Julian Glover in
STRIFE by John Galsworthy
Directed by Bertie Carvel
12 August – 10 September, Minerva Theatre
Full casting has been announced for John Galsworthy’s STRIFE, playing at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre from 12 August – 10 September with a press night on Thursday 18 August. The cast for Bertie Carvel’s production is led by Julian Glover, who is joined by Lucy Black, Antony Bunsee, Jason Cheater, Louise Collins, Alan David, Tomos Eames, Julian Firth, Michael Hodgson, Simon Holland Roberts, Ian Hughes, Trudi Jackson, Rhys Meredith, Mark Quartley, Madhav Sharma, Rosie Sheehy, Nicola Sloane, Cameron Sutherland and Lizzy Watts.
1909, South Wales. There is snow on the ground at the Trenartha Tinplate Works and the furnaces too are cold. The men are on strike and the community is close to breaking point. Amid this bleak winter, the company’s directors have made the journey from London to try and reach a solution and restart production. Fearing their plummeting share price, most of the board members are keen to reach a compromise but the Chairman, old John Anthony, is resolute and hard as iron.
The men are behind their firebrand leader, Roberts, but the union has withdrawn its support and it is only a matter of time before the men do too.
More than a hundred years after it was first performed, Galsworthy’s rarely staged play – voted one of the National Theatre’s 100 most influential plays of the 20th century – offers a strikingly balanced account of the political spectrum.
Julian Glover makes his Festival debut as John Anthony; recent work in his long career on stage and screen includes HBO’s Game of Thrones, John of Gaunt in Richard II for the RSC and The Scottsboro Boys at the Young Vic and in the West End.
Lucy Black plays Annie Roberts; her many television appearances include Jericho, The Durrells, Call the Midwife and Grantchester, while recent theatre credits include Three Winters and Children of the Sun at the National Theatre.
Ian Hughes, who plays Roberts, recently appeared in Guys and Dolls at Chichester and in the West End. His theatre work includes many roles for the RSC, while his television credits include Stella, Torchwood and Holby City.
Lizzy Watts plays Enid Underwood. Her television work includes The Durrells and Midsomer Murders, while recent theatre includes The Angry Brigade (Paines Plough/Bush Theatre), and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe international tour).
Bertie Carvel makes his directorial debut at Chichester. As an actor, his recent roles include Doctor Foster and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (both BBC), Coalition (Channel 4), The Hairy Ape (Old Vic), Bakkhai (Almeida), and Matilda The Musical (RSC, West End and Broadway).
Strife will be designed by Robert Jones, with lighting by Rick Fisher and sound by Fergus O’Hare.
Strife is sponsored by Lancing College.
BOOKING INFORMATION
Strife is at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester from 12 August – 10 September. Evenings at 7.45pm (except for Press Night, 18 August at 7pm), matinees at 2.45pm. Tickets from £20.
Box Office 01243 781312
Online cft.org.uk
Prologue: £8.50 tickets for 16 – 25s
An allocation of £8.50 tickets will available for 16 to 25 year-olds. These are released on 12 July; sign up free at cft.org.uk/prologue.