Simon Gray’s dark comedy Japes transfers to the Hampstead Theatre’s main stage, playing in rep alongside three companion pieces following their successful run at Hampstead Downstairs.

Michael and Jason, known as Japes, are as close as it is possible for brothers to be. The death of their parents when they were in their teens made sure of that. The home they inherited hasn’t changed since; it remains part shrine, part playground. But when Michael falls in love with Anita their lives change forever… as does Japes.

When playwright Gray finished writing Japes, he felt the characters had unfinished business or might have made different choices, so he began work on Japes Too. Worrying that he had only told one side of the story he wrote Michael. With the characters still playing on his mind, he wrote Missing Dates.