No longer booking
  • Venue Donmar Warehouse, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 12 April 2025
  • Running time 2 hours and 30 minutes (including interval)

The Donmar Warehouse presents the world premiere of Backstroke from Anna Mackmin.

Celia Imrie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Tamsin Greig (Episodes, Green Wing) play mother and daughter in this kaleidoscopic and compassionate new play, written and directed by award-winner Anna Mackmin.

Backstroke runs from 14 February to 12 April 2025 at the Donmar Warehouse London.

“Just let go. Let your body float. You’ll still be here but it’ll feel like flying in a dream.”

Bo is busy – balancing the pressures of work and the needs of her struggling daughter. When her mother, the irrepressible force-of-nature Beth, is admitted to hospital following a stroke, the practical realities of the present collide with the complexities of their past.

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of Backstroke?

Celia Imrie as Beth, Tamsin Greig as Bo, Lucy Briers as Carol, Anita Reynolds as Jill, and Georgina Rich as Paulina.

Who are the creative team of Backstroke?

Written and directed by Anna Mackmin

Design by Lez Brotherston; Lighting design by Paule Constable; Sound Design by Christopher Shutt; Video Design by Gino Ricardo Green; Choreographer Scarlett Mackmin; Casting Director Anna Cooper CDG; and Associate Director Fiona Dunn

Important Notes

Content notes: This production contains the smoking of herbal cigarettes. The show contains scenes that some people may find difficult to watch

Access performances: Captioned: Monday 31 March at 7.30pm; Audio described: Saturday 5 April at 2.30pm

Venue Information

Donmar Warehouse , 41 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LX

Nearest Tube or Train: Leicester Square, Covent Garden

Nearest Buses: 14, 19, 24, 29, 38, 176, N5, N19, N20, N29, N38, N41, N279

Directions

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Critics' reviews of Backstroke

★★★★ "Celia Imrie is mesmerising... Tamsin Greig also delivers a wonderful performance" - The Times

● "In between the duo’s crackling chemistry, Anna Mackmin’s new play captures the universal pain of missing someone before they’re gone" - The independent

● "Gripping" - London Theatre

● "Exquisitely performed by Tamsin Greig and Celia Imrie" - The Stage

Frequently Asked Questions

Backstroke is playing at the Donmar Warehouse in London
The running time of Backstroke is 2 hours and 30 minutes (including interval)
Yes, Backstroke has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday
No, sorry, Backstroke has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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