THE CODE

BY MICHEAL MCKEEVER

@ THE SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE (ELEPHANT)

Directed by Christopher Renshaw, Design by Ethan Cheek, Lighting by Jack Weir, Sound Design by Yvonne Gilbert, Production Photography by Danny Kaan & Steve Gregson .

The Code is a razor-sharp Hollywood drama set in the glittering yet perilous world of 1950s Tinseltown. When the legendary Tallulah Bankhead drops in for cocktails at the home of faded screen idol Billy Haines, old secrets and new ambitions collide.

As power agent Henry Willson arrives with his picture-perfect protégé Chad Manford, the room crackles with tension, charm, and unspoken truths. In a world where identity must be edited, image is currency, and authenticity comes at a cost, The Code unravels the hidden rules of survival beneath the glamour of the Golden Age.

“Renshaw’s heady production, designed with a strong sense of period and style by Ethan Cheek, is blessed with a cracking cast” - The Stage

“Ethan Cheek’s set and costumes evoke 1950s Hollywood glamour and dapper sheen without ever lapsing into caricature. They create a world that feels glossy on the surface and rotten underneath, just as the play demands.” - Whats on stage

“Transporting a room full of expectant people back to 1950 is a hard task indeed but with the wonderful talents of set and costume designer Ethan Cheek it was accomplished with ease. The costumes added a real touch of glamour. All of the optics helped to hide the darker and grubbier side of Tinseltown.“ -Theatre and Tonic