So… this time last year, when we could only dream what a second Trump presidency might mean for the world (ah, youth!), Darren, Willie and I were getting ready to try out my new one-act play Time After Time at the lovely Canvas & Cream in Forest Hill.
And we did. And it went well. And people seemed to like it. So much so, they wanted more…
So… fast-forward to this year, when we can only marvel at how innocent we were regarding future US politics, and we’re getting ready all over again (this time with added Spicer!) to premiere the now two-act Learning How To Dive at the small but perfectly formed White Bear in Kennington.
So… what can I tell you? If you saw Time After Time, the first act of the new show might feel familiar – although there have been lots of changes, large and small. But now, after an interval (time to grab a drink in the lovely bar) there’s a whole new second act, and whole new take on the story, told from the point of view of a whole new character, played by Damn Cheek’s Co-Artistic Director Karen Spicer.
It’s been good to revisit the original one-act version: a chance to reflect, refine and reconfigure. And it’s been a pleasure to write act two for Karen and explore the events covered in Time After Time from a new but related perspective. And if act one was or is based (spoiler alert) loosely on my own life experience (with the rider that ‘Barry’ is – as he likes to remind me – still very much alive!), act two is pure dramatic conjecture, albeit informed by 30-plus years of being at one-remove from the reality of the true-life story.
So… if you saw the production last year, we hope you’ll enjoy returning to it in its current form. And if you didn’t catch the earlier run, this offers an opportunity to encounter this new work for the first time. The White Bear is a great little venue above a super cute gastropub only 500 yards from Kennington tube – and there’s 10% off the fab food with your theatre booking.
So… do come and see us! And if you’re wondering about the title, you’ll have to take the plunge and book a ticket. It took us ages to settle on one. We toyed with all sorts. I mean all sorts of titles. Not All Sorts – that would be a terrible title. I still wonder if we shouldn’t have called it The Other Woman but I thought that might be giving too much away.
Oh. Damn. Maybe I just did…
Learning How to Dive runs at the White Bear theatre, Kennington, 10 to 21 February 2026. Tickets are £18 (£12 concessions), available from TicketSource. Book your tickets now!