A darkly humorous and powerful new play that wrestles with masculinity, mental health and addiction in the trade industry.

“This plaster will outlive me. I shape these rooms but in turn they have moulded me. Hiding secrets. Weak spots made to look strong.”

Meet Danny, plastering since he was a kid, he’s not scared of anything, he’s ‘RUM.’ Danny’s been up all night and now he’s rushing to finish a job before he has to give the speech of his life. RUM is a darkly humorous and powerful new play that wrestles with masculinity, mental health and addiction in the trade.

Written and performed by Joe Mallalieu and directed by Tess Seddon, this powerful play is returning to tour the UK in 2026 following successes at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 (winner of Broadway Baby’s Bobby Award) and a UK Tour in 2025.

Proudly partnered with ANDYSMANCLUB, a men’s suicide prevention charity who offer free to attend peer-to-peer support groups for men aged over 18 across the UK and online.

This event is part of the In the Works Festival – a vibrant celebration of bold new ideas and the very best local, regional and national artists. From theatre and music to art and spoken word, the festival offers audiences a vibrant mix of bold new writing, works‑in‑progress, experiments, and one‑off events. Explore the full In the Works Festival programme here.