The World Premiere of a Marlowe Theatre Production – The Party Girls
Tue 13 May 2025This is the first touring production to be produced by the Kent theatre. Opening at the Marlowe Theatre in the first week of September (Monday 1 – Saturday 6 September), the production then tours to the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Malvern Festival Theatre, Eastbourne Devonshire Park Theatre, Oxford Playhouse and Birmingham Rep. The cast of The Party Girls is to be announced.
- Monday 1 – Saturday 6 September – Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
- Tuesday 9 – Saturday 13 September – Belgrade Theatre
- Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 September – Malvern Festival Theatre
- Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27 September – Eastbourne Devonshire Park Theatre
- Tuesday 30 September – Saturday 4 October – Oxford Playhouse
- Monday 6 – Saturday 11 October – Birmingham Rep
Marlowe Theatre Chief Executive Deborah Shaw said: “When we first read The Party Girls by Amy Rosenthal we knew we had a majorly important, prescient play on our hands and I couldn’t be more delighted to launch Marlowe Theatre Productions with this world premiere. It showcases our commitment to creating world-class theatre in Kent – establishing a new producing base, working with top creatives and fulfilling the potential of this wonderful theatre and its staff team.
“Amy’s play captures the wit of Nancy Mitford’s novels and tells a cracking love story across continents, to a backdrop of the rise of extremism and dangerous populist leaders, intent on remaking the world order. The Party Girls, with its great shifts of history seen through a female lens could not be more resonant for our times.”
Writer Amy Rosenthal said: “When I started researching this play I knew little about the Mitford sisters beyond their notorious affiliations. It began as an enquiry into how a family of aristocratic young women became so violently politicised and polarised, and it turned into a passion project. It’s taken a while for the play to find its rightful production, but in that time its themes have grown increasingly resonant, as the forces of Fascism rise up across the world and Antisemitism proves once again that it was only sleeping. The play also sets out to explore family, identity and love, with humour and ultimately with hope. I’m thrilled beyond words to be collaborating on it with Richard and our fantastic team, to bring our Party Girls to fittingly riotous life.”
Director Richard Beecham said: “I’m thrilled to be directing the world premiere of Amy Rosenthal’s The Party Girls. Amy’s brilliant portrayal of the notorious Mitford sisters explores the present through the past, uncovers the political in the personal, and finds considerable humour amongst all the horror and heartache. And she does it all with the lightest of touches. I’m excited to bring this beautifully written play to life alongside my creative collaborators Simon Kenny (set and costumes), Aideen Malone (lighting) and Adrienne Quartly (sound and composition). And it’s an honour to be the first touring production to be made by the Marlowe Theatre under Deborah Shaw’s bold and pioneering leadership.”
The glamorous Mitford girls cut a glorious swathe through pre-war high society, amidst the glittering world of debutantes and dukes so perfectly evoked in Nancy Mitford’s novels (The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate). But as Fascism rises and political storm clouds crackle over carefree country houses, the bonds of sisterhood are threatened by new and treacherous desires.
Amy Rosenthal’s compelling, touching and witty new play explores the true story of a family riven by political extremism, seen through the eyes of Jessica (Decca) Mitford as she battles to stay true to her beliefs, whilst moving further and further from the values of her once-beloved sisters. Nancy aspires to be a celebrated novelist, Diana and Unity fall for the dangerous, charismatic leaders of the Far Right in Britain and Germany, and Debo sets her cap at a Duke. Meanwhile Decca crosses continents in her own passionate pursuit of love – but can she ever escape her sisters and her past?
The production is directed by Richard Beecham, designed by Simon Kenny with lighting design by Aideen Malone. The composer and sound designer is Adrienne Quartly. The casting director is Annelie Powell CDG.
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