Charlotte Beaumont and NicK King who will perform Olivier award-nominated playwright Ella Road’s new play Fair Play at London’s Bush Theatre from 3 December (press night 8 December) have been training at the world-famous Crystal Palace Stadium and gaining knowledge about the world of women’s athletics.
Charlotte and NicK hit the track under the supervision of Ella’s real-life running coach Jerry Odlin from London Heathside Athletics Club and were put through their paces covering effective training, perfecting performance, and developing a winning mentality.
A gripping and timely exploration of the underside of women’s athletics, Fair Play will be directed by Monique Touko.
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When Ann joins Sophie’s running club she’s thrown into a world of regimented training and pure focus. The two girls couldn’t be more different, but soon their shared passion makes them inseparable – dreaming in lanes and lap-times, waking up picturing Olympic medals, each day stronger and faster…
But set head-to-head in the run-up to the World Championships, they find themselves and their friendship put to the ultimate test. As their relationships, their bodies, and their very identities are pulled into public scrutiny, does being exceptional come at too high a price?
Ella Road said, ‘As a competitive runner for many years, I am delighted that the cast were able to spend time with Jerry in order to bring more authenticity to the performance. ‘Fair Play’ uses women’s athletics as a prism through which to explore issues around gender, politics, and power that exist in wider society. It feels particularly timely as the International Olympic Committee has just released their new guidelines on fairness, inclusion, and non-discrimination in sport.’
Charlotte Beaumont’s theatre credits include The Lovely Bones (Birmingham Repertory Theatre & UK tour), The Importance of Being Earnest (The Watermill), Romeo & Juliet (The Globe), No One Will Tell Me How To Start A Revolution (Hampstead Theatre), Jumpy (Theatre Clwyd), Three Winters (National Theatre, Lyttleton), Playhouse Creatures (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Flooded Grave and 2,000 Feet Away (Bush Theatre). On television she has appeared in Broadchurch (ITV), Waterloo Road (BBC), Death In Paradise (BBC), Coming Up: Sink or Swim (Channel 4), Zapped (Baby Cow), and Skins (E4). Charlotte’s film appearances include The Windmill Massacre (Pellicola), Butterfly Kisses (Blue Shadow Films), Balcony (Clipside Films), Skip Girl (Mara Adina), Jupiter Ascending (Warner Bros), Tommy (Left Bank Pictures), and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (Aegis Film Fund).
With roots in Broadway, network television, and both voice and commercial acting, NicK King’s previous stage credits include the 30th anniversary USA tour of Annie, The Lion King (Broadway), and The Nutcracker (The Washington Ballet). NicK has appeared on television in Law & Order and Village People and in the short films Dead Air and FINE as well as regional and national US commercials. NicK is no newcomer to storytelling from the heart, having written their own stories in the forms of a published book of poetry and prose, songs, series, and stage plays. With new opportunities emerging for intersex, trans/nonbinary, and queer actors every day, NicK is eager to contribute to creating and telling stories that explore all sides of them and their surrounding communities.
Tickets for Fair Play are priced from £20 (concessions available) and can be booked at bushtheatre.co.uk or at the Box Office on 020 8743 5050
