Of Mice and Men is a play written by John Steinbeck and directed by Iqbal Khan.
The show is set in America during the Great Depression and is about two migrant workers, George and Lennie, who get a job on a ranch.
The show running times are approximately:
Act 1 - 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Interval - 20 Minutes
Act 2 - 55 Minutes
The show is recommended for people aged 13+. For more information on the content guidance click here.
Our new front door is located on Centenary Square, shown here:
Our Box Office (left) and Foyer (right) are shown here:
A Chill Out Space is available during the Relaxed Performance in Suite One on the first floor. It has sensory lights and toys. A Quiet Room is available during all performances on the second floor. Please ask a member of staff if you would like to use these spaces.
Lee Ravitz plays Candy
Reece Pantry plays Crooks
Edward Judge plays Carlson
James Clyde plays The Boss
Candy's Dog was designed and made by Michael Crouch
The following graphics tell the sonic story of the show.
They highlight the key sounds that occur throughout the performance.
If you are attending any of the relaxed performances the show has been tailored to a 'relaxed' atmosphere. This means there will be:
No bright flashes of light
Reduced sound levels
No light shone into the audience
Relaxed performances are on the following dates: Sat 25 Mar, 2.30pm, Thu 30 Mar, 7.30pm & Thu 6 Apr, 7.30pm
The show begins with a movement sequence representing how George and Lennie had to leave Weed in California because Lennie startled a woman by holding onto her red dress.
Lennie only held onto the dress because he loves touching soft things. Lennie loves stroking rabbits and mice and this is referenced throughout the story.
George and Lennie arrive in a new area of California where they will work on a ranch. They decide to stay an extra night just outside the ranch before starting work the next day. They discuss their dream of owning their own ranch with each other.
At one point George gets annoyed with Lennie and shouts at him.
George tells Lennie is there is any trouble on the ranch to find this place and hide.
George and Lennie are welcomed into the ranch by Candy who tells them about the other members of the ranch.
The are introduced to The Boss who owns the ranch and Curley, The Boss's son. The Boss and Curley are confrontational, they are both intimidated by Lennie's size.
They also meet Candy's Dog, who is very old and frail.
Various people who work and live on the ranch speak to George and Lennie, including Curley's Wife, Carlson, and Slim.
They find out different things about the people working and living on the ranch and their dreams.
Carlson dislikes Candy's dog, he says it's old and that it smells. He tells Candy that it should put it down, and volunteers to shoot it himself.
Candy is very upset, Carlson takes the dog away.
The men wonder what is taking so long before they eventually hear a gunshot.
Slim tells Lennie that he can go to the barn to pet the puppies that have just been born.
Whilst Lennie is gone, George plays cards with Whit. Whit tells George about the local brothels.
When Lennie comes back, he asks George to tell him about their dream to own land again. Candy overhears them and tells them that he would contribute.
Curley's Wife also overhears and George shouts at her.
Curley comes in and can tell that his wife has been in the barn. He starts shouting at Lennie and punching him.
George tells Lennie to retaliate and Lennie grabs Curley's hand and crushes it.
Slim tells Curley to pretend that his hand was crushed in a machine.
There will now be a 20 minute interval.
You can:
Leave your seats to use the bathroom
Buy some refreshments from the café bar
Use our breakout room
Stay in your seats if you prefer
Lennie visits Crooks in his separate bunk. Crooks tells Lennie about his experiences being the only Black man on the ranch.
Candy, Curley's Wife, and George also enter and talk about their feelings of exclusion.
The next scene shows Lennie in the barn. He has accidentally killed one of the puppies and is concerned about what George will say about it.
Lennie is interrupted by Curley's Wife who is sneaking out with a suitcase. She confides in him about her past and her dreams to leave Curley.
He tells her about how he likes to touch soft things and she invites him to touch her hair.
Lennie starts to grab Curley's Wife's hair and Curley's Wife gets uncomfortable and asks him to stop. Instead he grabs her hair harder and she starts screaming. He panics and accidentally suffocates her when trying to stop her screaming.
Lennie runs away to the hiding place where he and George stayed the night before they started work at the ranch.
Candy finds Curley's Wife's body and calls George over.
George asks Candy to pretend that George has been in the bunk beds the whole time so that the others don't accuse him of being involved.
The rest of the ranch find the body and set out to shoot Lennie.
George sends them in a different direction so that he can be with Lennie alone.
George gets Lennie to visualise the ranch that they always dreamed of owning together.
George gets upset because he understands to protect Lennie from the other men he must shoot him.
The play ends with George shooting Lennie from behind.