Vermin
By Benny Ainsworth, Directed by Michael Parker
Their first kiss took place at the scene of a stranger’s suicide attempt – Billy (Benny Ainsworth) and Rachel’s (Sally Paffett, Lead Performance Winner, Offies 2024) romance was never destined to be ordinary.
A fast-burning love sees them marry, nest, and prepare for the future. But something is scratching beneath the floorboards. As their dream home is invaded by rats, the world they’ve built begins to disintegrate – exposing the rotten foundations beneath.
As their relationship falters and their behaviours grow ever stranger, the fragile line between love and madness is crossed, and the couple embark on a blood-drenched descent through grief, obsession, and compulsion.
Vermin is an ‘exceptional’ (Broadway Baby) pitch-black drama about what we bury, what claws its way back, and what remains when we’re picked clean to the bone. ‘Truly a brilliant one of a kind’ (British Theatre Guide).
*Book for both (God Save My) Northern Soul and Vermin in the same transaction and get 20% off. The discount will automatically apply once both events are added to your basket.
Triptych Theatre in association with Park Theatre.
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Evenings
19.00 / 20.30
Thu & Sat15.15 / 16.00
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Duration
Approx 1 hour
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Tickets
£14.50 - £17.50
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Genre
Drama
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Age guidance
16+
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Content warnings
This production contains reference to suicide, stillbirth and animal abuse. Also contains strong language.
In the press
"Truly a brilliant one of a kind"
British Theatre Guide
"Exceptional"
Broadway Baby
"Breathtaking"
The New Current
"What a ride"
fringebiscuit
"Compelling"
The Stage
"This play will stick with you"
Lost in Theatreland
"Superbly acted and undeniably affecting"
Bouguets and Brickbats
"Fascinating, entertaining and horrifying all at once"
London Pub Theatre
"Intimate, bold, and emotionally raw - a must-see"
North West End
"Disturbingly vivid and heartbreakingly human"
The Reviews Hub
"An inspired, rich and sensational performance"
The Theatre Reviewer
"Executed flawlessly"
Theatre Weekly
Cast & Creatives
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Sally Paffett
Rachel
Sally Paffett
Rachel
Sally’s theatre credits include: Vermin (Arcola); Beginnings (2021, stage, Lion & Unicorn); My Name is Cathy (2019, stage, Chapel Theatre); The House (stage, 2017, Maltings Theatre, Bread & Roses)
Screen credits include: Still Life (2025, feature); Self Help (2022, Winner of Best Supporting 2019); All of Them (2019, series) and The Burying Party (2017, feature).
Sally directing and producing credit includes Triptych Theatre’s An Audience With Stuart Bagcliffe (Edinburgh Fringe 2023).
Sally previously won an Offie Award for Best Lead Performance.
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Benny Ainsworth
Billy
Benny Ainsworth
Billy
Benny is the writer of Triptych Theatre’s Audience With Stuart Bagcliffe and Vermin.
His theatre credits include: Vermin (Arcola); Hamlet (Tour); As You Like It (Tour) and Skewed Judgement (White Bear).
Screen credits include: Doctors (BBC, 2024); The Nevers (2020, HBO); Confessions of Frannie Langton (2022, ITV) and Hamlet (2018, stage Coin Theatre, world tour).
Benny was nominated for Best New Play & Lead Performance at the Offies 2024.
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Michael Parker
Director and Tech Director
Michael Parker
Director and Tech Director
Vermin is Michael’s directorial debut. With a background in acting and theatre-making, he is drawn to stories that are character-driven, emotionally sharp, and slightly offbeat. His approach is collaborative and focused on building a strong ensemble, with an emphasis on clear storytelling and atmosphere.
Vermin has been developed closely with the writer and cast, and reflects their interest in dark humour, tension, and the small details of everyday relationships. Since then, he has also directed Coming Home at venues in Manchester and London, a play exploring a couple’s relationship during an England football tournament. -
Francesca Gregson
Marketing
Francesca Gregson
Marketing
Francesca is the founder of London-based PR and marketing consultancy, Distrikt Communications. She advises a range of creative clients, including architectural practices, theatre companies, and arts festivals. Since 2023, she has also worked as a producer for the touring theatre company, Shakespeare in the Squares.
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Alex Lewer
Lighting Design
Alex Lewer
Lighting Design
Alex is a freelance lighting designer and Technical Manager of the King’s Head Theatre in Islington.
Recent credits include: I Wish You Well – The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial Musical (Norwich Playhouse, Edinburgh Fringe & West End); SILENCE! The Musical – The Unauthorised Parody of The Silence of the Lambs (Norwich Playhouse & Edinburgh Fringe); F**king Men (Waterloo East) and Boy Out The City (West End & UK Tour).Other credits include: The Liar, The Bitch and The Wardrobe (Turbine Theatre); Aladdin (Cheltenham Playhouse); Leaves of Glass (Park Theatre & UK Tour); Othello (Riverside Studios); Apocalypse Bear Trilogy (Jack Studio Theatre); Vermin (Arcola Theatre); Bright Half Life (The King’s Head); Clybourne Park (Park Theatre); Love Story – The 10th Anniversary in Concert (Cadogan Hall); Lipstick (Southwark Playhouse); The Green Fairy and Striking 12 (The Union Theatre); for DELIRIUM: One Minute (Off West End Award Nominee for Best Lighting Design); Oranges on The Brain, Go To Your God Like a Soldier and Your Nation Loves You.
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Ben Sorab
Sound Designer
Ben Sorab
Sound Designer
Ben is a music producer, sound engineer, and sound designer whose professional credits include Harry Styles, Tom Jones, and Dizzee Rascal. Under his solo moniker Sorab, he weaves intricate sonic textures from samples and found sounds, creating worlds that sit between the familiar and the unsettling. For Vermin, Sorab crafted an immersive, anxiety-laced soundscape – a rising, restless crescendo that mirrors the creeping tension onstage, drawing the audience into the characters’ spiralling descent.
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Meurig Marshall
Poster and Marketing Designer
Meurig Marshall
Poster and Marketing Designer
Meurig is a visual media artist with a background in cinematography, photography, and graphic design. His work spans theatre, film, television, and the video game industry, with an international client base and credits on two BAFTA-nominated projects.
For the company, he has contributed photography and graphic design that reflect his cinematic vision and multidisciplinary experience.
Select a date
Displaying 14 performances for Vermin
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Tue 09 Sep 2025
8.30pm
- £14.50
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Wed 10 Sep 2025
7pm
- £14.50
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Thu 11 Sep 2025
8.30pm
- £17.50
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Fri 12 Sep 2025
7pm
- £17.50
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Sat 13 Sep 2025
4pm
- £17.50
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Sat 13 Sep 2025
7pm
- £17.50
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Mon 15 Sep 2025
7pm
- £17.50
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Tue 16 Sep 2025
8.30pm
- £17.50
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Wed 17 Sep 2025
7pm
- £17.50
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Thu 18 Sep 2025
4pm
- £17.50
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Thu 18 Sep 2025
7pm
- £17.50
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Fri 19 Sep 2025
8.30pm
- £17.50
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Sat 20 Sep 2025
2.30pm
- £17.50
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Sat 20 Sep 2025
8.30pm
- £17.50
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