Waiting For God. oh. is a new play, written by Léona McLoughlin, reminding us that, by loving others as well as ourselves, we can chip away at our feelings of hopelessness. And perhaps, if we work together, we can discover what matters most in a world that can feel more and more alien to us each day.
For a bit of excitement, God invites a human to spend some time with her. God can’t wait to be the centre of attention and to be bombarded by silly human questions. But, interacting with an average human isn’t quite everything God imagined. And neither is it for the human.
Léona McLoughlin is an actor and writer originally from Yorkshire but now based in South East London. She began developing her writing aged 17 at Leeds Playhouse as part of their ‘New View’s’ project in collaboration with the National Theatre. Since then, she trained at Mountview Academy Theatre Arts and is now working as a professional actor and writer. She will be making her writing debut with Waiting for God. oh. at the Old Red Lion Theatre from Thursday 8th – Saturday 10th February. Get your ticket here.
What is Waiting for God. oh. about, and where did the idea come from?
Waiting for God. oh. is about spreading love in our sometimes scary 21st century world. I’m not a religious person, but I realised that so many of us need to have faith in the people around us, or else we feel alone and isolated. After graduating drama school, I suddenly felt a bit directionless and unsure of my path. I started wondering, if there was anyone who I would like to speak to (or scream at “WHATS NEXT?”). I thought, well, if someone could speak to anyone, who could be the most interesting person to speak to…. Well, I realised, that person would be GOD. In the play, God is bubbly, funny and a little bit chaotic. She invites a human to meet her, expecting to have a great time as the centre of attention. But it doesn’t quite go the way God expects. This human is non-religious and has become pretty apathetic to the world. The pair share stories, laugh, argue and quickly discover that perhaps an omniscient being and a human aren’t quite as different as it may first seem. God realises that 2024 has many faults and offers the human one very simple solution…And to find out the solution, you’ll have to come see the show!!
What was the writing process around the show?
Any project I make usually starts in the same way – a jumbled amalgamation of scribbles on the notes app on my phone and late night voice notes of ideas right before I fall asleep. In the case of Waiting for God. oh., I wrote a mixture of short monologues and duologues but nothing was really sticking at first. I suddenly realised that the play is a call to action for the audience which gives them a space to connect with their loved ones. (Sounds strange but it will only make sense when you see it!) Yes – that was when the play really took flight. I am also very lucky to have the incredible Erica Tavares-Kouassi onboard with the project, playing God. The play is quite colloquial and in each read through, Erica gave me amazing feedback of certain lines which didn’t quite fit with her voice. This was super helpful! Similarly, our fantastic director, Nicky Allpress, has given me some great pointers and notes which has helped the play really develop over the last few weeks.
What do you hope audiences will take away from the play?
Oh my gosh what a huge question! Ummm, EVERYTHING and ANYTHING! Theatre to me is not about what we watch but what the audience takes away. But, to be a teeny bit more specific, I want the audience to simply tell their loved ones that they love them a little bit more than they did before seeing the show. For audiences to be a bit kinder when the person you love has got you slightly irritated. Or maybe just to smile at someone random in the street, who cares if they think you’re a nutter! Maybe you will have reminded them that they’re not alone.
Are you excited to perform at the Old Red Lion Theatre? And where can audiences buy tickets?
OH YES!!! Firstly, the Old Red LionTheatre is one of the most influential and highly regarded fringe theatre venue in London. It’s also been running as a pub since the 1400s, it’s awesome! And secondly, I’m even more excited as this play is featured as part of a wider new writing festival “FreshFest”. This means that all month there will be loads of amazing new shows to catch. It’s fantastic to be part of such a creative and joyous melting pot of new writing! And you can get tickets on the Old Red Lion Website. Simply click, ‘Whats On’ then go to FreshFest and scroll down to find Waiting for God. oh. Or just follow this link if it’s a bit easier: https://www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk/waiting-for-god-oh.html