The American Theatre of London has announced its debut production, Down the Road, by award-winning playwright Lee Blessing.
The production is set to open at Playhouse East, a newly established independent theatre and creative arts hub in the heart of East London. A Youngish Perspective holds this exclusive conversation with the cast Aaron Vodovoz and Annelise Bianchini.
What drew you to revive Down the Road for your inaugural production, and how do you feel its themes of media fascination with serial killers resonate with today’s true crime obsession?
We were drawn to this play by the characters and the overall themes and dilemmas that the play poses. The arch of the couple’s relationship and how they are forever changed when confronted by Bill Reach’s dark influence – or Bill’s “reach” – was fascinating and very real. Regarding how the play resonates today, we feel that time has actually worked in favor of “Down the Road” because the fascination with true crime has grown so prevalent that it’s taken for granted as part of our day-to-day lives. In the 80s and 90’s, it was still a relatively new and shocking experience to hear about a serial killer being caught or running loose, but in today’s world, we eagerly consume true crime as entertainment or even use it as a way to wind down after a hard day’s work. We are excited to bring this play back now because it feels relevant and poignant for today’s casual true crime culture.
With the rise of true crime documentaries, podcasts, and media, how does this production challenge audiences to reflect on their own consumption of stories about violent crime?
The play places the audience smack dab in the middle of the conundrum. The audience is semi-immersed in the set and embarks on the same journey as our Journalists. Throughout the play, they will be confronted by the same dilemmas as the journalists and will explore questions like who really benefits from all this attention and interest surrounding serial killers. The murderer, the production companies, the audience, or the victims? Why are we attracted to these stories? The play’s ending emphasizes what is at stake for everyone and allows the audience to consider what they think should happen next.
The relationship between journalistic integrity and sensationalism is a key theme in the play. How did you approach exploring this balance in the storytelling and performances?
The play has this question built into its foundations — I guess that’s just part of the storytelling magic the writer, Lee Blessing, has at his fingertips. Regarding performances, we hope to really bring to life the different perspectives and motivations of the three characters, the opposing opinions and beliefs that come to light, and how they crash into each other. As producers, we feel that we are already being tested; we aren’t kidding ourselves about the irony of needing to market a true crime play to the masses. However, we are counting on the brilliant themes of the play itself to balance everything out in the end. We hope audiences will be encouraged to contemplate what brought them to watch the play in the first place.
You’ve partnered with CrimeCon UK and are hosting post-show Q&A sessions with crime experts. How do you hope these discussions will deepen the audience’s experience of the show?
We are so excited and humbled that CrimeCon UK was willing to partner with us on this production. We share the same outlook regarding responsibly and ethically promoting true crime that combines education, advocacy, and discovery. Our hopes and intentions for the audience are to allow them to reflect on their own motivations and participation within the true crime space and offer insights on why we as a society are so interested in true crime. In the Q&A sessions, we will discuss how the media affects our perception of these kinds of stories, where our concentration is directed, what effect this has on us, and who benefits or is hurt by it. We hope these conversations expand the awareness of our audiences. We will also be fundraising for a domestic abuse charity.
The characters of Iris and Dan find themselves drawn into Bill Reach’s chilling influence. What challenges did the cast face in portraying the psychological tension and emotional complexity of these roles?
Well, we haven’t started rehearsing yet – 2 more weeks to go! Yikes! So we’ll be able to share more once we’re on the other side of the rehearsal process. But we imagine the intense nature of the subject matter will affect us as we rehearse. Bill Reach has a handful of graphic monologues, and it will definitely be a challenge to reenact these during rehearsals and the run of the play. Regarding the emotional complexity, events in the play tear the characters from both sides, and we can’t wait to share those emotionally charged moments.
As a company focused on American theatre, how do you see Down the Road fitting into the broader narrative of American storytelling, and why is it important to bring these stories to UK audiences
We aspire to bring new and established writing to UK audiences that emphasizes the American storytelling style. We love finding American gems, like Down the Road, that are somewhat off the beaten path and may not have been produced in the UK before. We are looking for relevant pieces of writing that reveal and highlight specific aspects of American life that are not limited to hot-topic themes and issues. With a team of at least 50% American creatives working on a play, we can ensure that we can bring a personal connection and insider perspective to each production.
Aaron Vodovoz | Producer and Actor
Since graduating from LAMDA in 2014, Aaron has worked in Film, TV, Theatre and Games, including Killing Eve, Messiah, A Spy Among Friends, The King’s Man, Tetris and more recently the part of Jesus in a new film adaptation of Master and Margarita opposite Claes Bang as Pontius Pilate, as well as a Russian Jewish immigrant in Michael Winterbottom’s latest movie Shoshana and Lancelot Gobbo at the Shakespeare’s Globe Merchant of Venice. As a producer, in 2017 Aaron produced Lonely Planet at the Tabard theatre, which received critical acclaim and Arts Council funding, and the following year transferred to the Trafalgar Studios 2, on the West End. Aaron speaks four languages – Dutch, Russian, Hebrew and English. Together with Annelise Bianchini, Aaron set up the American Theatre of London.
Annelise Bianchini | Producer and Actor
Annelise is an American-Italian actress who has acted in TV, films, commercials, and theatre all over the US and Europe. She has been writing, collaborating, and creating productions from NYC fringe festival shows to low-budget, experimental films, winning Best Picture for her short film Burn Pile, which she co-wrote, acted in, and produced at the James Franco Film Festival. Annelise plays the title character in Pictures of Dolores, soon to be on the festival circuit. In addition to her career in acting, she holds an Intermediate certificate in wine from WSET and enjoys putting it to good use by hosting dinner parties. She graduated from AADA NYC, Goddard, and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
The show runs from 4th to 29th March 2025, with press night scheduled for 6th March at 7.30pm.