A festival of short plays from Peterborough’s Mask Theatre

Mask Theatre have just launched their spring play festival CUBED

This celebration of some of the most exciting new writing from around the world, kicks off on March 15 at the Key Theatre Studio and runs until March 23.

The plays will be presented in double bills, meaning you can see all six in just three nights.

The programme features: March 15th, 18th and 21st: Contractions by Mike Bartlett, a black comedy about work and play and the corporate machine; and Constellations by Nick Payne, a beautiful and heartbreaking romance in parallel universes.

March 16th, 19th and 23rd: How These Desperate Men Talk by Enda Walsh, a dissection of memories in search of truth; and Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons by Sam Steiner, a dystopian drama about what we say, how we say it and the effects of restrictions on our lives.

March 17th, 19th (matinee) and 22nd: Sitting Here by Di Fox, an intimate look at a life well lived; and How To Date A Feminist by Samantha Ellis, a hilarious take on different views of feminism.

CUBED festival first launched in March 2020, but was cut short due to the first lockdown. Mask Theatre had hoped to relaunch in 2021 but uncertainty about large gatherings caused another postponement. Finally last month it was ready to announce the festival for the spring, when news of the Key Theatre’s closure hit the headlines. Recent news of Selladoor’s takeover has been a huge relief for the team at Mask.

Marketing officer Becky Owen-Fisher says: “The news that the Key Theatre has been saved is absolutely wonderful. “The plays in CUBED festival deserve a fantastic stage and a brilliant audience and the Key Theatre studio is the perfect place to perform.

“The six plays that feature in the festival demonstrate some of the most challenging, exciting, moving and interesting new writing out there at the moment. There’s something for everyone.”

Tickets are £9 per double bill, available now via masktheatre.co.uk