WRITTEN BY JAMES LEWIS
DIRECTED BY DAVID BRADY

noun: flashbang

a grenade that produces a bright flash and a loud noise so as to stun or disorient people without causing serious injury; a stun grenade.

Ryan and his gang were going to be mates forever. 

Living their lives in the same cycle as everyone else in a town which was just like any other.

Living for the next night out. Living for the weekend.

Getting into and out of trouble. Work. Pub. Sleep. Repeat. 

Ryan and his gang have seen it all, done it all, lived it all. The nights they wished they could remember and the mornings after they’d rather forget.

Ryan and his gang were going to be mates forever. 

But then came the night when everything changed.

Proforça Theatre Company returns with the critically -acclained “Flashbang” - a loud, explosive and gut-punching rollercoaster ride through the ties that bind five best mates together and what happens to those friends when the world falls apart.

Flashbang is written by James Lewis and Directed by David Brady and brought to you by the critically-acclaimed team that brought you “At Last” [2019]. “Feel” [2018 / 19] and “Feel More” [2018 - 2020] and the Offie-Nominated “Lately” [2021]

PRAISE FOR “FLASHBANG” [2022] BY JAMES LEWIS, DIRECTED BY DAVID BRADY

NOMINATED FOR TWO OFF WEST END “OFFIE” AWARDS - PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE & SOUND DESIGN. (WWW.OFFWESTEND.COM)

★★★★★ - ““...a piece of such raw, masculine, emotional piece of theatre...Proforca delivered a fun, real love song dedicated to the modern British male & the concept of bromance..It's an absolute stunner of fringe productions in 2022 for me!"” - West End Evenings

★★★★★ - “James Lewis’s luminous script is an affable, affectionate ode to lad hood & the working class” - Lost in Theatre-land

★★★★★ - “Proforca has taken the beauty of normality and shone an unlikely spotlight on it. It is poetry, pain, pleasure & a pure joy to behold" - MyTheatreMates

★★★★ - "…truly engages the audience with good writing, and amazing acting. Proforca Theatre is able to bring a dramatic twist while fully celebrating the charm of small-town life-long friendships…” - Always Time For Theatre

★★★★ - “a play which takes one from belly laugh to sucker punch without missing a beat. It is a moving and powerful exploration of male friendship.” - The Peg Review

★★★★ - “Flashbang has the makings of a modern-day classic, as Lewis’ play balances the comedic bravado of this male “matey” dynamic with real and raw vulnerability.” - Adventures in Theatreland

★★★★ - “..full of the usual Proforca magic; wonderful writing alongside expertly delivered performances…an emotional examination of how young men deal with unexpected grief" Everything Theatre

★★★★ - "Very few theatre companies bring the real alive on stage. Proforca is one of them. They are able to dramatise ordinary life using ordinary people, creating brave, vivid theatre” - London Theatre Reviews

★★★★ - “A searing but beautifully written play about the importance of friendship that feels incredibly realistic thanks to a superb cast” - Theatre Weekly

★★★★ - "An authentic exploration of growing up as a guy in a small town with your best friends. It is truthful, visceral and packed with talent and potential.” - Longstaff Reviews

CAST:
RYAN / RYAN: NICK HARDIE
RYAN / JASON: BENJAMIN BOOTH BENNETT
RYAN / ANDY: MATT WAKE
RYAN / DEANO: FRED WARDALE

and with DAN NASH as MIKEY

FEATURING THE ADDITIONAL VOICES OF:
LAUREN FERDINAND & DAVID BRADY

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO: 
HANNAH DANIELS, AVI & THE TEAM AT THE LION & UNICORN PUB, YOUNGS PUBS, DODIE FINAMORE, THE CAST OF FLASHBANG [2022], THE CAST OF THE SHATTERBOX [2023], JOHN SLADE, SAM BAKER-JONES, LIAM KING, MAX HASTINGS, SAMUEL GOSRANI, THE L&U THEATRE OPS TEAM, GEORGIE BAILEY, LUCY BETTS & HAL DARLING, ERIN READ, HARRIET LAMBERT, KIM SCOPES, MELISSA PHILLIPS, HEATHER JEFFREY & LONDON PUB THEATRES, TERRI PADDOCK, ROB WARREN, EMMA BURNELL, EMILY KEEBLE, MATT WAKE, GEORGE EVANS,  BLAKE HEAVEN, DAVID ANGLAND, LUKE DAYHILL, MATT PENSON & WILL SHACKLETON.

PRODUCTION TEAM:
WRITTEN BY: JAMES LEWIS
DIRECTED BY: DAVID BRADY
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: DAVID BRADY
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR: LUCY GLASSBROOK
CASTING DIRECTOR [2022 CAST]: SUZY CATLIFF
CASTING ASSOCIATES 2023: GRACE GJERTSEN & OLIVIA THOMPSON
MARKETING DESIGN: THE HAUS OF LEWIS
PUBLIC RELATIONS: MATTHEW PARKER
ADDITIONAL MARKETING: MY THEATRE MATES
PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY: ROSS KERNAHAN
ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES: THEATACCOUNTS
LEGAL SERVICES: ALLETSONS SOLICITORS

For Mark. 

 “Dry your eyes mate.”
 #FlashbangPlay.