New rom-com play Love Dance explores modern motherhood at Chiswick Playhouse

New play Love Dance is to premiere at Chiswick Playhouse this November.

Following their riveting and electrifying five-star play Delivery, acclaimed duo Andy Walker (The Story of Tracy Beaker) and Lesley Manning (Ghostwatch) have teamed up once more to present the new piece.

Jacoba Williams (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, The Globe) will bring to life the witty and career-driven Rose, an accomplished surgeon who is desperate to have a baby, but not a long-term relationship. Joining her on stage is Derek Murphy (Sequins, Organised Chaos; Dial M For Murder, Michael Friend Productions).

Love Dance will run at London’s Chiswick Playhouse from 10 November to 4 December 2021, having extended its run due to popular demand.

This heart-warming and uplifting romantic comedy tells of the hilariously rocky path of the two most unlikely characters as they try to find love. A reverse love story for our generation, the play explores the balance of highflying careers and motherhood goals with all the heart and humour of a rom com.

Inspired by a close friend of the creative team, this comic triumph follows accomplished surgeon Rose, who is desperate to have a baby but doesn’t want a long-term relationship. She’s carved out a successful career for herself based on innate ability and a lifetime of hard work, but now her biological clock is ticking – loudly.

Her past relationships have ranged from the forgettable to the disastrous, so she needs a man to make her pregnant then disappear from her life. Enter Adam. He’s the last person she’d ever think of having a baby with; he’s immature, disorganised and allergic to hard work. And even worse – he’s a musician. However, in exchange for a sofa to sleep on, he agrees to help her find a suitable father for her child while unaware he’s falling in love with her…

Tickets are available now via www.chiswickplayhouse.co.uk

Writer Andy Walker said: “It all started when a close friend declared she wanted the baby without the man – and I don’t think this is unusual. But a relationship is a whole other thing.

“To most people this scenario wouldn’t warrant raising an eyebrow, however to a comedy writer the idea presented itself as fertile ground for material. In planning the piece, I set myself the challenge of limiting the cast to just two characters, one location, while seeing if I could make it lively, funny
and contemporary.”

Director Lesley Manning added: “Professional women have uneasy choices when it comes to mother/job commitments. Wanting a baby doesn’t always mean a woman wants the man, the home, and the mug tree!”