DELAY

A play by Timothy X Atack directed by Tanuja Amarasuriya

Lin, an astronaut, speeds towards a distant planet on a pioneering mission to create a new home for humankind. His only human contact is an exchange of voice messages with his lover, Silas, back on Earth.

But thanks to the laws of relativity, Silas is ageing so much faster than Lin. Days for the astronaut will be decades for the lover left behind. Disasters befall the spacecraft; planet Earth falls apart; Silas and Lin’s love is tested to the limit.

A suspenseful, heart-wrenching yet hopeful drama about saying what you mean, and saying goodbye.

"Love is stitched into every moment in this beautiful work."
Audience response

"A subtly profound exploration into grief, hope and heartbreak"
All That Dazzles

Cast & Credits

LIN Jyuddah Jaymes
voice of SILAS Alex Lawther
voice of AUTO Vera Chok

Written by Timothy X Atack Directed by Tanuja Amarasuriya Set & Costume Design by Bronia Housman Movement Direction by Laïla Diallo Lighting Design by Alex Fernandes Composition & Sound Design by Timothy X Atack Casting Director Amy Ball Voice Consultant Carol Fairlamb Research & Evaluation Consultant Dr Hassan Hussain Producer Amanda Fawcett Production Manager Jo Woodcock Stage Manager Kay Hudson Costume Supervisor Rhi Good Assistant Director Lau Batty Assistant Producer Bilquees Khalid Image Design by Malcolm Reid Image & Production Photography by Paul Blakemore

Produced by Amanda Fawcett in a co-production with Bristol Old Vic. Supported by Arts Council England. DELAY premiered at Bristol Old Vic in June 2025

The playtext is available to buy, published by Nick Hern Books.

"one of the finest new plays to grace Bristol in years... a marvel of theatrical alchemy — intimate yet vast, tender yet epic. It transcends its modest scale with vivid theatricality and grand ideas, wrapping itself around a love story that defies the constraints of time and distance. A play that feels as infinite as the stars, and as fragile as a whispered word."
Kris Hallett, Life As Theatre

"This show is so stunning, moving human, gorgeous."
Audience response

"Heart broken open and made new. A proper meditation on love - and so much more. Thank you for reminding me how utterly transformational art can be."
Audience response

and more gorgeous audience vox pops here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLp1QVfyLfh/

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