The first of a trilogy of new plays being previewed at the Stables Theatre – England in the time of plague. On the death of his lover, the village fool lays her body to rest in a wood. As he digs her grave, he hopes to purge his heart and to bury his soul.

The first part of a trilogy of new plays to be tried out at the Stables across 2023 by internationally acclaimed actor – and Hastings resident –  Chris New.

Chris trained at Rada and has spent the last decade helping some of the best Directors and Writers bring their work to the stage and screen.  Now he takes the stage as his own –  and has partnered with the Stables to trial three brand new plays.

Dig charts a fool’s love in the time of plague.  Set in the rural England of 1349 the plague has begun to let rip. On the death of his lover, Stink, the village outcast and sometime fool, carries her body into the woods to lay her to rest.  As he digs her grave, he purges his heart and hopes to bury his soul.  The play is a densely layered, poetic tragedy which brings to the stage a vivid new theatrical voice.

As well as being among the first audiences to see Chris’ new works, we would like to invite all members of the Stable’s community to meet Chris and his team after each performance in the Stable’s bar to share your thoughts, feelings and reactions to these developing new plays.

About Chris New –

“The superb Chris New, one of the finest of the upcoming generation of actors’ – Evening Standard

Chris New trained at RADA, and for the last 15 years he has made the British theatre his home. He made his professional debut opposite Alan Cumming in the West End revival of Martin Sherman’s ‘Bent’ – for which he was nominated for both Evening Standard and Whatsonstage awards – and has since gone on to lead companies at the National Theatre, The RSC, Sadler’s Wells, off-Broadway – and across many of the great regional theatres of the UK – returning to the West End to play Joe Orton in the stage version of Prick Up Your Ears. He made his film debut in the breakout hit ‘Weekend’ – for which he was, again, award nominated and named a New York Times ‘Face to Watch’ – and he wrote the hit film ‘Chicken’.