"Lookin' down an' dere a pool of blood dat was me. In da sand. It was me. An' da sea came in an' tooked da blood away, washed it out an' I thinked I am part of dis world. I am part of dis. I am part of dis world."

Wisteria proudly presents a bold new staging of Pests, the razor-sharp, poetic, and deeply unsettling play by acclaimed playwright Vivienne Franzmann. Premiering at The Kings Arms, Manchester. This immersive, unflinching production is directed by Jess Gough and produced by Mya Kettle.

About the Show:

Pests tells the story of two sisters, Pink and Rolly, entrenched in cycles of trauma, addiction, and survival. Living in precarious conditions, they inhabit a world shaped by violence, incarceration, and childhood neglect. As the sisters struggle to find moments of tenderness and hope, their bond is tested by Pink's disruptive return from prison and the haunting past they can't escape.

Who are Wisteria Theatre Company?

Wisteria Theatre Company is a grassroots, female-led collective creating change through distortion. We shine a provocative, immersive light on urgent contemporary issues—viewed through a subtly warped lens that sits just outside our shared reality. At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to actor safety and collaboration, fostering environments where bold exploration is balanced with care. 

Cast:

Daisy Miles – Pink

Daisy Miles (she/her) is an actor, writer, and producer from Stockport. Recent acting credits include Protest! On The Scene (Joshua Val Martin, SCENE Festival) and Digging For Something About Worms and Curses and Mud and Blood (Caitlin Clough, 53two). Her writing credits include the Bruntwood Original New Voice prize-winning R Lady's, and The Ambiguous Divinity of Sarah Chook (Greenwich Theatre). She is also an alumni of the Menagerie Young Writers and Royal Exchange Young Writers programmes, and the co-producer of the NOT LONG production company.

Kyia KB– Rolly

Kyia KB (she/her) is an actor, facilitator, and multidisciplinary artist from Oldham, specialising in poetry and clown. Graduating from the Arden School of Theatre in 2022, she's spent the last three years developing her artistic career, performing in productions with Oldham Theatre Workshop, The Edge, and Young Identity, as well as her first headline poetry show at Centrale Bibliotheek Rotterdam. Alongside her own work, Kyia is also a passionate facilitator, especially experienced in creating theatre with vulnerable people. She has just begun her new role as Community Theatre Director of the Bolton Octagon. 

Show Information:

Date and Time: 3rd November 2025- 5th November 2025 at 7:30pm.

Venue: The Kings Arms, 11 Bloom St, Salford M3 6AN.

Age Guidance: 16+

Ticket Information: Tickets priced at £12 excluding a booking fee (£5 Unwaged Tickets available). Advanced booking available at: https://tinyurl.com/p27y433j

Run Time: 7:30pm. Approx. 90 minutes (no interval, there is a strict no re-entry policy for this production). Doors Open at 7:00pm with last entry at 7:25pm.

Trigger Warnings: depictions of drug use, depictions of poverty, squalor, and neglect, pregnancy, including complex circumstances around motherhood and loss of children, sexual abuse, childhood trauma, prison experiences, cycles of institutionalisation, violence (both implied and explicit) mental illness and explicit language including ableist slurs.