Ian Hallard’s new comedy Horse-Play to premiere at Riverside Studios

Ian Hallard’s new comedy Horse-Play is to premiere at London’s Riverside Studios later this year.

From Jack Maple Productions, the piece will run from 30 August to 24 September 2022.

The premiere production will be directed by Andrew Beckett, with set and costume Design by David Shields, and Pearson Casting as casting director.

The cast will feature David Ames (Holby City, Steve) as Butterfly/Tim, Matt Lapinskas (EastEnders, Hollyoaks) as Villainor/Karl, Jake Maskall (EastEnders, The Royals) as Stallion/Tom, Nick Sampson (The Book of Dust, Anthony And Cleopatra) as Mr Overton/Murray and Stephanie Siadatan (The School for Good and Evil, High School Musical) as Danielle/Ingrida.

After ten years of married life, Tom and Tim decide to spice up their sex life by booking an evening in a dungeon with a gorgeous male escort.

Meanwhile, crime-busting superhero, the Stallion, and his intrepid side-kick, Butterfly, have been lured to the secret lair of their arch-nemesis: the dastardly Villainor.

But what connects these two seemingly random events?

One thing’s for sure: a bump on the head and a faulty door lock result in a night none of them will ever forget – for all the wrong reasons!

Ian Hallard said: “I wrote the first draft of ‘Horse-Play’ in less than a week during that strange, hot Spring/Summer of 2020. Why it occurred to me, in the middle of the very first lockdown, to write a play about a middle-aged gay couple trapped in a room together with no possible means of escape is a mystery, but there you go! Who knows where our creative ideas truly spring from?

“The two central characters in the play may be a gay couple, but their relationship, and the ups and downs they encounter when they are faced with adversity, are universal.

“I wanted to avoid the stereotype that sees anyone over the age of thirty-five who has a less than conventional side to their sexuality depicted as sleazy, unpleasant or often downright villainous. The characters in ‘Horse-Play’ certainly have their kinks, but they’re also loving, lovable and – on the whole – pretty well-adjusted.

“More than anything, ‘Horse-Play’ is fun and it’s silly. If you’ve ever been tempted to spend the evening in a sex dungeon surrounded by handcuffs, bananas, spandex bodysuits, and a big tub of gunge, it may well be just the thing for you…

“As it says on the poster: They’re about to have the ride of their lives. I really hope our audiences will too.”

For more information and tickets, visit riversidestudios.co.uk