha Beta explores the destructive dynamics of a marriage trapped by societal expectations, as Mr and Mrs Elliot navigate their self-imposed confinement and the toll it takes on their relationship and family.
About The Play
About The Play
The first major revival of Ted Whitehead’s Alpha Beta since 1972, directed by Unicorn Theatre Artistic Director Purni Morell.
Mr and Mrs Elliot have imprisoned themselves within a domestic incarceration of marriage, family and society’s twitching curtains. Battling through their self-made entrapment for the sake of the kids, they soon begin to destroy each other through an ugly routine of rows, affairs and suicidal blackmail.
Written with a controlled irony and an underlying compassion for its tormented characters, Ted Whitehead’s bold and unflinching play asks questions about the choices we make to fit in with social conventions – questions that are just as relevant now as they were in 1972.
Originally performed at the Royal Court and West End with Albert Finney and Rachel Roberts, this new staging directed by Purni Morell and designed by Verity Quinn, will take the Finborough Theatre back to its original use, transforming the space into a domestic living room where the brutal examination of a disintegrating marriage will take place.
“I came galloping by and swept you off your feet… and then we got married and lived miserably ever after. That’s the new conclusion, that, to the old fairy tale.”
Please note, due to the unconventional nature of the set design, the audience will be seated amongst the set. The auditorium always opens 30 minutes before each performance, so that you can choose a seat that suits you best.