''All New People'' is a 2011 play by

Zach Braff Zachary Israel Braff'Scrubs' Star Zach Braff Wows ...

set on Long Beach Island and centers on Charlie, a 35-year-old from Braff's home state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

. The play Premiered at Second Stage Theatre and subsequently moved to tour the UK, playing in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

and finally in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, in early 2012.

Plot

The play is set in a trendy beach house, and begins with a

suicide attempt A suicide attempt is an attempt to die by suicide that results in survival. It may be referred to as a "failed" or "unsuccessful" suicide attempt, though these terms are discouraged by mental health professionals for implying that a suicide resu ...

by Charlie. Emma, an expat

Briton British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mod ...

, comes in and saves him. She is there to show the property to prospective tenants. Emma infers that her fortuitous arrival was divine intervention, and sets about trying to help Charlie. She calls in Myron, a

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

fire-fighter (and drug dealer) to help. Finally, Kim, an escort girl provided by one of Charlie's friends, arrives. Charlie announces that he has killed six people, as an explanation for why he was trying to kill himself. As the play progresses, the reasons of how each of the other people came to be there are revealed. In the initial run, this was achieved with a series of projected filmed interludes. Charlie finally reveals how his trauma came about through seeing a pair of ants fighting over a crumb.

Cast

Productions

The initial run was performed at the Second Stage Theatre and directed by Peter DuBois. The first stage of the UK tour was in Manchester at the

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...

between 8–11 February. The play was then taken to Glasgow playing at the King's Theatre between 14–18 February, before finally playing in London for 10 weeks at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...

from 22 February.

References

{{Reflist 2011 plays American plays Comedy plays