Ad Astra Production
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To open our new black box theatre, Pluto, Ad Astra brings you a comedy, the romance of the waitress and the short order cook, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, by the American playwright and screen writer, Terrence McNally.
The play opens with the audience in the dark and the sounds of enthusiastic lovemaking. What begins as a first date fling in Frankie’s 1980’s New York walk-up tenement, evolves into a search, almost a battle, for connection. Wild passion is followed by unbridled, witty interplay between two fascinating, lonely characters: the romantic and the realist, the grandiose and the introverted.
Johnny is certain that he wants to marry Frankie and have children. She is not convinced. He asks, “How well do you want to know me?” She answers,
I’ll let you know Monday between orders. “I got a BLT down working!” “Tell me about your childhood.” “Take the moo out of two!” “Were you toilet trained?”
The first production off Broadway in 1987 starred Kathy Bates and F. Murray Abraham and revivals have included Stanley Tucci and Rosie Perez, but audiences may be most familiar with the film version, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino.
This play celebrates intimacy and vulnerability. It is funny, disconcerting and poignant: all that black box theatre should be. Come for date night. You’ll be startled, and glad.
Content Warnings : Partial Nudity
Accessibility : Please note we are still waiting for the lift to be installed. Sadly, there is currently only stairs to access this space. There are 16 stairs and 30m to access the entrance of Pluto.
In the space there are very small stairs to get to each row, except the front. We can seat you there if you prefer, or further back if you do not like to be in the front row.
There are bathrooms on this level, but the specially designed accessible bathroom has not been completed.
Please see Front of House staff on arrival at the front entrance or or send us an email and we will have it noted prior to your arrival..
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Frankie | Candice Hill, Stacie Hobbs
Johnny | Nathaniel Currie
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Director | FIona Kennedy
Assistant Director | Prue Robb
Set Design | Fiona Kennedy/Prue Robb
Stage Manager | Isabel Foland
Lighting and Sound Design | Kyle Royall-West
Production Assistant - Nicholas Hargreaves
Set Build | Scott Lymbery
Show Poster
These reviews are of previous productions until the season commences.
Upon its premiere, the play was lauded for its candid portrayal of intimacy and vulnerability. Critics praised McNally's nuanced writing and the compelling performances that brought Frankie and Johnny's complex relationship to life.
A 2022 production at The Pear Theatre was commended for its technical design and the actors' authentic portrayals, creating an immersive experience. TheatreStorm
In 2024, an unconventional staging in Knoxville placed the audience in close proximity to the performers, enhancing the play's intimate atmosphere. Arts Knoxville