Curve announces four new Made at Curve productions for 2024

LEICESTER’S CURVE ANNOUNCES HOST OF NEW MADE AT CURVE PRODUCTIONS

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 

Directed and adapted by Cara Nolan 

13 – 15 June 2024 

A Made at Curve and De Montfort University co-production

FANTASTIC FOXES 

By Rob Ward 

26 July – 3 August 2024 

A Made at Curve Community production

THE MOUNTAINTOP 

By Katori Hall 

21 September – 5 October 2024

A Made at Curve and MAST Mayflower Studios co-production Directed by Nathan Powell

PIRATES LOVE UNDERPANTS 

Based on the book by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort 2 December 2024 – 5 January 2025

A Made at Curve production

Directed by Cara Nolan | Adapted by Brad Fitt

Leicester’s Curve has announced details of four new Made at Curve productions joining its line-up in 2024.

Announced at the theatre’s Season Preview event on Monday 18 March, the four new shows include a fresh and riotous adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a community production of Leicester City Football Club inspired drama Fantastic Foxes, a revival of Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop and a world premiere family adaptation of Claire Freedman and Ben Cort’s picture-book, Pirates Love Underpants, which will run alongside Curve’s previously announced production of Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady this Christmas.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

13 – 15 June

From Thursday 13 to Saturday 15 June, Curve and De Montfort University (DMU) will present a brand-new retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Adapted and directed by Curve’s Associate Director Cara Nolan – who also directed the 2023 Curve and DMU co-production of Jim Cartwright’s Road – the lively and riotous take on Austen’s classic romance will be performed by drama students from the university.

‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife…’

Mr Darcy does not want a wife and Elizabeth Bennet does not need a husband. But when their paths cross, the greatest reluctant love story of all time begins. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice?

Expect regency romance, rebellion, wit and many a well-penned letter!

FANTASTIC FOXES

26 July – 3 August

This summer, Curve’s Community Production returns with new play Fantastic Foxes, the story of Leicester, its people and its title-winning football club. Written by Curve Resident Creative Rob Ward, the production will run in Curve’s Studio Theatre from Friday 26 July to Saturday 3 August.

Curve is calling on local community members to join the company of Fantastic Foxes and auditions will take place on Wednesday 3, Wednesday 6 and Saturday 10 April. To find out more about how to get involved, visit www.curveonline.co.uk/get-involved/community-production-2024-fantastic-foxes

This is the story of a remarkable city, fearless underdogs and Fantastic Foxes. The story of a football club and its generations of devoted fans.

From the creation of the Leicester Fosse team in 1884, to the first silverware in 1890, the great escape of 2015 and the 5000-1 Premier League win of 2016 – plus all the heartache and elation along the way: no matter how our city has changed over the years, we’ve always been united as the Blue Army.

This summer at Curve, a community ensemble brings the real (and sometimes imagined) story of our city and club to life on stage, where Jamie Vardy’s having a party, Gordon Banks has the safest gloves in the land and Gary Lineker’s picking out his best pants.

THE MOUNTAINTOP

21 September – 5 October

Following the success of Curve’s 2023 rehearsed-reading of Katori Hall’s Olivier Award-winning play The Mountaintop, the theatre is now set to stage a full new production of the drama. Once again directed by Nathan Powell (Sucker Punch, Dogs, The Lies You Tell) and with returning cast members Ray Strasser-King (Sucker Punch) and Justina Kehinde (Girl From the North Country), the Made at Curve and MAST Mayflower Studios co-production will run in Curve’s Studio Theatre from Saturday 21 September to Saturday 5 October, before visiting MAST Mayflower Studios Wednesday 9 to Saturday 12 October. Further details of a tour will be announced in due course.

The Mountaintop is sponsored by Leicester-based music licensing company PPL PRS as part of Black History Month at Curve.

After making his monumental ‘I’ve Been to the Mountaintop’ speech against the advice of his colleagues on Wednesday 3rd April, 1968, Dr Martin Luther King checks into room 306 of the Lorraine Motel. Exhausted, conflicted and alone, he orders room service, but instead finds himself served with some unexpected questions from the audacious waitress who unflinchingly cross-examines the makings and misgivings of a hero.

The Mountaintop explores the place where hope and history converge in this captivating, emotional and heart-stopping retelling of Dr. Martin Luther King’s last night on this earth.

PIRATES LOVE UNDERPANTS

2 December 2024 – 5 January 2025

Curve has also announced the title of its Made at Curve family show this Christmas, a new adaptation of Claire Freedman and Ben Cort’s swashbuckling picture book, Pirates Love Underpants. The story will be adapted for the stage by Brad Fitt and, following Curve’s hit 2023 production of The Owl Who Came For Christmas, the show will also be directed by Cara Nolan.

First published by Simon and Schuster UK Ltd in 2013, this world premiere Made at Curve production will open at Curve from Monday 2 December 2024 to Sunday 5 January 2025, and is suitable for children aged 3+.

“These pirates SO love underpants!

Join our swashbuckling party of pirates on their quest to find the fabled Pants of Gold for the Captain’s Treasure chest!

Dodge hungry crocs beneath Long-John Bridge, bob upon the waves of Big Knickers Bay, spot sharks in fancy underpants and trek across Three Pants Ridge.

Filled with music, puppetry and glittering pants of gold, arrr you ready to set sail for a family adventure at Curve this winter?

Speaking about the announcements, Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said:

“We are proud to announce these upcoming Curve shows, which reflect the theatre’s ambition to continue presenting great plays and works which celebrate stories close to home and from across the globe. We were blown away by the power of Katori Hall’s great play The Mountaintop and director Nathan Powell’s inspired work on a staged reading of this mighty homage to Martin Luther King last year. We are now thrilled to be presenting the play in a full production – in collaboration with our friends at MAST in Southampton- and that Nathan and Ray Strasser-King and Justina Kehinde will return to play in this extraordinary theatrical event.

“Equally extraordinary is the story of Leicester City Football Club and we are excited rising star writer Rob Ward returns to Curve to present his new play, Fantastic Foxes with our community ensemble. Having spent time in the city chatting to fans and hearing stories of people’s experiences and how football has been a major part of their lives, Fantastic Foxes is a joyous celebration of our city and our fabulous foxes.

“And looking further ahead, we are thrilled our new Associate Director Cara Nolan directs and adapts our De Montfort University co-production of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice and is also captain of our festive Studio show for the little ones, Pirates Love Underpants. Following her huge success with The Owl Who Came For Christmas, Pirates Love Underpants promises to be a raucous festive family theatrical feast.”

Alongside new Made at Curve productions, it was also announced that new musical SuperYou will come to Curve as a full production from Tuesday 22 October to Saturday 9 November. With book, music and lyrics by Lourds Lane, the show was originally set to open Off Broadway in spring 2020, but then became the first theatrical show to share live performances during the pandemic with concerts on pick-up trucks in upstate New York. The musical has since become a viral sensation, with clips racking up millions of views worldwide on TikTok, two sold-out Carnegie Hall concerts in 2022 and a concert at the Lyric Theatre in the West End in November 2023.

Life happens. Somehow, we lose touch with our joy, our passion, our power. We forget who the hero is in our own story. Enter SuperYou — the journey of a woman who reconnects with her dreams when her superheroine creations come to life. Featuring mind-blowing female performers, new, iconic superheroines and an instantly singable, anthemic modern rock score, SuperYou is the heartwarming story of a woman remembering the power of her own voice.

Tickets for Pride and Prejudice, Fantastic Foxes, The Mountaintop and Pirates Love Underpants will go on sale to Curve Friends Tuesday 19 March, Curve Supporters Wednesday 20 March, Curve Members, Groups and Access Register Customers Thursday 21 March and on general sale Tuesday 26 March, all at 12noon. To find out more, visit www.curveonline.co.uk, call 0116 242 3595 or visit Curve’s Box Office in-person.

Tickets for SuperYou at Curve will go on sale soon.

Tickets for The Mountaintop at MAST Mayflower Studios will go on sale soon.

42 BALLOONS STUDIO CAST EP RELEASED – AHEAD OF OPENING AT THE LOWRY 18 APRIL

42 BALLOONS STUDIO CAST EP

EP NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM AND DOWNLOAD HERE

AN UPLIFTING NEW MUSICAL BY JACK GODFREY

FLYING INTO THE LOWRY 18 APRIL – 19 MAY 2024

Award winning producers Andy Barnes and Wendy Barnes from Global Musicals (SIX, The Choir of Man, Pieces of String, Lift)and Kevin McCollum from Alchemation (Mrs Doubtfire, SIX, Rent, Avenue Q)are delighted to announce the release of the 42 Balloons Studio Cast EP, now available to stream and download here. via Absolute Records.

Grammy-nominated duo Sam Featherstone and Joe Beighton (the orchestrator, arranger and music supervisor on the show) along with the author Jack Godfrey have produced the 80’s infused tracks which were recorded in Miloco Studios, and feature cast members Evelyn HoskinsCharlie McCullaghGillian HardieLejaun SheppardSimon AnthonyJordan BroatchMaddison BulleymentAthena CollinsMorgan GregoryLuke LatchmanLaura Dawn Pyatt, Tinovimbanashe Sibanda, and Natasha Wilde.

The full cast and crew – currently in rehearsals – came together on Monday 18 March for a special ‘first listen’ party and silent disco at Maggie’s Club – an eighties themed London bar – highlights here.

Tracklist

1. Prologue

2. Big Balloon

3. Somebody’s Story

4. 1982

5. Something As Crazy As This

6. 42 Balloons And A Lawn Chair

7. Lawn Chair Larry

8. Helium (which was released early on 8 March, following an exclusive social media competition where the show’s fans voted for which track to be released first!)

This comes as the premiere production the musical 42 Balloons will be flying into The Lowry, Salford from 18 April – 19 May 2024, with a gala performance on Thursday 2 May. Due to high demand, tickets for previews are now limited, with best availability from 25 April onwards.

Sam Featherstone said, “Working on these tracks has been so much fun: 80s vibes combined with Jack’s catchy songwriting is a perfect match! These 8 songs are a gorgeous snapshot of 42 Balloons. Catchy, epic and a lot of fun to work on. Listen now and then go book tickets to see the show!”

2nd of July 1982.

Using a lawn chair and approximately 42 helium-filled weather balloons, truck driver Larry Walters defied all the odds (and FAA airspace regulations!) to make his lifelong dream a reality and fly sixteen thousand feet above Los Angeles.

No, seriously.    In a chair.

42 BALLOONS is an uplifting musical inspired by the highly improbable true story of how Larry, and his partner Carol Van Deusen, convinced their friends and family to help Larry achieve his dream of flying.

Featuring an irresistible, 80s pop-inspired score, 42 BALLOONS questions how far you would go to make your dreams come true. Is the sky actually the limit, and what happens if it doesn’t all go to plan?

The cast for the production at the Lowry will be Charlie McCullagh (Bonnie & Clyde, Dr.Zhivago) and Evelyn Hoskins (Waitress, Gypsy, Spring Awakening) reprising their roles as ‘Larry’ and ‘Carol’ from the 2022 staged concert performances in the West End, alongside be Gillian Hardie (Kinky Boots, Blood Brothers, Bag Girls The Musical) as ‘Carol’s Mom’ and Lejaun Sheppard (The Book of Mormon, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) as ‘Ron’. The rest of the company will comprise Simon Anthony (Guys & DollsWhite Christmas),  Jordan Broatch (You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Anyone Can Whistle),  Maddison Bulleyment (SIX, The Bridges of Madison County),  Athena Collins (SIXKin The Musical), Morgan Gregory (ElfNewsies), Matt Jones (Pretty Woman, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory), Luke Latchman (Sunset Boulevard, Millennials), Rebekah Lowings (My Fair LadyGhost The Musical), Jamie Pritchard (Les Misérables), Laura Dawn Pyatt (SIX),  Tinovimbanashe Sibanda (Guys & DollsMoulin Rouge!) and Natasha Wilde (2023 graduate).

42 Balloons has book, music and lyrics by Jack Godfrey whose other works include This is a Love Story (Dundee Rep) and Babies (Lyric).

Ellie Coote (This is a Love Story) is director & dramaturg, with orchestrations, arrangements and musical supervision by Joe Beighton (SIX), choreography by Alexzandra Sarmiento (How To Succeed In Business Without Really TryingBut I’m A Cheerleader)scenic design by Milla Clarke (Mates In Chelsea, Shooting Hedda Gabler),costume design by Natalie Pryce (VANYANewsies)video design by Olivier and Tony Award-winner Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi& Juliet), lighting design by Tony and Olivier Award-nominee Bruno Poet (Tina – The Tina Turner MusicalMiss Saigon)sound design by Grammy and Tony Award-nominee Paul Gatehouse (SIX, Mary Poppins),casting by Pearson Casting CDG (SIX) and music direction by Flynn Sturgeon (Roles We’ll Never PlayThe Three Little Pigs).

42 Balloons is produced by Andy Barnes & Wendy Barnes for Global Musicals & Kevin McCollum in association with The Lowry, Debbie Hicks, Sam Levy, S&Co and Kenny Wax.

More information and ticket booking via https://42balloons.com/

SONIA FRIEDMAN PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCE ON-SALE FOR OEDIPUS CREATED BY ROBERT ICKE, AFTER SOPHOCLES STARRING MARK STRONG AND LESLEY MANVILLE

SONIA FRIEDMAN PRODUCTIONS

ANNOUNCE ON-SALE FOR

OEDIPUS

CREATED BY ROBERT ICKE, AFTER SOPHOCLES

STARRING MARK STRONG AND LESLEY MANVILLE

WYNDHAM’S THEATRE

4 OCTOBER 2024 – 4 JANUARY 2025

Sonia Friedman Productions (SFP) today release new artwork and announce the on-sale for the strictly limited West End run of Oedipusa new adaptation created by Robert Icke after Sophocles. Icke directs Mark Strong (OEDIPUS) and Lesley Manville (JOCASTA) with full casting to be announced at a later date.

Also announced are Hildegard Bechtler (Set Design), Wojciech Dziedzic (Costume Design), Natasha Chivers (Lighting Design), Tom Gibbons (Sound Design), Tal Yarden (Video Design) and Julia Horan CDG (Casting Director).

The strictly limited run at Wyndham’s Theatre opens on Tuesday 15 October, with previews from Friday 4 October 2024, and runs until Saturday 4 January 2025.

Behind every great man is a great woman. 

Election night. The polls predict a landslide victory. Everything is about to change.

Starring the internationally renowned, multi-award-winning Mark Strong and Lesley Manville, Sophocles’ epic tragedy is transformed into an essential, explosive human thriller.

After his revelatory Oresteia, visionary director Robert Icke (1984, The Doctor) reimagines another Ancient Greek tragedy, bringing the secrets of the past bursting into the present.

Icke’s production was originally produced in Dutch by Internationaal Theater Amsterdam and was presented at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Tickets are on sale for DMT+ members now, with general booking opening on Wednesday 20 March at 10am.

Mark Strong said today, “It’s an immense privilege to be returning to the West End in such incredible company – to take on this role opposite the incomparable Lesley Manville, and to reunite with Robert Icke, undoubtedly one of the great visionary directors currently on the world stage. Rob has brought the story bang up to date with the flair with which he approaches classic text, making his Oedipus a modern thriller for our times.”

Lesley Manville said today, “I’m very excited to return to the West End and take on the role of Jocasta in Robert Icke’s extraordinary adaptation of Oedipus. It’s my first time performing a Greek tragedy and my first time working with the brilliant Mark Strong. Lucky me.”

Robert Icke said today, “I’m delighted to be bringing Oedipus to the West End, and am hugely looking forward to collaborating once more with the matchless Mark Strong and to get to work for the first time with the wonderful Lesley Manville.”

Across the run Sonia Friedman Productions will be offering 1000 tickets at £30 exclusively for those aged 30 and under, reflecting its ongoing commitment to ticket accessibility within the arts. For more details and to hear when these tickets go on-sale, please join the Sonia Friedman Productions mailing list https://www.soniafriedman.com/subscribe

Sonia Friedman Productions presents

Mark Strong and Lesley Manville in

OEDIPUS

Created by Robert Icke, after Sophocles

Set design by Hildegard Bechtler

Costume design by Wojciech Dziedzic

Lighting design by Natasha Chivers

Sound design by Tom Gibbons

Video design by Tal Yarden

Casting by Julia Horan CDG

Wyndham’s Theatre

4 October 2024 – 4 January 2025

Mark Strong (OEDIPUS)

Multi-award-winning actor Mark Strong returns to the stage. He previously appeared in A View from the Bridge (Young Vic, West End and Broadway – Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play and Tony Award nomination);  The Red BarnCloserDeath of a SalesmanMurmuring  JudgesFuente OvejunaNapoli MilionariaKing Lear and Richard III (National Theatre); Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya (Donmar Warehouse – Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor); Speed the Plow (New Ambassadors Theatre); The Iceman Cometh (Almeida Theatre); The Thickness of Skin and The Treatment (Royal Court Theatre); Hess is DeadThe Plantagenets and The Man Who Came To Dinner (RSC).

His television credits include Temple (also series Executive Producer); Deep StateLow Winter SunThe Long Firm (Broadcast Guild Award for Best Actor and BAFTA nomination); Prime SuspectFields of GoldThe JuryAnna KareninaOur Friends in the North and the forthcoming Dune: Prophecy (HBO Max).

An acclaimed film actor, he recently appeared in The Critic with Ian McKellen; Dead Shot with Felicity Jones; Nocebo with Eva Green; Murder Mystery 2 with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston (Netflix) and will next appear on screen in various projects including The End We Start From with Jodie Comer and Benedict Cumberbatch; Shadow Force opposite Omar Sy and Kerry Washington and Atlas opposite Jennifer Lopez.

His other film credits include Todd Field’s Tar with Cate Blanchett; Sam Mendes’ 1917Miss Sloane with Jessica Chastain; Cruella alongside Emma Stone; The Imitation Game with Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley; The Kingsman films with Taron Egerton and Colin Firth; Before I Go To Sleep with Nicole Kidman;Thomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Gary Oldman; Peter Weir’s The Way Back; John Michael McDonagh’s The Guard; Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood with Russell Crowe; Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law; Martin Campbell’s Green LanternThe Young Victoria opposite Emily Blunt; Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty; Danny Boyle’s Sunshine; Stephen Gaghan’s Syriana with George Clooney; Roman Polanski’s Oliver Twist and Thomas Vinterberg’s It’s All About Love.

Lesley Manville (JOCASTA)

Lesley’s notable television credits include Princess Margaret in award-winning drama, The Crown, for Netflix, BBC’s drama Sherwood (for which she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 2023 BAFTAs), which is returning for a second series. Mum (RTS Best Female Comedy Performance and two BAFTA nominations for Best Female Performance in a Comedy), Magpie Murders for BBC and PBS, similarly set to return for a second series titled Moonflower Murders. Lesley can currently be seen in Citadel for Prime Video alongside Richard Madden and Stanley Tucci. Upcoming roles include Alfonso Cuaron’s thriller series, Disclaimer. Lesley’s further TV credits include I Am Maria for BBC, River (BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress), Save Me TooTalking HeadsWorld On Fire and Harlots.

Her roles in film include Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread (Academy Award nomination for Best Performance by An Actress in a Supporting Role, BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress, Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress), the titular role as Mrs Harris in Mrs Harris Goes To Paris for Focus Features (which earnt Lesley a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress) Let Him GoOrdinary LoveMisbehaviour. In addition, Lesley is also known for her collaboration with Mike Leigh in projects such as, Another Year (NBR Best Actress Award, Critics’ Circle Best Actress Award and BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress), and All Or Nothing (Critics’ Circle Best Actress Award), Topsy-Turvy, High Hopes and Grown Ups, to name a few. Upcoming projects include Sam Taylor-Johnson’s upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic, Back To Black, Kasia Adamik’s upcoming Cold War feature, Winter Of The CrowCold Storage starring opposite Liam Neeson- a thriller about a spiralling virus and Luca Guadagnino’s feature film, Queer opposite Daniel Craig.

On stage, Lesley’s theatre credits include Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress), Ghosts (Olivier Award for Best Actress and Critics Circle Best Actress Award), Grief (Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress), Top Girls and The Visit. Further credits include Six Degrees Of Separation and All About My Mother at the Old Vic Theatre and Some Girls and The Cherry Orchard in the West End.

For her contributions to Drama and Charity, Lesley was honoured with a CBE in 2021.

Robert Icke is an award-winning writer and director, working in theatre and on screen.

His recent productions include JudasChildren of Nora, and Oedipus at Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, where until 2023 he was Ibsen Artist in Residence. His adaptation of Animal Farm played an extensive national tour in 2022 and is slated for a London transfer. His monologue condensation of Enemy of the People starred Ann Dowd at Park Avenue Armory and was one of the first new pieces of theatre to play in New York post the shutdown. He is directing Ian McKellen in Player Kings at the Noël Coward Theatre, 1 April – 22 June 2024, previewing in Wimbledon and Manchester from March.

In six years at the Almeida, five of his productions transferred to the West End, and four to New York. These included his adaptations of The Wild DuckMary Stuart (also West End and National tour), Uncle VanyaOresteia (also West End; Schauspiel Stuttgart; Park Avenue Armory), and 1984 (co-created with Duncan Macmillan, also Broadway; West End; national and international tours). As a director, his productions included Hamlet (also West End; Park Avenue Armory; and broadcast on BBC2); The Fever and Mr Burns. His final production at the Almeida was The Doctor, which played last summer at Park Avenue Armory, in the West End in 2022, and remains in repertoire at both the Burgtheater in Vienna and Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, as well as in numerous new productions across the globe.

His awards include two Evening Standard ‘Best Director’ Awards; the Critics’ Circle Award, the Kurt Hübner Award (for his debut production in Germany); and the Olivier Award for ‘Best Director’, of which he was the youngest ever winner. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Hildegard Bechtler (Set Design)

Hildegard Bechtler is an award-winning designer based in London and working internationally.  Work in theatre includes designs for the Almeida Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Old Vic, Donmar, on Broadway and extensively in the West End including Top HatOresteia (both Olivier-nominated for best set design), Mary StuartHamletConsentArcadia and The Crucible.   Credits for the National Theatre include Antony and CleopatraHansardAfter the Dance (Olivier Award) and Iphigenia at Aulis (Evening Standard Award nomination).  Credits for the Royal Court include The SeagullKrapp’s Last TapeMy Name Is Rachel Corrie.  Recent work includes The DoctorHamlet/Oresteia and Enemy of the People at the Park Avenue Armory; Four Quartets in the West End; JudasNora and Oedipus for Internationaal Theatre Amsterdam, The Doctor in the West End, at the Burgtheater Vienna and at the Adelaide Festival and Iwanow at the Staatstheater Stuttgart.  Her many designs in opera and ballet include productions for English National Opera, La Scala Milan, Glyndebourne and the world premieres of The Cellist for the Royal Ballet and Thomas Adès’ The Exterminating Angel at the Salzburger Festspiele, the Metropolitan Opera and the Royal Opera House. She won the Australian Green Room Award for Best Opera Design for Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at Sydney Opera House. Upcoming work includes a world premiere for Zurich Ballet; and Dr Strangelove in the West End.

Wojciech Dziedzic (Costume Design)

Wojciech Dziedzic designs costumes for opera, theatre and musical and leads, in parallel, a career of a stylist. He studied fashion design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, institutions in which he later taught. Between 2010 and 2019, he directed the fashion department of the Poznań School of Design in Poland.

Recent credits include Simon Boccanegra (New National Theatre in Tokyo); Die Blume von Hawaii (Theater Magdeburg); Shirine (Opéra de Lyon); Acis and Galatea (Concertgebouw Amsterdam); Keine Stille außer der des Windes (Nationaltheater Mannheim); Cardillac (Polish National Opera); Anatomy of a Suicide (Berliner Ensemble); Apocalypse Arabe (Aix en Provence); Ivanov (Schauspiel Stuttgart); Les Indes Galantes (Opéra national de Paris); Aus Licht (Dutch National Opera); Tristan and Isolde, Penthesilea (La Monnaie Brussels); The Crucible (Theatre Basel, Dir. Robert Icke); Eugene OneginIl Serpente di Bronzo and A Wintery Spring (Oper Frankfurt); Invasion-Explosion (Holland Festival); ShirineGerMANIAMacbeth (Opéra de Lyon); The Glass Menagerie (Toneelgroep Amsterdam and Broadway); NoraA Sort of HadesBlindenessPhaedraCraveCaligula (Theater Utrecht); Fidelio (Erl Festival); Boris Godunovthe Conquest of MexicoBomarzoLohengrinEl PúblicoBrokeback Mountain (Teatro Real Madrid); Oedipus, From The Life of The Marionettes, The MaidsMary Stuart, Danton’s Death, Nora, Angels in America, And never we’ll be parted, The MiserAll my Sons (Internationaal Theater Amsterdam); The Crucible (Broadway, Dir. Ivo van Hove); Cries and Whispers (BAM); Mazeppa (Komische Oper Berlin).

Natasha Chivers (Lighting Design)

Natasha’s awards and nominations includes: Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play, and nominated for an Olivier and Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a Play for Prima Facie.She won the Olivier Award for best lighting for Sunday in the Park with George. She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for 1984 and for an Olivier Award for Oresteia 

Her extensive work in theatre includes: The Hills of California (West End); Prima Facie (Harold Pinter Theatre/ Broadway); SYLVIAThe American Clock (Old Vic); Peaky Blinders (Rambert); DoctorHamletOresteia (Almeida/ West End/ Park Avenue Armory); Enemy of People (Park Avenue Armory, New York); Judas (Internationaal Theater, Amsterdam)  Mates in ChelseaShoe LadyWhite PearlThe CaneBad RoadsMistress ContractFireworks (Royal Court);  Ivanov (Staatstheater, Stuttgart); ; Kan Ya Ma Kan (Riyadh); Message in a BottleElectric HotelGravity Fatigue (Sadler’s Wells); Drive and Live: La Bohème (ENO); The 1984 (Playhouse Theatre/ Broadway); The AntipodesSunset at the Villa ThaliaStatement of Regret (National Theatre); The Deep Blue SeaThe Chalk Garden, The House They Grew Up In (Chichester Festival Theatre); We Are Here (La Mama, New York); Allelujah! (Bridge Theatre); The Duchess of Malfi (RSC); Belleville (Donmar); Electric CounterpointStrapless (Royal Ballet); Green Snake (National Theatre of China); Macbeth (Broadway); Sunday in the Park with George (Wyndham’s)

Tom Gibbons (Sound Design)

Recent work includes Dear England (National Theatre, West End); Dead Man Walking (The Metropolitan Opera); Here We Are (The Shed, New York); Jesus Christ Superstar (DeLaMar Theatre, Amsterdam); Best of Enemies (Noël Coward Theatre, Young Vic); Grey House (Lyceum Theatre, Broadway); Good (West End); HamletOresteia, The Doctor (Park Avenue Armory, Almeida Theatre, West End); Animal Farm (UK tour); West Side StoryWho’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Broadway); Cabaret (Göteborg Opera); JudasOedipusThe Doctor (International Theatre Amsterdam); The AntipodesHome, I’m DarlingPeople, Places and Things (Winner for Best Sound Design, Olivier Awards 2016), Hedda GablerSunset At The Villa ThaliaThe Red Barn (National Theatre/West End); All About Eve (West End); Our Town (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); The DoctorWild Duck (Almeida/West End); Madness of King George III (Nottingham Playhouse); Hexenjagd (Theater Basel); Mr Burns1984 (Almeida/West End/Broadway); Fanny and AlexanderThe Lorax (Old Vic); A View From the Bridge (Young Vic/West End/Broadway); Obsession (International Theatre Amsterdam, Barbican); Life of GalileoHappy DaysA Season in the CongoDisco Pigs (Young Vic); Les Miserables (Wermland Opera, Sweden); The Crucible (Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway); Anna Karenina (Manchester Royal Exchange); The Moderate SopranoElephants (Hampstead Theatre); White DevilAs You Like It (RSC); TranslationsPlenty (Sheffield Crucible); After Life, The Absence of WarRomeo & Juliet (Headlong); Lion Boy (Complicite); Venus in Fur (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Henry IVJulius Caesar (Donmar, St Ann’s Brooklyn); The End of HistoryPah LaThe WoodsLove Love Love, (Royal Court). 

Tal Yarden (Video Design)

London credits: Get Up, Stand UpAnna XMy Brilliant FriendHamletAntigoneThe DamnedKings of WarThe FountainheadRoman TragediesLazarus.  Broadway credits: IndecentNetworkThe Waverly GallerySunday in the Park with GeorgeThe Crucible; Off-Broadway & Regional credits: Becky Nurse of SalemGrey RockKing LearDistractedLiberty CityThe MisanthropeA Walk on the MoonOcean FilibusterPassing StrangeFrost/Nixon; Opera credits:  Exterminating AngelBetween WorldsMahagonnySalomeBrokeback MountainMacbeth. Video: Pat McGrathRick OwensAlicia KeysSnoop DoggJames BrownPatti Smith; Awards: Molière, Lucille Lortel, Noinations: Tony, Drama Desk, Hewes, Outer Critic.

Oedipustheplay.com

INSTAGRAM:       @OedipusWestEnd

TWITTER:            @OedipusWestEnd

FACEBOOK:         Oedipus West End

LISTINGS

OEDIPUS

Wyndham’s Theatre

4 October 2024 – 4 January 2025

Tickets from £25

Box Office: Oedipustheplay.com

General booking opens Wednesday 20 March at 10am.

The Essence of Audrey Review

Jack Studio Theatre – 14 – 16 March 2024

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Helen Anker’s enthralling play looks beyond the iconic imagery of that black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and explores the real person beneath the gamine perfection.

Set in Audrey’s Swiss home – a backdrop of a cosy book filled room with an armchair, mannequins displaying gowns from her films, stacked vintage suitcases and a guitar – artefacts from her film career are being auctioned off to raise funds for UNICEF. The guest speaker hasn’t arrived, so Audrey begins talking about her life and career while we wait for his arrival.

Helen Anker’s physical resemblance to Hepburn (they both trained as ballet dancers) and her wonderful grasp of Hepburn’s vocal rhythms and tone add a little magic to her heartfelt performance. Anker’s Audrey swigs wine when she gets nervous, dances gleefully across the room as she shows off her gowns, and fumbles over words when she touches upon memories that are hard to bear. Director Michael Vivian ensures Anker’s physicality is used effectively as she moves around the small stage, dancing, singing and sipping her wine.

With such an interesting and full life, it is hard to stop a 65-minute monologue from becoming a checklist of facts, but Anker’s writing and performance creates the atmosphere of someone gradually relaxing into a public searching through and sharing of their memories and the emotions they evoke. Hepburn’s childhood and survival during WW2 in Holland had an enormous impact on her physical and emotional health, and Anker acknowledges this throughout, as well as her determination to prevent other children suffering leading her to work with UNICEF. Hepburn’s career sems to have been a string of good luck and coincidences landing her amazing roles which she then threw herself into and did her best to cope with any stress involved. Hepburn’s marriages and struggles to have children – with one shocking anecdote about 1960’s Hollywood’s disregard for the safety of actors – are considered candidly, there is juicy gossip about famous actors and directors, and sheer joy talking about her friendship with Givenchy. The essence of Audrey, the troubled but determined woman behind the public façade, is revealed in a natural and affectionate manner that had the audience rapt.

A fascinating and heartwarming exploration of an icon that is unmissable. Helen Anker has created that S’wonderful.

Details of future tour dates available here: https://gilesshentonproductions.co.uk/the-essence-of-audrey

NHS workers invited to ‘Nye’ at National Theatre and Vue cinemas nationwide

NATIONAL THEATRE PARTNERS WITH THE NHS INVITING HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO WATCH NYE LIVE ON STAGE AND IN CINEMAS NATIONWIDE FOR FREE

  • The National Theatre has invited 400 NHS workers to watch Nye, a play charting the life of Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan and his battle to create the NHS, at the Olivier theatre on 23 April.
  • In addition, 1000 NHS workers from across the UK have been invited to watch this performance in cinemas through National Theatre Live, in collaboration with Vue cinemas.
  • Nye is the 100th title to be released through National Theatre Live since its inception in 2009.

The National Theatre has partnered with the NHS to give 400 NHS workers free tickets to watch a live performance of Nye – Tim Price‘s (Teh Internet is Serious Business) new play directed by Rufus Norris (Small Island), charting the life of Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan and his battle to create the NHS, playing in the Olivier theatre.

To celebrate Nye as the 100th release from National Theatre Live, the National Theatre in collaboration with Vue has also invited 1000 NHS workers nationwide to watch the live broadcast in cinemas on 23 April, extending its commitment to share impactful stories that inspire and unite people.

The National Theatre has worked with the NHS to ensure tickets are allocated across the NHS including doctors, nurses, and student doctors for both the South Bank performance and Vue cinema tickets.

Michael Sheen plays Nye Bevan in a surreal and spectacular journey through the life and legacy of the man who transformed Britain’s welfare state and created the NHS, in this co-production with Wales Millennium Centre. Confronted with death, Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan’s deepest memories lead him on a mind-bending journey back through his life; from childhood to mining underground, Parliament and fights with Churchill.

Rufus Norris, Director of Nye and Director of the National Theatre, said, “I am honoured to extend a heartfelt invitation to NHS workers to share in this powerful story. This moment epitomises the National Theatre’s commitment to extending the reach of theatre to audiences wherever they are, both at the South Bank and through National Theatre Live. In collaboration with the NHS, we celebrate not only a historic moment, but also the ongoing journey to make theatre an accessible experience for everyone.”

Amanda Pritchard Chief Executive of NHS England, said, “Since Nye Bevan launched the NHS in 1948, it has never stood still – our history is one of innovation and adaption to meet the changing needs of the public, but the principles and the unwavering dedication always remain the same. And that is why it is such an honour that we will be joined by a range of NHS staff – past and present – to watch Nye at the National Theatre while giving hundreds of others the opportunity to see it across the country.”

Toby Bradon, General Manager for Vue UK and Ireland, said, “We are passionate about making quality event cinema such as live theatre accessible throughout the country on the Big Screen, and we are delighted that our partnership with National Theatre goes from strength to strength as they make their 100th production available. In particular, we are happy to welcome NHS workers to our screens across the country so they can be a part of this premiere that celebrates the origins of such a vital institution.”

Production Photos of New UK Tour of The 39 Steps

THE 39 STEPS began performances at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch last Thursday 14 March.  Following the run at Queen’s Theatre, the production will then tour from Tuesday 2 April, with a Gala Night on Thursday 4 April at Richmond Theatre in London.  The tour will run through to Saturday 3 August.  

Patrick Barlow’s hilarious adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller ran in London’s West End for nine years, finally closing in 2015.  It won the Olivier Award and What’s On Stage Award for Best Comedy in 2007.  It also took Broadway by storm, winning two Tony Awards and a Drama Desk Award in 2008.  The play, with its quintessentially plucky spirit and dashing sense of British fun, has toured to 39 countries and played to over 3 million people worldwide.

This wonderfully inventive and gripping comedy thriller features four fearless actors, playing 139 roles in 100 minutes of fast-paced fun and thrilling action.

The 2024 UK Tour is brought to the stage by UK tour director Nicola Samer, with the original creative team of designer Peter McKintosh, lighting designer Ian Scott, sound designer Mic Pool and director of movement Toby Sedgwick.  Casting is by Abby Galvin.  The tour is a remount of the award-winning production directed by Maria Aitken and adapted by Patrick Barlow.  

THE 39 STEPS at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is A Fiery Angel in association with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch production.  The 2024 UK Tour is produced by Fiery Angel.

www.love39steps.com
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Adrian Lukis (BBC’s Pride and Prejudice) to star in the London premiere of Being Mr Wickham, Jermyn Street Theatre this June

Original Theatre present the London premiere of

Being Mr Wickham

Performed and written by Adrian Lukis; Directed by Guy Unsworth

Playing Jermyn Street Theatre from 5 to 22 June 2024

Adrian Lukiswho starred in the renowned BBC TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, returns to the role of Mr Wickham in the London premiere of Being Mr Wickham, presented by Original Theatre at Jermyn Street Theatre from Wednesday 5 June to Saturday 22 June 2024. Tickets are now on sale:  https://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/show/being-mr-wickham/

Coming to London direct from a hit run in New York in 2023, this one-man play written and performed by Adrian Lukis, and directed by Guy Unsworth, explores one of Jane Austen’s most charmingly roguish gentleman characters. 

Join Pride and Prejudice’s George Wickham on the eve of his sixtieth birthday to lift the sheets on what exactly happened thirty years on from where we left him, and discover his own version of some very famous literary events.

“Mr. Wickham is blessed with such happy manners as may ensure his making friends – whether he may be equally capable of retaining them is less certain”. Mr Wickham is ready to set the record straight. What really happened with Darcy? What did he feel about Lizzie? What happened at Waterloo? Not to mention Byron…

Adrian Lukis said: “I was last in a play at this wonderful little theatre over twenty years ago. I love this theatre and am thrilled to have been invited back in the company of the dashing old roue, Mr George Wickham. We have all grown older and perhaps a little wiser. I hope that the re-emergence of the (thoroughly misunderstood) George Wickham, will not tarnish its continuing upward trajectory… but, keep the till locked, and half an eye on your wallets and daughters. So, please grab a glass, settle back and give the old boy a chance to explain, why for so many years, we’ve all got him wrong …”.

Adrian Lukis is currently filming Lockerbie for Netflix/BBC as well as The Road Trip (Paramount+). He most recently wrapped George Clooney’s Boys in the Boat and can currently be seen in Chris Foggins’ Bank of Dave (Netflix), The Man Who Fell To Earth (Showtime) and Feel Good series 1&2 opposite Lisa Kudrow. He’s on our screens in Tom Shankland’s Sas: Rogue Heroes for Kudos/BBC as well as Anatomy Of A Scandal for Netflix.  Known to millions in the 90s as Lt. Wickham in the BBC’s Pride & Prejudice, Adrian has since remained a fixture on British TV. He has recently appeared in: Us (Objective), Poldark 4 (Mammoth Screen), Bulletproof (Sky), Vera (ITV), Bounty Hunter (Tiger Aspect), The Crown II (Netflix), Collateral (BBC) and Genius: Einstein (History Channel) to name a few. He can also be seen in The Voyage Of Doctor Dolittle (Disney), Judy (BBC Films), Amundsen (Motion Bur) and The Festival (Fudge Park).

Being Mr Wickham is produced by Original Theatre, performed and written by Adrian Lukis and directed by Guy Unsworth with design by Libby Watson, sound design by Max Pappenheim and lighting design by Johanna Town. 

Original Theatre’s Artistic Director Alastair Whatley said: “We are delighted to be giving Mr Wickham his London debut at the intimate (and centrally located) Jermyn Street Theatre whose proximity to the bright lights of the capital city will indeed suit his taste for the high life. After gallivants around the UK and more recently in New York we couldn’t be more thrilled to be at last giving Mr Wickham his London season.”

Founded in 2004, Original Theatre has toured extensively all over the UK, introducing its digital arm Original Online in 2020, producing several acclaimed online productions. The award-winning producer is behind recent hit productions of The Interview, Murder in the Dark, Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d, and The Time Machine – A Comedy at Park Theatre which was recently nominated for an Olivier Award, and is currently on tour. In 2022, Original Theatre was awarded a Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for exceptional theatre-making during the Covid lockdowns. 

-LISTINGS- 

Show: Being Mr Wickham

Venue: Jermyn Street Theatre,16b Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6ST

Dates: 5-22 June 2024; Monday to Saturday 7.30pm; Tuesday, Saturday 3.00pm

Running Time: 60 minutes

Box Office: https://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/show/being-mr-wickham/  020 7287 2875

Age Guidance: 10+
Content Warnings: none

Access information: no wheelchair access; for details of captioned performances and audio description introductions visit: https://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/access/

Category: theatre / drama 

UK Tour Announced of Stephen Daldry’s multi award-winning production of JB Priestley’s AN INSPECTOR CALLS

UK TOUR ANNOUNCED OF

J B PRIESTLEY’S CLASSIC THRILLER

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

OPENING

FRIDAY 30 AUGUST 2024

AT ALEXANDRA PALACE, LONDON

BEFORE VISITING 26 VENUES ACROSS THE UK

PW Productions is delighted to announce that following a sell-out tour in 2022, Stephen Daldry’s multi award-winning National Theatre production of JB Priestley’s AN INSPECTOR CALLS will embark on a UK Tour for 2024-25.

Opening at Alexandra Palace, where it will play for 3 weeks, the tour will then visit Stoke, Darlington, Bristol, Belfast, Leicester, Eastbourne, Liverpool, Aylesbury, Salford, Norwich, Southampton, Shrewsbury, Hull, Cardiff, Blackpool, Wolverhampton, Truro, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Sunderland, Sheffield, Bradford, Birmingham, Llandudno, Milton Keynes and Wimbledon. Casting to be announced.

When Inspector Goole arrives unexpectedly at the prosperous Birling family home, their peaceful dinner party is shattered by his investigations into the death of a young woman. His startling revelations shake the very foundations of their lives and challenge us all to examine our consciences. More relevant now than ever, this is a must-see for a whole new generation.

Since 1992, Daldry’s seminal production of An Inspector Calls has won a total of 19 major awards, including four Tony Awards and three Olivier Awards, and has played to more than 5 million theatregoers worldwide.

Director Stephen Daldry said: “We’re thrilled to be presenting another tour of An Inspector Calls and excited to be opening at the Alexandra Palace. When we first made this production at the National Theatre in 1992 we could never have dreamt that it would still be going 32 years later and be just as relevant today as it was when it was first written.”

Stephen Daldry is an award-winning Theatre, Film and Television Director & Producer. He has directed theatre productions for London’s West End & New York’s Broadway, including BILLY ELLIOT, THE INHERTIANCE & AN INSPECTOR CALLS, winning multiple Olivier & Tony awards.  His latest play STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW opened at London’s Phoenix Theatre in December 2023.

Stephen has directed 6 feature films which have all been nominated for major industry awards.  Netflix’s THE CROWN, which he serves as Executive Producer, recently released the final season, with Stephen back directing the last episode.

Stephen served as Producer on the opening & closing ceremonies for the LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS and was Artistic Director on VOGUE WORLD LONDON in 2023.

Stephen is the Chairman of refugee arts charity GOOD CHANCE and was the director of their award-winning production THE JUNGLE.  He serves on the board of THE PERLMAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER in NY.

Aakash Odedra and Aditi Mangaldas’ new work to be performed at Birmingham Hippodrome

Aakash Odedra and Aditi Mangaldas’ new work to be performed at Birmingham Hippodrome

Image: Aakash Odedra and Aditi Mangaldas. Photo by Angela Grabowska

A new collaboration from two of the finest Kathak contemporary dancers on the world stage, Aakash Odedra and Aditi Mangaldas is set to be performed at Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 9 April.

Telling the story of a taboo relationship between an older woman and a younger man, Mehek is a powerful and mesmerising duet, showing a physical exploration of the human heart, its desires, courage, and resilience.

Mehek marks the first full length duet of Mangaldas’ illustrious 50-year career and is Hippodrome Associate Aakash Odedra Company’s first major production since Samsara which has been touring the world to great acclaim since its creation in 2022.

Derived from the Hindi word for fragrance, the title Mehek alludes to the enduring power of memory and the essence of love itself.  As the story unfolds, elements of nature will be explored with a set of mirrors by Tina Tzoka evoking the expansive waters of the sea, complimented by an epic and intimate score by composer Nicki Wells. Live on stage music will be performed by Faraz Ahmed alongside two Indian percussionists, Ashish Gangani and Hiren Chate.

At the start of the creative process, the company worked with over 450 elders from communities across Leicester who were taking part in Mehek Live, a major learning and participation project funded by a Nationally Significant Project Grant from Arts Council England. Some of their personal stories and memories of life and love, told to Aakash Odedra, dramaturg Karthika Naïr and musician Hiren Chate, have fed into the final piece.

Mehek comes to Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 9 April. Tickets are on sale now and can be booked at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or by calling 0844 338 5000* 

*calls cost 4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge. 

Casting Announced for Withnail & I at Birmingham Rep

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

THE WORLD PREMIERE

OF A NEW STAGE ADAPTATION OF

THE CULT FILM CLASSIC

WITHNAIL AND I

ROBERT SHEEHAN,

ADONIS SIDDIQUE & MALCOLM SINCLAIR

TO PLAY WITHNAIL, MARWOOD & UNCLE MONTY

Friday 3 – Saturday 25 May 2024

The Birmingham Rep

The BAFTA and IFTA nominated Irish actor Robert Sheehan will star as Withnail in Birmingham Rep’s brand new adaptation of Bruce Robinson’s 1987 British tragi-comedy film, Withnail and I, alongside Adonis Siddique as Marwood with Malcolm Sinclair as Uncle Monty.  

Directed by the double Olivier Award-winning Artistic Director of Birmingham Rep, Sean Foley and designed by Alice Power, itwill have its premiere at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with performances from 3 May until 25 May 2024.

Robert Sheehan made his acting debut in Aisling Walsh’s acclaimed feature Song For A Raggy BoySince then, his screen credits include:  Season of the Witch, Cherrybomb, Killing Bono, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, The Road Within, The Song of Sway Lake, Anita B, The Messenger, Moonwalkers, Jet Trash, Geostorm, Bad Samaritan, Three Summers, Mute, Mortal Engines, the BAFTA winning Red Riding trilogy for Channel 43, the multi-IFTA winning Love/Hate, the BAFTA winning Misfits for E4 (for which he was BAFTA nominated), The Borrowers, Fortitude, Genius: Picasso, The Last Bus, The Umbrella Academy and the upcoming film Red Sonja.   His theatre work includes The Playboy of the Western World directed by John Crowley for the Old Vic, Richard III in The Wars of the Roses directed by Trevor Nunn for the Rose Theatre and Endgame directed by Danya Taymor for the Gate Theatre Dublin.


Adonis Siddique’s theatre credits include: The Crown Jewels in the West End, Saleem in East Is East (a Birmingham Rep co-production with the National Theatre); Dorian Gray in The Picture Of Dorian Gray  at the Pleasance Theatre in London, Crowther in The History Boys, Jav in Mismatched, a Sky Comedy/Birmingham Rep production, Quasim in Very Special Guest Star atSoho Theatre and Kyle in Dad at SouthwarkPlayhouse. Adonis was a creative collaborator and actor in Shunt’s Party Skills For The End Of The World at The Manchester International Festival.  His film & television credits include: Newark NewarkTin Star,  Tyrant, Beyond Reasonable Doubt for CNN and the feature film Me Myself and D.

Malcolm Sinclair is currently appearing at the National Theatre in Dear Octopus with Lindsay Duncan.  His other many theatre credits include The Inquiry at Chichester Festival Theatre,  My Fair Lady in the West End, The Light in the Piazza internationally and at the Royal Festival Hall,  An Enemy of the People at Nottingham Playhouse, This House at Chichester Festival Theatre and at the Garrick Theatre,  The Doctor’s DilemmaThe Habit of Art, The Power of Yes and House/Garden, History Boys and Racing Demonfor the National Theatre,  Ivanov at the Donmar Warehouse and Richard IIIUncle Vanya and The Comedy of Errors for the Royal Shakespeare Company.  His many TV credits include Andor in A Star Wars Story for Disney +,  Midsomer MurdersVirtuoso Silk,   Henry V,  The Hollow CrownFoyle’s WarHustleJudge John DeedA Touch of Frost and the US mini-series,  Scarlett.   His many films include: Drowning; The Man Who Knew InfinitySurvivorA Belfast storyThe Young VictoriaCasino Royale, V for Vendetta,  Keep The Aspidistra FlyingYoung Poisoner’s HandbookGod On The Rocks,  Now That It’s Morning and Success Is The Best Revenge.

Written and adapted for the stage by Bruce Robinson himself, the writer and director of the original film, the show will bring to life some of the most iconic comic characters ever created. The film, based on Robinson’s own unpublished novel, was produced by Handmade Films and starred Richard E GrantPaul McGann and Richard Griffiths.

Sean Foley said:  “Hilarious, tragic, and wild, Withnail and I, is a comedy like no other, and I’m thrilled to be working with the legendary Bruce Robinson to bring it to life on stage… In fact, where better for the extraordinarily funny tale of two unemployed actors who go on holiday, ‘by mistake’? Rightly regarded as one of the finest British film’s ever made, our world premiere stage version brings to life the classic dialogue, the insane situations, and above all the boozy, irresistibly hilarious relationship of one of the most famous slacker duo’s ever created…”

September 1969… the swinging ’60’s, rock ’n’ roll, counter culture bohemianism… and two young unemployed actors – the flamboyant, boozy Withnail, and the shy, contemplative Marwood – live in utter squalor in a flat in Camden Town, praying for a job… Their only visitor is their drug dealer, Danny; their only expeditions are to the local pubs; and their only friends each other… 

Needing a break from the atrocious state of their acting careers, they hit upon the idea of a nice holiday – and Marwood proposes a trip to a cottage in the Lake District, owned by Withnail’s wealthy Uncle Monty. Monty lives in Chelsea, and after a few drinks together, agrees to lend them the key to the cottage – for a price…

Regarded as one of the finest British film’s ever made, this world premiere stage version brings to life the classic dialogue, the insane situations, and above all the boozy, irresistibly hilarious relationship of one of the most famous slacker duo’s ever created…

‘We want the finest wines available to humanity, we want them here and we want them now!’

Withnail & I is produced for the stage by Birmingham Repertory Theatre alongside Handmade Films and George Waud for Groove International.

Casting is by Ginny Schiller.  Further cast and creative team details will be announced in due course.