This week, Red Cape Theatre are bringing a show to Greenwich Theatre that you may be interested to do and see. The Luminous is a play about three women, a book, and one unforgettable night. I spoke to Cassie Friend, Rebecca Loukes, and Catherine Dyson to find out all about it.

Hello how are you, tell us about yourself? 

We’re great thanks and really excited to be on the road with The Luminous! 

RedCape is run by Artistic Directors Cassie Friend and Rebecca Loukes and is company-in-residence at South Street Arts Centre, Reading. Catherine Dyson is an Associate Artist.  Drawn to stories of ordinary people in extraordinary situations, our work is highly visual and physical and uses new writing. Previous shows include award-winning The Idiot Colony, 1 Beach Road, Be Brave and Leave for the Unknown and Thunder Road and On Track.

Tell us all about The Luminous

The Luminous is a play about three women, a book, and one unforgettable night. Mighty, Mags and Alice, who all work in different departments of the same hospital, are meeting up for a monthly book club. The book they’re discussing is called ‘Luminous’, and it’s a bit of a trashy, lurid story set in Victorian London around the time of the match women’s strike of 1888, and when Jack the Ripper was terrorising the East End.

The three women are waiting for a fourth member to turn up, and over the course of the evening they drink a lot of wine and disagree quite forcefully about the book. As the story progresses, elements of the book tap into different memories for the women, and the worlds begin to blur. The play combines RedCape Theatre’s unique blend of physical theatre, dark comedy and gripping storytelling. 

What can you tell us about your show this week?

We will be at Greenwich Theatre on Friday 1^st November at 7.30pm

What is the most challenging thing about doing the show?

The story is set in multiple time periods and locations and it’s just the three of us on stage, so there’s a lot of switching between characters and worlds. But they’re all connected by multiple threads so we’ve developed a sense of the rhythm and shape of the piece. It’s almost like performing a piece of music.

What have been some of the best highlights since doing the show?

This show has been percolating for a long time and has been years in the planning. So we’re just over the moon to be on stage sharing it with audiences.

What is the best reaction you have had from an audience member?

‘We were all enthralled, intrigued, amused, moved and given so much food for thought by the play, its inventive staging and time frames, and the fabulous performances of course.’

If people want to follow you on social media where can they find you?

Instagram: @redcapetheatre

X: @RedCapeTheatre

Facebook: RedCape Theatre

Finally in three words why should people come to your show?

It’s bold, bloody and boozy!