Pests at The Kings Arms

A debut production is always a statement of intent – and for Wisteria Theatre Company, that statement comes in the form of Pests. Staged this November at The Kings Arms, Salford, the play is a raw, claustrophobic drama about sisterhood, survival and the pasts we can’t escape.

Written by Vivienne Franzmann, Pests follows two sisters bound tightly to one another, and to a world that feels increasingly impossible to break free from. Their bond is fierce, their humour biting, but together they circle through cycles of dependency, self-destruction and resilience. The dialogue is jagged, poetic, and sometimes brutally funny, painting a picture of lives on the margins where love and harm are inseparable.

The production is directed by Jess Gough, who leads Wisteria Theatre Company’s first foray into Manchester’s independent theatre scene. With its intimate staging at The King’s Arms, audiences can expect a performance that leans into the play’s intensity – a close-up view of two characters fighting for control of their own futures.

For Wisteria, choosing Pests as their first outing signals a commitment to tackling challenging material head-on. Franzmann’s writing has long been praised for its grit and humanity, and this staging offers a chance to revisit a piece that still feels urgent and uncomfortably resonant.

Hard-hitting and unflinching, Pests is not an easy watch – content warnings include depictions of drug use, pregnancy, abuse and assault – but it promises to be a powerful night of theatre from a new company to watch.