New play for Manchester International Festival

Tom Basden has written new comic play based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s short story, The Crocodile.

The piece will premiere at the Manchester International Festival in July, it was announced today.

Basden – whose writing credits include BBC Two’s The Wrong Mans – said: ‘The Crocodile is a daft and deft satire on art, animals and selling out; this is a show about ridiculous people demanding to be taken seriously, and what happens when you attack the system from within (the belly of a Crocodile).’

The original 1865 story involves a man, Ivan Matveich, who is swallowed by one of the beasts, but finds in comfortable there, and resolves to carry on his work as a civil servant from inside the bellly.

Basden’s play will run from from 14 until 18 July and is being produced by The Invisible Dot, who describe it as a ‘fiercely funny play, bringing together a unique creative team in Tom Basden and [director] Ned Bennett’.

The company will also be presenting Adam Buxton and Friends at the Manchester festival, as well as a series of cabaret shows featuring the likes of James Acaster, Nick Mohammed and Liam Williams.

Published: 5 Mar 2015