Every show produced by the Company of Ten – the Abbey Theatre’s resident company – includes a private charity night. At these nights, a selected charity sells tickets to supporters in order to raise funds. In the case of The Father, the charity Soroptimist International St Albans & District steps into the limelight. The charity tells us:

‘Soroptimist International St Albans & District is a local women’s group founded in 1957. It is part of the global organisation which has clubs all over the world. Soroptimists make a difference by inspiring action and creating opportunities to transform the lives of women and girls. We are a sociable group and new members are always welcome.

‘As this production takes place on World Mental Health Day. we are raising funds for mental health charities, in particular, Alzheimer’s Society and Viewpoint. A portion of the funds raised will also go to other relevant mental health charities which we support.’