World Premiere of Cul-de-Sac by David Shopland to Debut at Omnibus Theatre

Off West EndPlays

7 Mar

The world premiere of Cul-de-Sac, a new play by acclaimed playwright David Shopland, has been announced. The production will run from Sunday 27 May to Saturday 14 June 2025 at Omnibus Theatre in Clapham, with a press night on Thursday 29 May at 7:30pm.

Presented by Fake Escape, the company behind the sell-out Off-Broadway hit Saving Britney, Cul-de-Sac promises to deliver a sharply written and thought-provoking exploration of suburban millennial life.

A Sharp-Witted Look at Millennial Life

Described as a "witty and wine-soaked post-mortem dissection of contemporary Britain", Cul-de-Sac peels back the layers of middle-class civility, exposing the quiet desperation of suburban life. The play delves into issues of cultural identity, career struggles, relationships, and the ever-rising cost of living in modern Britain.

Set in Northwood Hills, Zone 6 London, often referred to as The Middle of Nowhere, the story follows four characters navigating midlife crises, personal conflicts, and hidden secrets:

Ruth is questioning every decision she has ever made.
Simon struggles to define his own personality.
Marie is hiding a secret that could change everything.
Frank simply wants his driveway back.

What begins as a seemingly quiet evening spirals into chaos, with polite smiles giving way to cutting truths and sharp words, all fuelled by plenty of wine and unexpected revelations. The arrival of an unexpected guest pushes the night to its breaking point.

A Playwright Known for Pushing Boundaries

David Shopland is a WhatsOnStage and multi OffWestEnd Award-nominated writer, known for acclaimed productions such as:

Saving Britney (The Other Palace/UK Tour, 2022),
Raising Kane (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Assembly Venues, 2023),
Lessons Learned (National Theatre of China, 2017).

On Cul-de-Sac, Shopland comments:

“Millennials often feel trapped between worlds. We grew with technology, we weren’t born into the technological age. We straddle the past and the future in a way unique perhaps to any other generation given the acceleration of, well, everything. Because of this, many of us feel lost – trapped in lives we weren’t meant for, and only realising too late. I wanted to capture a night in the lives of these people, looking through the window with both humour and objectivity.”