After 4am is a new play – based on true events – by Meg Ronoastro which premiered at the King’s Arms in Salford as part of Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2026, on July 27th. Four bar workers have just said goodbye to the final customers and are cleaning things up before a well-earned drink and heading home. Things start with the normal banter between coworkers but as time passes, and drinks are downed, darker forces come to the fore, resentments build, and passions rise. A nice little warm up was those who arrived early enough were given shots.
The four characters are Dion (Reuben Gotts), the general manager, Thea (Meg Ronoastro), a new recruit, Nike (Grace Mezaz), the head bartender, and Lachie (James Goodliffe), who’s worked there for a while.
Behind the scenes tales of customers vomiting or offering money for favours sets the scene. Lachie is a bit of a romantic who fancies Nike but doesn’t quite know how to go about things. Conversely, Dion has designs on Thea and knows exactly how to proceed whether she is willing or not. All dialogue and drama between the characters is excellent, and the domination/ obedience is played out well. That’s not to say that it’s all doom and gloom. There are some very funny episodes (as you’d expect from a closely knit bar team), but these are incidental to the main themes.
Without giving too much away, things don’t end well and our four people go their own ways, but there is a neat ending.
All in all, it’s a great new play, and there are two more performances (tickets HERE)
Paul Schofield for Canal Street Online
Also, your Canal Street VIP card works in the bar.