No longer booking
  • Venue Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 11 October 2025
  • Running time 1 hour 30 minutes (no interval)
  • Age guidelines 14+

Book tickets to The Code at Southwark Playhouse Elephant – a razor-sharp new play starring Tracie Bennett and John Partridge, laying bare the secrets of 1950s Hollywood.

Step into the glittering yet brutal world of 1950s Hollywood in The Code, a gripping new drama by acclaimed playwright Michael McKeever, playing a strictly limited season at Southwark Playhouse Elephant.

Directed by Tony Award nominee Christopher Renshaw (The King and I, We Will Rock You), this electric four-hander features a stellar cast led by Olivier Award-winning actress Tracie Bennett (Hairspray, Follies, Here We Are) and stage and screen favourite John Partridge (EastEnders, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie).

What is The Code about?

Set in the shadowy glamour of Hollywood, 1950, The Code brings together a fading star, a rising talent, a power-hungry agent, and a legend who’s seen it all. When iconic screen siren Tallulah Bankhead stops by the home of her longtime friend, former matinee idol Billy Haines, tensions rise as secrets unfold over martinis and memories.

Joining them are slick talent agent Henry Willson and his impeccably styled new discovery Chad Manford – a man whose beauty may be his greatest asset, or his most dangerous liability.

In a town where image is everything and identity must be carefully curated to survive, can any of them afford to break “the code” – the unspoken rules that governed closeted lives in a deeply homophobic industry?

Who stars in The Code?

  • Tracie Bennett as Tallulah Bankhead
  • John Partridge as Billy Haines
  • Solomon Davy (Grease, Hairspray) as Chad Manford
  • Nick Blakeley (Underdog: The Other Brontë, Father Brown) as Henry Willson

Why see The Code?

A witty, biting, and emotionally resonant new play, The Code draws on real historical figures to explore themes of identity, ambition, loyalty, and survival in the golden age of American cinema. With powerhouse performances and a richly atmospheric design, it’s a must-see for fans of classic Hollywood, queer history, and gripping new theatre.

Don’t miss this UK premiere in the intimate setting of Southwark Playhouse Elephant – early booking is advised.

Hollywood, 1950. A fading star. A rising one. An agent with an agenda. And a legend who’s seen it all.

Tallulah Bankhead – magnetic, mercurial, and unapologetically sharp-tongued – stops in for a cocktail at the home of former screen idol turned interior designer Billy Haines, who may – or may not – be planning to disappear from the town he once ruled.

Enter power agent Henry Willson and his all-too-perfect protégé Chad Manford, setting the room alight. In a world where image is everything, and identity must be carefully edited to survive, can any of them break “the code” without losing everything?

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Performance Information

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Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of The Code?

  • Tracie Bennett as Tallulah Bankhead
  • John Partridge as Billy Haines
  • Solomon Davy as Chad Manford
  • Nick Blakeley as Henry Willson

Who are the creative team of The Code?

  • Written by Michael McKeever
  • Directed by Christopher Renshaw
  • Set and costume design by Ethan Cheek
  • Lighting design by Jack Weir
  • Casting by Nicholas Hockaday
  • Produced by Jim Kierstead, Merrie L. Davis, Jim Head, Elisabeth Rock, Jim Karp/James Manuel Meneses, Vasi Laurence/Adina Schecter and Ted Snowdon

Important Notes

Content Warnings: Strong language

Venue Information

Southwark Playhouse Elephant , Dante Place, 80 Newington Butts, London, SE11 4FL

Nearest Tube or Train: Elephant & Castle

Nearest Buses: 196, 133, 155, 333, 415

Directions

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Critics' reviews of The Code

★★★★★ "A dazzling, unsettling triumph" - What's On Stage

★★★★ “Entertaining exposé of the real price of fame” - The Stage

Frequently Asked Questions

The Code is playing at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant in London
The running time of The Code is 1 hour 30 minutes (no interval)
The age recommendations for The Code are: 14+
Yes, The Code has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday
No, sorry, The Code has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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