Four actors set for world premiere of Expecting at Riverside Studios
John Bradley, Joe Dempsie, Katie Leung and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell will star together in Expecting, a new play getting its first full production at Riverside Studios.
The four-person casting was confirmed on 1 October for the world premiere, a term that means the show has not been staged before. It will run from 30 January to 27 March, according to WhatsOnStage.
That slot puts the show in the opening months of the year. It gives the company autumn and early winter for rehearsals, design and ticket sales. That timeline is normal for new writing of this scale.
A world premiere is different from a revival or a transfer, meaning the production moves from its original venue into another house. Here there is no earlier production to compare. The performances in January will be the first time a paying audience sees the play in full.
Expecting is written by Scott Elmegreen and Drew Fornarola. A shared writing credit means the script was developed jointly. The Riverside run will be the first test of that text in front of an audience.
New plays often reach this point after readings and workshops. The premiere is where development stops and performance starts. Lines, pauses and endings can still change in previews.
Direction is by Andy Sandberg. Expecting is one of five plays he is directing as part of the Riverside Studios Mainstage season. A season in this context is a grouped programme of shows presented under one banner.
Keeping one director across five titles gives the season continuity in the rehearsal room. For Expecting, Sandberg will lead casting choices already announced and shape performances in rehearsal.
The subject is plainly put. The play explores why couples are waiting longer to have children, or debating whether to have them at all. Timing and choice sit at the centre. The question is intimate, but it is widely shared.
No further plot details or character names were included in the announcement. The focus remains on the quartet who will carry the story.
What makes this stand out is the shape. Four actors. One question. Plenty of room for disagreement.
For anyone planning a visit, the practical points are simple. Note the venue. Note the dates. Check listings for start times, ticket prices and booking fees as they are published by Riverside Studios.
