The Cord, an intensely frank and relatable insight into the challenges of being a parent and a child, no matter how old you are, opens at the Bush Theatre on 12th April. This evocative new play reunites Olivier award-winning writer and director Bijan Sheibani (One Day, Netflix, Till The Stars Come Down and Barber Shop Chronicles at the National Theatre) with many of the creative team behind his 2019 Bush Theatre hit, The Arrival. The cast includes Lucy Black as Jane, Eileen O’Higgins as Anya and Irfan Shamji as Ash, alongside music composed and played by cellist Colin Alexander. Casting is by Amy Ball CDG.
“Sometimes when I look at him, I feel like he’s me.
But if the baby is me, then who am I? You?”
The arrival of this baby has changed everything.
Ash hovers as his mother holds her grandchild for the first time, mesmerised. The bag of handmade baby clothes she’s brought lies at her feet.
After she leaves, Ash watches his wife feeding their newborn son, so close, almost intertwined. They look so complete, while Ash feels aware of a growing chasm separating him from them, and him from his own mother.
As sleepless nights, relentless crying and hushed arguments take their toll, Ash grapples with the puzzle of how to be a father, a son, a husband – mashing together pieces that don’t seem to fit. All he knows is he’s determined not to repeat the past.
A Bush Theatre production
The Cord
Written and Directed by Bijan Sheibani
Movement Direction by Aline David
Set and Costume Design by Samal Blak
Lighting Design by Oliver Fenwick
Sound Design by Gareth Fry
Composition by Colin Alexander
Casting Director – Amy Ball CDG
Costume Supervisor – Bryony Fayers
Production Manager – Patrícia Gilvaia
Company Stage Manager – Chloe Wilson
Assistant Stage Manager – Stella Wang
Cast – Lucy Black, Eileen O’Higgins, Irfan Shamji
Cellist – Colin Alexander
