Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to see Milly Thomas’ critically acclaimed one woman play Dust at the Soho Theatre. Recently, a transfer was announced and Dust will play the Trafalgar Studios 2 from the 4th September to 13th October. Only just under a month to go until the first performance and I was lucky enough to grab a few moments of director Sara Joyce’s time to find out about the collaborative process and more. You can read my initial 5 star review of Dust here and you can buy your tickets to the run at the Trafalgar Studios at https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/dust/trafalgar-studios/

HS: What can you tell us about Dust and what can audiences expect from the play?
SJ: Dust is about a woman, Alice, who we meet in the aftermath of her suicide. She journeys through a sort of limbo, watching her family and friends as they deal with her death. It sounds macabre but it’s also very funny. While there’s deep truth in the realisation of Alice’s mental-ill health, it’s still very much a story made to be seen and experienced.
HS: How did you come to direct the production?
SJ: I met Milly when I helped out at an audition for a show she was in and she wrote to me around Christmas time 2016 telling me about the idea and asking if we could meet. We were laughing about really dark stuff really quickly, so I think we felt good about working together.
HS: How collaborative was writer/actress Milly Thomas in putting together the production?
SJ: We spoke about everything together. Milly always trusted me to make decisions, but we helped each other figure things out. And that goes for the wider team – Anna, Max, Jack, Holly, Hannah – there is something of all of us in the show.
HS: The show has had many incarnations including a run at the Soho Theatre. How has the show developed since the first time the show performed?
SJ: It’s gotten longer! At Soho we were so happy to be able to add in moments we’d lost. We could also refine things. But it’s ever changing. Milly’s character is in dialogue with the audience so each night she is performing with a new scene partner. I’ve seen shows where the audience have been silent and others where they haven’t stopped laughing. It still fascinates me how different the reactions can be show to show.

Huge thanks to Sara for taking the time to answer my questions. Be sure to grab a ticket to Dust while you can!

Until next time,