News Story
Eclipse opens our Festival season of five brand-new plays in the Minerva Theatre. It's the first stage play from John Morton, known for his BBC mockumentaries, Twenty Twenty Six, W1A, Twenty Twelve and People Like Us. Read more from John about the play in this news story.
Take a look at the production photos, read the glowing reviews and hear from Sarah Parish and Rupert Penry-Jones, who lead the company in this moving yet witty new play. Eclipse must end on Saturday 6 June with limited tickets remaining; book now to avoid disappointment.
Touching, truthful writing. Full of warm humour.
The Stage
Deeply real and moving. Beautifully understated.
Theatre and Tonic
Powerful, moving and surprisingly funny. A piece of art that will stay with you for a long time.
InCommon
Crisply funny, mountingly tender. Perfectly pitched.
The Times
Completely perfect.
West End Best Friend
A quiet triumph. Precise and devastating.
Financial Times
A finely crafted family drama.
Guardian
Speaking to Sussex Newspapers, Sarah Parish reflects on the play's themes and why the Minerva is the ideal space:
I think it's a play about grief and it's about what grief brings out in the people that survive. It is about what we think about death, the fact that we can be really fearful of death but in fact it can be quite freeing and euphoric.
Sarah Parish
I do really love small intimate theatres, and the Minerva is very definitely the right place to put this play on. You could probably do it on a bigger stage but I think this will be the perfect intimate experience.
Sarah Parish
A perfect match for the intimacy of Chichester’s Minerva theatre.
WhatsOnStage
The Minerva’s intimate space is perfect for the emotional depth of this wonderfully realistic drama.
Theatre South East
In an interview in The Independent, Sarah shares more about John Morton's sharply observed writing:
He doesn't write jokes... He just writes characters that are real and recognisable in a way that becomes very humorous.
Sarah Parish
Rupert Penry-Jones reflects on the familiar form of comedy in the play in his interview in Metro:
You find yourself laughing and then suddenly realising that one of the most important people in your life is dying in the next room.
Rupert Penry-Jones
It's about the relationships between these people and the people around them.
Rupert Penry-Jones
The audience is left on a surprisingly uplifting note, with a feeling of having shared a moment both intimate and poignant.
The Stage
Eclipse runs in the Minerva Theatre until 6 June. Visit the show page for the full set of production photos, and check back for returns from 1pm on sold-out performance dates.
