Following his acclaimed performance in A Christmas Carol, Rhys Ifans is to star in the World Premiere of Joe Penhall’s play Mood Music at The Old Vic in May 2018.
‘Music is medication. The elixir of life. It’s for injecting into the blood stream to take away the pain…to promote euphoria…to adrenalise us and give us courage and fortitude.’
In an expensive London recording studio, a young songwriter, her producer, their lawyers and psychotherapists go to battle over who owns a hit song.
‘I’m not saying he’s a sociopath. I’m just saying you find a lot of damaged people are drawn to the music industry. Lack of empathy, raging narcissism, grandiose egocentricity is expected of them.’
A sly, wry exploration of the dark side of the music industry by the writer of Sunny Afternoon and Blue/Orange, the world premiere of Mood Music by Joe Penhall, is directed by Roger Michell.
Mood Music plays over The Old Vic’s 200th birthday on 11 May 2018 and is the fourth production in The Old Vic’s bicentenary season.
