CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CALCULATING KINDNESS
Presented by Undercurrent and Camden People’s Theatre
Camden People’s Theatre, London NW1
29 March to 16 April 2016
Part of CPT’s Spring Season
Calculating Kindness is a thought provoking new production based on the extraordinary life of American scientist George Price (1922-75) presented at Camden People’s Theatre within yards of the squat on Tolmers Square, Euston where Price lived, worked and died.
George Price taught himself the basics of evolutionary genetics and, inspired by the work of Oxford evolutionary biologist WD Hamilton, formulated an equation widely acknowledged as the mathematical explanation for the evolution of altruism – something science had been trying to do since Darwin.
Adam Burton plays tragic genius George Price. Burton’s previous stage credits include Everyman (National); Boris Godunov, A Life of Galileo, The Orphan of Zhao, The Tempest, Antony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and The Drunks (Royal Shakespeare Company). Other theatre includes: Titus Andronicus, The Drowned Man, The Masque of the Red Death, Faust, All My Sons, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Timon of Athens, The Duchess of Malfi, You Can’t Take It With You, As You Like It and Baggage.
Rachael Spence and Neal Craig will be taking on a number of roles. Rachael has worked regularly with Improbable over the last ten years performing in No Idea, The Wolves in the Walls, Theatre of Blood and The Hanging Man. She has also worked for The National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Globe, and many other regional and international theatres and companies. Her television and radio credits include ‘The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries’ (ITV); ‘Eastenders’ (BBC) and ‘The Best Men’ (BBC); ‘Pilgrim and Filthy Rich’ (Radio Four).
Since graduating Neal has worked with Propeller Theatre Company, directed by Ed Hall, The National Theatre and The Bristol Old Vic. He has appeared in the HBO series ‘A Girl’s Guide to Depravity’ and as recurring character PC Terry warren in the ITV soap ‘Emmerdale’.
Calculating Kindness is written by award-winning playwright Lydia Adetunji and directed by award-winning director Laura Farnworth, along with advisors Dr. Gardner (St. Andrews University); Professor Alan Grafen (Oxford University); Professor Pomiankowski (UCL) and Dr. Valli (Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London.
Laura Farnworth is Artistic Director of Undercurrent and Associate Director with Shared Experience. Productions include Trickster, Floor 44 (ATC/Young Vic); Jungle (BAC, CPT, Theatre Royal Bath); King of Schnorrers (CPT, UK Tour); Dying (ATC/Gate); A Little Music (Ignition Festival, Tristan Bates); Don Q (Edinburgh Festival); Abel Sanchez, Just so Stories (Stoke Newington International Airport); Our Style is Legendary (Tristan Bates, Nottingham Playhouse). Associate/Assistant Direction includes: Mermaid (dir. Polly Teale, Shared Experience national tour); Public Enemy (dir. Richard Jones, Young Vic); My City (dir. Stephen Poliakoff, Almeida); Happy Now? (dir. Thea Sharrock, National Theatre); Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (dir. Paulette Randall, Royal Court).
Lydia Adetunji won the Catherine Johnson ‘Best Play’ award for her script Compliance in 2011. Recent work includes Bread on the Table, part of Metta Theatre’s Mouthful (Trafalgar Studios); The Foreigner (Staffordshire New Vic’s Hoard festival); Compliance (Paines Plough); Floor 44 and Trickster (ATC/Young Vic). Other work has been performed at the Tricycle, Globe, Oran Mor and HighTide Festival.
The production is designed by Lucy Sierra with lighting by Ziggy Jacobs and sound design/composition by Nick Rothwell. The producer is Sophie Cornell.
Calculating Kindness is supported by Wellcome Trust, Arts Council England, Royal Victoria Hall Foundation and the European Society for Evolutionary Biology.