NEW PLAY EXAMINING HUMAN IMPACT OF CUTS TO THE LEGAL AID SYSTEM
The cast for the world premiere production of THE INVISIBLE by Rebecca Lenkiewicz is: Nicholas Bailey, Niall Buggy, Alexandra Gilbreath, Scott Karim and Sirine Saba.
The production, directed by Michael Oakley, previews from 3 July (press night 8 July).
THE INVISIBLE is a new play by Rebecca Lenkiewicz about the recent changes to the provision of legal aid. Based on interviews with real people at all levels of the British justice system, this play aims to tell the stories of those ordinary people affected by the cuts and to examine how they are driving ever deeper cracks into the fabric of our society. With cuts currently totalling £350m, the reforms to the legal aid system are arguably one of the biggest threats to human rights in Britain today.
Nicholas Bailey’s theatre credits include Macbeth (Mercury Theatre), Soho Streets (Soho Theatre),Breakfast with Mugabe (Theatre Royale Bath), Mela (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Become a Man(Hackney Empire), Blue on Blue (Haymarket Basingstoke), A Sense of Justice (Perth Rep), Mother Courage and Her Children (Shared Experience), Dreaming (Manchester Royal Exchange, West End), Life is a Dream (Barbican), Ease Access (For the Boys) (Drill Hall), Life is a Dream (Edinburgh Royale Lyceum), King Lear (Royal National Theatre), Hamlet (Manchester Library Theatre), The Winter’s Tale(Manchester Library Theatre), and Julius Caesar (Manchester Royal Exchange). For television, Nicholas is best known for playing Dr Anthony Truman on EastEnders, other credits include Siblings (BBC3),Doctors (BBC), Anubis House (Lime Pictures, Nickelodeon), Law & Order UK (Kudos), and Miranda(BBC).
Niall Buggy is an Oliver Award-winning actor whose best known roles include Uncle Vanya (Lyric Theatre,Belfast), for which he won Best Actor in the Irish Times Theatre Awards, Aristocrats (National Theatre) for which he won a number of awards including the Time Out Award, Obie Award in New York, Drama Desk Award and a Clarence Derwent Award. He was awarded the Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance in Dead Funny. His most recent theatre credits include The Importance of Being Ernest(Harold Pinter Theatre), Translations (Sheffield Crucible), Haunted (The Playhouse Theatre, Sydney),After Play (Gate Theatre), A Girl with a Pearl Earring (Haymarket Theatre) and Guys and Dolls (Donmar Warehouse). Niall’s film credits include Mamma Mia, Casanova, The Butcher Boy, Alien 3 and The Playboys. Some of his television credits include Inspector Lewis, Dalziel and Pascoe, Father Ted, The Bill and The Professionals.
Alexandra Gilbreath is an Olivier Award-nominated actor whose theatre credits include Shakespeare’s Birthday Bash (RSC), The Merry Wives of Windsor (RSC), Playhouse Creatures (Chichester Festival Theatre), Shallow Slumber (Soho Theatre), Othello (Sheffield Crucible Theatre), The Village Bike(Royal Court Theatre), Hay Fever (Rose Theatre Kingston), Twelfth Night (RSC Stratford/ West End),Lucky You (Magic Key Productions), Merry Wives: The Musical (RSC), The Tamer Tamed (RSC), The Taming of the Shrew (RSC), As You Like It (RSC), Romeo and Juliet (RSC), The Winter’s Tale (RSC),Cyrano De Bergerac (RSC/ West End), The House of Bernarda Alba (Gate Theatre), Hedda Gabler(English Touring Co./ Donmar), Ghosts (RSC), Love’s Labour’s Lost (RSC), King Lear (West Yorkshire Playhouse). Alexandra’s television credits include Father Brown (BBC), Casualty (BBC), WPC 56 (BBC),Doctors (BBC), EastEnders (BBC), Midsummer’s Night’s Dreaming (RSC/ Google), Inspector George Gently (Company Pictures) and Not Going Out (BBC). Film credits include A Hundred Streets, Tulip Fever, The All Together, and Dead Babies.
Scott Karim’s theatre credits include The Merchant of Venice (Globe Theatre), Dara (National Theatre), Great Britain (National Theatre/ Theatre Royal Haymarket), Grand Budapest Hotel (Secret Cinema), and Othello (National Theatre). For television he has appeared in Holby City (BBC).
Sirine Saba’s previous theatre credits include The Keepers of Infinite Space (Park Theatre); The Winter’s Tale, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night and HMS Pinafore(Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); The Fear of Breathing (Finborough); Scorched (Old Vic Tunnels);Nation, Sparkleshark (NT); The Spiral (Royal Court); Testing the Echo (Out of Joint/Tricycle); Baghdad Wedding (Soho Theatre); Beauty and the Beast, Midnight’s Children, Pericles, The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Tales From Ovid and A Warwickshire Testimony (RSC);Cinderella (Bristol Old Vic) and House/Garden (Northampton).
Rebecca Lenkiewicz is an award-winning writer who, in 2008, was the first living female playwright to have her work produced on the Olivier Stage at the National Theatre, London. Rebecca is currently under commission to Out of Joint Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York, and the National Theatre. Rebecca’s screenplay Ida, co-written with Pawel Pawlikowksi, won Best Film at various festivals including the London Film Festival as well as the Oscar for best foreign language film at this year’s awards.
Michael Oakley’s most recent credit is directing Caroline Quentin in The Life and Times of Fanny Hillat Bristol Old Vic Theatre. In 2012 he was Co-Artistic Director of Theatre on the Fly – a pop-up venue at Chichester Festival Theatre – where his productions included the acclaimed Playhouse Creatures. Prior to this, he was Trainee Director in Residence at Chichester Festival Theatre, and a recipient of the prestigious JMK Award for young directors.
James Graham’s political thriller THE ANGRY BRIGADE is currently playing in the main house.
THE INVISIBLE will be followed in the Bush’s autumn season by F*CK THE POLAR BEARS by Tanya Ronder (11 September – 24 October 2015) and FORGET ME NOT by Tom Holloway (8 December 2015 – 16 January 2016), which is a co-production between the Bush Theatre and HighTide Festival Theatre.
RADAR, the Bush Theatre’s annual festival of new writing, will take place in November 2015. Full line-up and ticket information to be announced.
LISTINGS
3 July – 15 August 2015
THE INVISIBLE
By Rebecca Lenkiewicz
Press night 8 July, 7pm
Mon to Sat at 7.30pm
2.30pm Saturday matinees (from 11 July)
2.30pm Wednesday matinees (from 15 July)
BushGreen Live Debate: In an age of austerity, why defend legal aid?
22 July, post-show
Captioned performance 24 July, 7.30pm
Audio described performance 1 August, 2.30pm
Ticket prices:
Evenings: £20
- £12.50 concessions (registered unemployed and disabled)
- £15.50 for Senior Citizens
- £12.50 for students/under 26s
- 10% off for Bush Local members
Previews: £15.50
- £10.50 concessions (registered unemployed and disabled)
- £12.50 for Senior Citizens
- £10.50 for students/under 26s
- £12.50 for Bush Local members
Matinees: £15
- £10.00 concessions (registered unemployed and disabled)
- £10.00 for students/under 26s
- £10.00 for Senior Citizens
- 10% off for Bush Local members
Season Offers*
Season 3 for 2
See 3 shows for the price of 2. Valid for top price tickets only, shows must be purchased at the same time. Not valid for previews, matinees or RADAR.
Live or work locally – Join our free local membership scheme Bush Local for £12.50 preview tickets, 10% off all other performances and a 10% discount at the Cafe Bar. For more information and to become a member, visit bushtheatre.co.uk
Educational Groups – Schools tickets are £10 (matinees) and £12.50 (evenings), plus one teacher goes free with every 10 pupils. To reserve tickets, please call the Box Office between 12 – 8pm.
Bush Connect scheme – A free membership scheme for students and under 26s, BUSH CONNECT offers its members £10-£12.50 tickets for all Bush Theatre productions, a 10% discount at the Cafe Bar, special offers, giveaways and competitions, and exclusive events and networking opportunities.
Group Bookings – Book for a group of 11 or more people and the 11th person will go for free.
*Terms and conditions apply, see the Bush website for further information.
