Casting announced at REGENTS PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE

Regent’s Park
Open Air Theatre

• FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR J.M. BARRIE’S PETER PAN AT REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE, WITH LEAD CASTING CONFIRMED FOR THE SEAGULL AND SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS

• HIRAN ABEYSEKERA WILL PLAY PETER PAN ALONGSIDE DAVID BIRRELL AS CAPTAIN HOOK IN J.M. BARRIE’S PETER PAN

• JANIE DEE WILL PLAY IRINA ARKADINA WITH SABRINA BARTLETT AS NINA AND MATTHEW TENNYSON AS KONSTANTIN IN THE SEAGULL

• LAURA PITT-PULFORD WILL PLAY MILLY BRADON AND ALEX GAUMOND WILL PLAY ADAM PONTIPEE IN SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS

Casting for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s 2015 production of J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan has today been announced, with lead casting for The Seagull and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers also confirmed. The season opens for previews on 15 May.

The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is delighted to be unveiling a brand new impactful and atmospheric redesign of the Summer Café, Main Bar and Interval Café by B3 Designers in time for the 2015 season.

PETER PAN

Hiran Abeysekera will play the title role alongside David Birrell as Captain Hook, who returns to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre following roles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Ragtime. Also returning to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre will be Beverly Rudd (Smee) and George Bukhari (Nibs).Peter Pan will run from 15 May – 14 June.

Hiran Abeysekera recently performed in Behind the Beautiful Forevers at the National Theatre. Previous theatre credits include The Taming of the Shrew (RSC) and Rats’ Tales (Manchester Royal Exchange).

David Birrell previously appeared at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2012 as Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and as Father in Ragtime. He won Best Supporting Actor in the 2015 Manchester Theatre Awards for Journey’s End (Octagon Theatre), and won the Critics’ Award for Theatre in Scotland Best Male Performance for Sweeney Todd (Dundee Rep), for which he was also nominated for the TMA Award for Best Performance in a Musical.

Beverly Rudd previously appeared at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre as Little Red Ridinghood in Into the Woods, and as Lucy Lockit in The Beggar’s Opera.

George Bukhari previously appeared as Piggy in Lord of the Flies, and as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Further casting includes Kae Alexander (Wendy), Patrick Osborne (John), Thomas Dennis (Michael),Rachel Donovan (Tinker Bell), Eben Figueiredo (Tootles), Thomas Pickles (Slighty), Richard James-Neale (Curly), Jacob James Beswick & Chris Lew Kum Hoi (Twins), Carl Prekopp (Gentleman Starkey), Okorie Chukwu, Owain Gwynn, Jonathan Holby and Arthur Kyeyune (Pirates), Melanie Pappenheim, Daniel Bradley, Candida Caldicot, Zands Duggan & Tamara Young (Musicians) and Joe Swain (Show Climber).

Peter Pan is directed by Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel, who have previously worked together for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre productions of Lord of the Flies, Into The Woods (Oliver Award, Best Musical Revival) and the 2015 Olivier Award nominated production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. The set will be designed by Jon Bausor whose credits include Lord of the Flies, The Crucible, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ragtime and To Kill a Mockingbird (all for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)and MAMETZ (National Theatre Wales) for which he won Best Design in the UK Theatre Awards 2014.

Peter Pan will have costumes designed by Olivier Award winner Jon Morrell, Puppet Design by Rachael Canning (Into The Woods), Composition and Sound Score by Nick Powell, Musical Supervision and Direction by Candida Caldicot, Lighting Design by Rick Fisher, Sound Design by Nick Lidster for Autograph and Polly Jerrold as casting director.

“I ran away the day I was born,” said Peter, “cause I heard Father and Mother talking of what I was to be when I became a man. I want always to be a little boy and to have fun, Wendy”. But this could not be for the Darlings; all children, except one, grow up.  1914 is a very different world. Faced with this reality, their only escape is to let imagination take flight to Never Land.

George Llewelyn Davies, killed in action in WW1, was one of the children who inspired this iconic character. Remembering him, and a generation of lost boys, Timothy Sheader and Liam Steelrediscover J. M. Barrie’s original stage play.

Recommended for all ages 9+. By arrangement with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

THE SEAGULL

Olivier Award winner Janie Dee will star as Irina Arkadina in Chekhov’s The Seagull, with Sabrina Bartlett as Nina and Matthew Tennyson as Konstantin. The Seagull will run from 19 June – 11 July and will be directed by Matthew Dunster with set design by Jon Bausor.

Janie Dee has previously starred in Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre productions including Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night. Janie won the Olivier, Evening Standard and Critic’s Choice Awards for Best Actress for Alan Ayckbourn’s Comic Potential which she performed in London and New York, and the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for Carousel, directed by Nicholas Hytner at the National Theatre. She appeared alongside Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit, and has just finished a run as Helene Hanff in 84 Charing Cross Road (Salisbury Playhouse). She is currently in rehearsal for Ah, Wilderness! at the Young Vic and, following The Seagull, will play the title role in Mrs Henderson Presents at Theatre Royal Bath.

Sabrina Bartlett can currently be seen playing Keren Daniel in BBC1’s drama Poldark and recently starred in BBC1’s Passing Bells.

Matthew Tennyson won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Newcomer for Making Noise Quietly (Donmar).

Further casting for The Seagull to be announced.

Matthew Dunster’s directing credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, The Love Girl & The Innocent and You Can Still Make a Killing (Southwark Playhouse).  As a playwright, his play Children’s Children premiered at the Almeida Theatre in 2012 and his re-imagining of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Most Incredible Thing, a collaboration with The Pet Shop Boys and choreographer Javier de Frutos, opened at Sadler’s Wells in 2011.

As guests assemble at a country house for the staging of an avant-garde open air play, artistic temperaments ignite a more entertaining drama behind the scenes, with romantic jealousies, self-doubt and the ruthless pursuit of happiness confusing lives, loves and literature.

Celebrated as one of the most important plays of the nineteenth century, The Seagull will have movement by Charlotte Broom, Lighting Design by Philip Gladwell, Sound Design by Christopher Shuttand casting by Julia Horan and Lotte Hines.

SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS

Featuring Alex Gaumond as Adam and Laura Pitt-Pulford as Milly, director Rachel Kavanaugh reunites the creative team behind 2013’s award-winning production of The Sound of Music. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers will run from 16 July – 29 August.

Laura Pitt-Pulford played Maria in The Sound of Music at the Curve, Leicester and also appeared at the Curve in Piaf and Hello, Dolly!, as well as The Light Princess at the National Theatre.

Alex Gaumond recently played opposite Robert Lindsay in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy), and played Miss Trunchbull in Matilda The Musical (Cambridge Theatre). Previous credits include Top Hat, We Will Rock You and Legally Blonde.  He is currently playing Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd at the ENO.

Rachel Kavanaugh directed The Sound of Music (Best Musical Revival, WhatsOnStage Awards) for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and her production of Oklahoma! is currently on UK tour. Rachel was Artistic Director at Birmingham Rep, directing productions including His Dark Materials, Racing Demon,The Madness of George III and A Doll’s House, and for Chichester Festival has directed An Ideal Husband, The Way of the World and Love Story.

From the Golden Age of the movie musical, this much-loved musical includes Bless Your Beautiful Hide, Goin’ Courtin’, Wonderful, Wonderful Day, and the dance spectacular, Barn Dance.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers will have Set and Costume Design by Peter McKintosh, Choreography by Alistair David, Musical Supervision and Dance Arrangements by Gareth Valentine, Musical Direction by Stephen Ridley, Lighting Design by Tim Mitchell, Orchestration by Larry Blank, Sound Design byNick Lidster for Autograph and Casting by James Orange.

LORD OF THE FLIES

2015 dates have been confirmed for the UK tour of Lord of the Flies. William Golding’s classic story of survival, superstition and immorality, adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams. Timothy Sheader’s acclaimed 2011 production returns to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for just 14 performances from 3 – 12 September prior to a UK tour which starts at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking on 16 September 2015. Tour dates can be found below.

Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel will reunite to co-Direct with Set Design by Jon Bausor and Music composed by Nick Powell. Lighting Design will be by Paul Keogan, Sound Design by Avgoustas Psillas for Autograph and Casting by Pippa Ailion.

Casting and 2016 dates are still to be announced.

The UK tour of Lord of the Flies is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.