Up In Arms and Arcola Theatre, in association with The North Wall

Eventide

Barney Norris

Directed by: Alice Hamilton

Nominated for 5 OffWestEnd awards
★★★★ Guardian, Times, Evening Standard, The Stage, Time Out

‘Try and do something with your life. Be deliberate, you know?’

A love song, an elegy, a celebration – Barney Norris’ Eventide tells the story of three people whose worlds are disappearing.

John is a landlord forced to sell up; Liz is a church organist who can’t get a gig; Mark takes what work he can just to pay the rent. Their tales unfold round the back of a pub hidden deep in the heart of the Hampshire countryside. But is that heart still beating?

Barney Norris won the Critics’ Circle and Off West End Most Promising Playwright Awards for Visitors (‘Extraordinary’ The Guardian, ‘Heartbreaking’ New York Times), which played a sell-out run at Arcola before transferring to the Bush Theatre. Eventide, which was commissioned by Arcola in 2014, now receives a powerful world premiere production from Up In Arms, directed by Alice Hamilton.

View rehearsal photos

World premiere

5 OffWestEnd award nominations: Best New Play, Best Female, Best Male, Best Director, Best Set Designer

★★★★ ‘Alice Hamilton’s excellent production is like a minor-key Jerusalem. A play that captures all the still, sad music of humanity.’ – The Guardian

★★★★★ ‘Superb.’ – Libby Purves

★★★★ ‘Barney Norris is a rare and precious talent, a writer-chronicler to be cherished. Hugely recommended.’ – Evening Standard

★★★★ ‘All three cast members do impeccable work. Not a gesture is unconsidered.’ – The Stage

★★★★ ‘The acting is so good that it almost doesn’t register as acting.’ – The Times

★★★★ ‘Barney Norris strikes gold again. Like a diligent bartender, Norris has a talent for polishing the ordinary, buffing it up with a damp cloth until it shines and sings.’ – Time Out

★★★★ ‘Glows with heart and humanity’ – Culture Whisper

‘Understated but truly brilliant’ – A Younger Theatre

‘Poignancy threaded through its every line … intricately detailed and beautiful to behold.’ – There Ought To Be Clowns

‘James Doherty is on great form as ebullient landlord John. Hasan Dixon gives Mark the builder a very attractive indifference. Liz is played with a mischievous, delightful fire by Ellie Piercy.’ – WhatsOnStage

‘Barney Norris is fast turning into the quiet voice of Britain. This intriguing play could follow Visitors onto a larger London stage and it richly deserves to do so.’ – British Theatre Guide


Post-show events

Wednesday 7 October – Q&A with the company of Eventide
Wednesday 14 October – Barney Norris reads a selection of his poetry
Free for same-day ticket holders


Rehearsal Diary

Click on the icon in the top left to select a diary entry.

Monday – Saturday evenings at 8:00pm
£17 / £14 concessions

Friday 18 October at 4:30pm
£17 / £14 concessions

Saturday matinees at 3:30pm
£15 / £13 concessions

Opening performances – All tickets £12

Pay What You Can Tuesdays (tickets in person from 6pm – limited and subject to availability)
Tickets are £10 or less with Arcola Passport

Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes approximately (including interval).
In Studio 2, seating is unallocated.