Use Me As Your Cardigan

In February and March of 2002 Richard Armitage played Jez in a bitter sweet comedy by Samantha Ellis at Jackson's Lane in north London.

Use Me As Your Cardigan, a play about post-natal depression, was a production by Charm Offensive that was part of the 10xTen festival. It gave Richard his first leading role.

A review in Time Out said that it was "the humane, generous performances that really hook us in. Stacey (Imogen Butler-Cole) plays an ex-dancer turned morose mum, left in the hands of hard-nosed cousin Molly (Joanne Bending) and seductively free-living Jez (Richard Armitage) when doctor husband Dan (Tim Hyam) heads off on his night-shift. These actors stamp their mark so impressively, you wish they'd collaborated on the script. [...] Gavin McAlinden's production crackles in Alexia Bertsatou's convincing North London set and Ellis' promise is far from embryonic."

My radio play Love is not new in this country will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on February 4th at 9pm (not 9.30 as some listings state), and will then be on iplayer, for 30 days. It is based on a true story about a troupe of Afghan actors who put on a production of Love's Labour's Lost in Kabul in 2005, and it is about defying tyranny and coming together to stand up for art and joy. It is adapted from a book, A Night in the Emperor's Garden by Qais Akbar Omar and Stephen Landrigan, and it is directed by Jeremy Mortimer. Listen to it here....

My last play was The Only Jew in England, commissioned for East 15 Drama School. It premiered at Queens Theatre Hornchurch in 2017, directed by Matthew Lloyd.

How to Date a Feminist premiered at the Arcola Theatre in 2016, directed by Matthew Lloyd, designed by Carla Goodman and starring Tom Berish and Sarah Daykin. It is published by Nick Hern Books and you can buy the play text here.

My other plays include Operation Magic Carpet (Polka Theatre), Space Unlimited (Polka Theatre and on tour), This Time I Win (Agent 160), Starlore for Beginners and other plays (Theatre 503), The Thousand and Second Night (LAMDA), Patching Havoc (Theatre 503), A Sudden Visitation of Calamity (Menagerie Theatre), Startle Response (Young Vic workshop), Sugar and Snow (Hampstead Theatre and BBC Radio 4), Martin’s Wedding (with Blind Summit at BAC), Use Me As Your Cardigan (Jackson’s Lane), Feel the Plastic (Camden People’s Theatre) and short plays including: for The Miniaturists: Cat in a Sieve (Southwark Playhouse), Scattering (Arcola), Unfinished (Liverpool Everyman) and Postfeminism (Arcola).

Use Me As Your Cardigan

I didn't want a child. My biological clock was not ticking. I never put a cushion up my jumper. You were so into it, you even got empathy pains. Dan wanted a baby. Stacy didn't. Most accidents happen in the home. This bitter sweet comedy takes a sly look at postnatal depression. Use Me As Your Cardigan is produced as part of the 10xTen Festival.

Performers Richard Armitage, Joanna Bending, Imogen Butler-Cole, Tim Hyam.
Author Samantha Ellis. Company Charm Offensive (in association with Infinity Productions and Jacksons Lane). Director Gavin McAlinden. Design Alexia Bertsatou. Lighting Craig Bennett. Other Jim Molloy (photography).

19 Feb 02 to 9 Mar 02
Jacksons Lane
Outer London
Greater London

Performance
Venue Jacksons Lane
Town Outer London
County Greater London
From 19th February 2002
To 9th March 2002
When 20:00
Prices From £9.00. To £9.00.

Company

Company Charm Offensive (in association with Infinity Productions and Jacksons Lane)
Director Gavin McAlinden
Design Alexia Bertsatou
Lighting Craig Bennett
Other Jim Molloy (photography)
Performer Richard Armitage
Performer Joanna Bending
Performer Imogen Butler-Cole
Performer Tim Hyam