A HAMPSTEAD THEATRE PRODUCTION
GENESIS INC.
By JEMMA KENNEDY
Directed by LAURIE SANSOM
Running time: 2 HOURS 35 MINUTES INCLUDING A 20 MINUTE INTERVAL
£10 - £37 (See ticket information)
Cyclist are you? Good for the lungs, less so for the sperm. Try fast walking instead
Main Stage
22 Jun - 28 Jul 2018
£10 - £37
Box Office: 020 7722 9301
Genesis Inc must close this Saturday – don’t miss this ‘smart and funny’ (Financial Times) new comedy within our fully air-conditioned auditorium!
'Harry Enfield is hilarious' WhatsOnStage
'Smart, funny, complex' Financial Times
'Jemma Kennedy has a gift for comedy' The Guardian
'I adore the ambition' The Times
'A theatrical and ambitious comedy' Independent
Serena and Jeff have one last chance: Genesis Incorporated, whose glowing testimonials and bespoke treatments surely justify a final roll of the dice. Meanwhile, Bridget has put her future literally on ice while she focuses on her high-flying career and on finding Mr Right. And all Miles wants is a steady salary so he can buy a property in Zone 4 – oblivious to the fact that, in a different kind of currency, he’s actually the richest of them all…
Jemma Kennedy spins a blisteringly entertaining and multifaceted tale of the final frontier of 21st century capitalism: the privatisation of human reproduction. This richly imaginative, topical, and explosively funny new comedy takes a closer look at the lengths to which people will go to defy biology - and at the moral compass of an industry that trades on fear and hope.
Hampstead Theatre is proud to present Jemma Kennedy’s breakthrough play. Previous plays include Second Person Narrative (Tonic Theatre commission as part of the Play for Platform Series), The Gift (New Vic Theatre) and Don’t Feed the Animals (National Theatre Connections).
Laurie Sansom directs following his critically acclaimed historical trilogy The James Plays (National Theatre) and The Driver’s Seat (National Theatre of Scotland).
Starring Double BAFTA winner Harry Enfield, Arthur Darvill, Oliver Alvin-Wilson, Ritu Arya, Kirsty Besterman, Laura Howard, Shobu Kapoor, Clare Perkins and Arthur Wilson.
Genesis Inc. is a work of fiction and any similarity to any real person or organisation is purely coincidental.
-
WhatsOnStage
'Nobody could accuse Jemma Kennedy of being under-ambitious: her imaginative, consistently entertaining tragicomedy is stuffed – over-stuffed possibly – with ideas. The title is the name of the upmarket fertility clinic where much of the play is set, and while the main theme of the piece is the struggle of starting a family when nature seems to be failing you and time is running out, Kennedy has many other things on her mind.
What starts out as superior sitcom – Harry Enfield's hilariously out-of-touch fertility specialist offering jawdroppingly insensitive advice to a mixed race couple looking to conceive via IVF- becomes richer and darker as it progresses, gaining the propulsive compulsiveness of a soap opera, albeit an uncommonly funny one. Characters that initially appear to be little more than tropes (the ball-breaking business woman, the nerdy, under-achieving gay teacher, the working class wife trapped in an abusive relationship) move in unexpected but never implausible directions, and as an observer you may find your attitudes and allegiances switching.
The piece covers a lot: the impossibility of buying a central London home unless you are mega-rich, the increasing isolation of childless single women, the way income differences can create schisms in long-standing friendships, the irony that for many women their peak fertility comes just as their career kicks in, greed versus humanity, the importance of community....it's all here and more. It's handled – for the most part – with considerable dexterity and an impressive command of theatrical storytelling, aided by Laurie Sansom's bold but textured staging, and some excellent performances.'
To read the full review click here to visit WhatsOnStage online.
Alun Hood, 29 June, 2018
Artistic team
writer
JEMMA KENNEDY
DIRECTOR
LAURIE SANSOM
DESIGNER
JESS CURTIS
LIGHTING
OLIVER FENWICK
COMPOSITION
ZARA NUNN
SOUND
GARETH FRY
VIDEO
IAN WILLIAM GALLOWAY
MOVEMENT
GEORGINA LAMB
CASTING
SUZANNE CROWLEY AND GILLY POOLE
Cast
OLIVER ALVIN-WILSON
RITU ARYA
KIRSTY BESTERMAN
ARTHUR DARVILL
HARRY ENFIELD
LAURA HOWARD
SHOBU KAPOOR
CLARE PERKINS
ARTHUR WILSON
A CUP OF TEA WITH...GENESIS INC.'S ARTHUR DARVILL
We caught up with Arthur Darvill to talk pre-show rituals, wayward moustaches and crucial life advice.
GENESIS INC: ★★★★ FROM WHATSONSTAGE
Alun Hood awards Jemma Kennedy's Genesis Inc. four stars
JEMMA KENNEDY ON IVF FOR THE TELEGRAPH
Genesis Inc writer Jemma Kennedy on her experiences with private fertility clinics
COMPETITION: WIN DINNER FOR TWO AND A PAIR OF TICKETS FOR GENESIS INC.
Coming to see Describe the Night? You can be in with a chance to win tickets to our next Main Stage show
GENESIS INC.: FULL CAST ANNOUNCED
Full casting announced for Jemma Kennedy's blisteringly entertaining new play
GENESIS INC. WRITER JEMMA KENNEDY AT FERTILITY FEST 2018
Jemma Kennedy will be appearing at the Fertility Fest on Friday 11 May
HAMPSTEAD THEATRE PARTNERS WITH TWO LEADING FERTILITY CHARITIES FOR GENESIS INC.
Hampstead Theatre will partner with Fertility Network UK and Donor Conception Network throughout the run of Genesis Inc.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR EDWARD HALL ANNOUNCES HAMPSTEAD THEATRE'S SPRING/SUMMER SEASON
Rajiv Joseph's Describe the Night, Jemma Kennedy's Genesis Inc. and Fiona Doyle's The Strange Death of John Doe announced as Hampstead's 2018 spring/summer season
THE GUARDIAN INTERVIEWS GENESIS INC. WRITER JEMMA KENNEDY
Jemma Kennedy speaks to The Guardian's Mark Brown about the inspiration for her play Genesis Inc.
Previews, Mondays and matinees
Full price: £30/£27/£18
Under 30s/Students: £15/£10
Seniors (matinees only): £22/£20
Groups: For every 9 tickets get the 10th free
Access: £16
Tuesday – Saturday evenings
Full price: £37/£32/£25
Under 30s/Students: £15/£10
Groups: For every 9 tickets get the 10th free
Access: £16
KEEPING YOU SAFE AT HAMPSTEAD
RESPECT PERSONAL SPACE
FACE MASKS ENCOURAGED
STATE OF THE ART VENTILATION
ENHANCED CLEANING
CONTACTLESS TICKETS
HAND SANITISING STATIONS
CASHLESS PAYMENT