Bastards, a new historical drama, explores the fractured bond between America’s most revered Shakespearean actor, Edwin Booth, and his infamous brother, President Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth.

On New Year’s Day, 1892, a dying Edwin attempts a séance to contact his late wife – but accidentally summons Wilkes instead. Trapped together, the estranged brothers are forced to confront their shared past marked by violence, family legacy, theatrical ambition, and the political divide that shaped nineteenth-century America. As the séance spirals further out of control, it quickly becomes clear that this is no simple haunting – it is a reckoning.

Written and performed by Americans and recent MFA Acting graduates, Olivia Merritt and LauraAnn Peterson, Bastards combines original historical research with theatrical storytelling. The play invites audiences to reconsider one of America’s most infamous tragedies through the eyes of both Booth brothers.

Venue: The Lion & Unicorn Theatre, 42-44 Gaisford Street, London NW5 2ED

Performances: Saturday 8 August & Sunday 9 August, 8:30pm

Running Time: 60 minutes

Tickets: £14 / £12 concessions, available via Camden Fringe and The Lion & Unicorn Theatre.

Content Advisory: Abuse, alcoholism, gun violence, murder, racism.

Contact: bastardstheplay@gmail.com

Instagram:@bastardstheplay