Presented in a major new London production, Harrison David Rivers' intimate, romantic, and gripping play about a young Black writer and his white activist lover marks the UK debut of Grammy Award, Emmy, and three-time Tony Award winner Billy Porter.
Omari Douglas (Jesse Howard) and Alexander Lincoln (Neil Finley-Darden) in This Bitter Earth, Photo by Tristram Kenton.
Currently playing at Soho Theatre until 26 July, This Bitter Earth stars Omari Douglas (Cabaret, West End) as Jesse and Alexander Lincoln (In From The Side) as Neil.
Stanton Plummer-Cambridge (F**king Men, Waterloo East) and Luke Striffler (UK tours of Hairspray & Avenue Q, Eastenders) are understudies Jesse and Neil.
When Jesse and Neil meet at the Million Hoodie March in 2012, they are two men who come from different walks of life, but flash forward several weeks, and they have begun dating. But as the months pass and Neil works his way further into the world of activism, Jesse never enters it. With history unfolding around them every day, Jesse and Neill will have to face the fact that no matter their response to social turmoil, they cannot remain untouched by it.
This Bitter Earth is award-winning producer Thomas Hopkins’ first development project through his independently owned company, Thomas Hopkins Productions.
Billy Porter said: “Harrison David Rivers has written a searingly poignant and necessary play about love and loss through the lens of the fraying American Democratic experiment. Simple. Complex. Direct and filled with compassion all at once. I’m thrilled to be a part of bringing this very special piece to life.”
The production's creative team includes set and costume design by Morgan Large, original composition by Sean Green, sound design by Julian Starr, casting by Rob Kelly, production management by Toby Darvill, with Elsie O’Rourke as Company Stage Manager, Jordan Deegan-Fleet as Deputy Stage Manager.
