Dumping

The only gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, snot-inducing breakups we hear about are the romantic ones. But what relationship is more intimate, more enduring, more important than the one with your best friend? And what happens when it crumbles?

Dumping is a brand new play by Alex Summer Milne coming to The Cockpit this April for three exclusive preview shows.

Bea is appalled at how conventional Alana has become and wants to 'untether' herself so she can advance on her spiritual journey. But when she initiates a 'divorce', Alana is outraged. Why can't Bea just ghost her like a normal person? And why should Alana feel guilty for becoming a mother? 'We can't all be Carol Vorderman'. Their incessant bickering and clashing ideas make The Talk tricky... but not as agonising as deciding who will get custody of the Fendi bag they've been passing back and forth for a decade.

A play about navigating the changes between girlhood and womanhood. About needing people. About facing ourselves. It asks, what are friends for?

‘Absolute f***ing dynamite’  ‘Timely, beautifully written, beautifully performed’  ‘Like two halves of my brain having a row’  ‘Razor sharp. Had me laughing and crying.’ - Audience reactions at a work-in-progress performance

Be among the first to see this breakout show by emerging writer-director Alex Summer Milne, recently named one of Hachette’s ‘literary stars of the future’ with ‘a gift for writing comedy’ (Paul Vale of The Stage). Praise for her debut play, MEGA (Seven Dials Playhouse, Stockwell Playhouse), included ‘hilarious and thought-provoking', ‘enchanting’, and ‘an absolute treat to watch’.

Dumping first came to The Cockpit as part of our scratch night Theatre In The Pound. Now it's back as part of Theatre Maker, our programme that supports early career development.

Starring:
Amelia O'Loughlin as Alana
Amelia studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds, furthering her training in New York and LA at the Susan Batson Studio and the Beverley Hills Playhouse. Her credits include Everything Now (Netflix), SAS Rogue Heroes (BBC One), Don't Be Late (Milillo Films), Rift (Double Vision Productions). Amelia is also a writer, director and producer. She founded her film production company Freida Films in 2020, making her multi-award-winning short, I'm Still Ethan.

Mollie Semple as Bea
Mollie trained at All in Actors, studied English at the Unversity of Cambridge, and screenwriting at the National Film and Television School (NFTS). Her credits include Persephone (Brighton Fringe), Loneliness and Other Adventures (Edinburgh Fringe), Silo (Apple TV) and Fugue (short film). As a writer, Mollie is developing her solo play, Good For Her!

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Tuesday 1 April - 7:00pm
Wednesday 2 April - 2:30pm and 7:00pm