A play adaptation of the best-selling 1996 novel of the same name by well-known comedian and author Ben Elton.
Set against the glimmering backdrop of Hollywood, Popcorn follows acclaimed film director Bruce Delamitri on the night of his Oscar triumph. His celebrations are cut short when two violent intruders — fans who claim his movies inspired their crimes — invade his home.
A sharp, darkly comic thriller, Popcorn interrogates the relationship between art, celebrity, and responsibility in a culture addicted to spectacle and violence.
When Popcorn was first written, it was asking, do violent movies create a violent society? Can minds be corrupted by images and ideas presented in films? In the era of social media this has perhaps more potency: do platforms which are often unregulated, cause any damage and desensitise minds?
'Sugar-coated fury: Ben Elton's hit delivers big laughs and a brutal message" The Evening Standard
"Popcorn is a blast... A breath of fresh air " London Theatre Guide
"Ben Elton tries to tackle a massively controversial subject and succeeds in a script that makes you think incredibly hard about the morals of modern media." The Stage
"An exhilarating, exhausting and relentless comic indictment of a society out of control" The Herald
In line with our EDI policy, we undertake an EDI impact assessment of all our artistic programming. This play has no central diversity message. On the character notes, there are indications where specific playing gender identifications are called for and there are also recommendations of approximate playing ages. Otherwise there can be flexibility around casting with regard to ethnicity, age and disability.