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Dear Octopus

by Dodie Smith

A woman in a brown long-sleeved dress stands, smiling, looking straight to camera. She is holding hands with a young girl who looks up at her. The blurred figures of five other people stand either side of them and the girl is also blurred.

Booking and details

The family, from whose tentacles we can never quite escape

When a golden wedding anniversary reunites the Randolph family on the eve of WWII, Dora and Charles must reckon with the adults their children have become. Their children, meanwhile, are haunted by the memory of the family they once were.

As the weekend’s celebrations unfold, the family walks a tightrope between intimacy and estrangement, camaraderie and rivalry, love and hate.

Heartbreaking and joyful, this captivating revival of Dodie Smith’s (I Capture the Castle) play is a moving dissection of family and what it means to grow up and return home.

Lindsay Duncan (Hansard) plays Dora in this beautiful, contemporary production, directed by Emily Burns (Jack Absolute Flies Again).

Performed 7 February — 27 March 2024 in the Lyttelton Theatre.

★★★★

‘This glorious revival is a visual and emotional feast.’

Guardian

★★★★

‘Poignant, exquisitely performed theatre.’

The Telegraph

★★★★★

‘Properly laugh-out-loud funny.’

London Theatre

★★★★

‘Burns’ delicately acted staging coaxes you to fall for this fretful, funny bunch.’

Financial Times

★★★★

A superb performance from Lindsay Duncan

The Independent

★★★★

‘A touching celebration of enduring love, family and forgiveness.’

The Stage

★★★★

‘Moving. A family that is utterly convincing.’

WhatsOnStage

★★★★

‘The writing is a joy. A tonic for our turbulent times.’

The Observer

Suitability

Please note: this production contains themes of familial bereavement and death.

Gallery

Video

Four actors on stage perform a scene. One actor sits at a desk, pen in hand, looking serious. Another actor stands nearby, appearing attentive. The remaining two actors sit at the desk; one has a stern expression and the other looks contemplative.
Play Video

Clip

Cast includes

The role of Flouncy is played by:

Kalyani D’Ambra

Ariella Elkins-Green

Asha Sthanakiya

The role of Kathleen ‘Scrap’ Kenton is played by:

Serena Guo

Isla Ithier

Molly Jin

The role of Bill is played by:

Ashwin Sakthivel

Tarun Sivakanesh

Felix Tandon

Production team

Director

Emily Burns

Emily Burns

Set and Costume Designer

Frankie Bradshaw

Frankie Bradshaw

Lighting Designer

Oliver Fenwick

Oliver Fenwick

Etiquette

Lucy Cullingford

Lucy Cullingford

Sound Designer

Tingying Dong

Tingying Dong

Composer

Nico Muhly

Nico Muhly

Music Director

David Shrubsole

David Shrubsole

Casting Director

Bryony Jarvis-Taylor

Bryony Jarvis-Taylor

Company Voice Work

Shereen Ibrahim

Shereen Ibrahim

Company Voice Work

Liz Flint

Liz Flint

Staff Director

Júlia Levai

Júlia Levai

Associate Sound Designer

Joel Price

Joel Price

 

 

Photography (Lindsay Duncan) by Kelvin Murray.