REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE ANNOUNCE FULL CASTING FOR OUR TOWN:
- NATALIE KLAMAR TAKES THE CENTRAL ROLE OF STAGE MANAGER
- ARTHUR HUGHES AND FRANCESCA HENRY PLAY GEORGE GIBBS AND EMILY WEBB
- KARL COLLINS AND PANDORA COLIN PLAY DR AND MRS GIBBS
- TOM EDDEN AND THUSITHA JAYASUNDERA PLAY MR AND MRS WEBB
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre have today announced full casting for Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Our Town. Directed by The Gate Theatre’s Artistic Director, Ellen McDougall, the cast is led by Natalie Klamar in the central role of Stage Manager.
As the Stage Manager introduces another ordinary day in Grover’s Corners, the townsfolk go about their daily business: newspapers are delivered; people go to work; gardens are tended to. And a boy and girl fall in love. The boy, George Gibbs is played by Arthur Hughes, and the girl, Emily Webb byFrancesca Henry.
But, as life’s events unfold and a community comes together, one question remains: “do any human beings ever realise life as they live it? Every, every minute?”
George and Emily’s parents are played by Karl Collins and Pandora Colin (Dr and Mrs Gibbs) andTom Edden and Thusitha Jayasundera (Mr and Mrs Webb). Nicola Sloane takes the role of Mrs Soames, and Garry Robson, Constable Warren.
Completing the cast are: Phil Adele (Sam Craig), Jim Findley (Joe Stoddard), Peter Hobday (Simon Stimson), Terique Jarrett (Si and Joe Crowell), Louis Martin (Howie Newsome), Miriam Nyarko(Rebecca Gibbs) and Cleo Sylvestre (Professor Willard). The role of Wally Webb will be shared byTumo Reetsang and Tyrell Russell-Martin.
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Natalie Klamar (Stage Manager) has recently been seen in Keith? (Arcola), Richard II (Almeida) andProm Kween (Edinburgh Fringe). Other theatre credits include: Cleansed, I Want My Hat Back(National Theatre), Future Conditional (Old Vic), The Cherry Orchard (Young Vic), All’s Well That Ends Well, As You Like It, Hamlet, King John (RSC), and as Desdemona in Othello (Shakespeare’s Globe).
Arthur Hughes (George Gibbs) has most recently been seen in the supernatural drama, The Innocents (Netflix). Recent theatre credits include: Saint Joan (Donmar Warehouse), The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Graeae Theatre Company/National Theatre) and Romeo and Juliet (Taking Flight Theatre Company). Extensive radio credits include Home Front (BBC Radio 4).
Francesca Henry (Emily Webb) recently made her professional debut in The Wolves at Stratford East, also directed by Ellen McDougall.
Karl Collins (Dr Gibbs) most recently appeared in Nine Night (Trafalgar Studios). Other theatre credits include: Chimerica (Almeida/Pinter), One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show (Eclipse Theatre/Tricycle), The 11th Capital (Royal Court) and Fuente Ova Juna (National Theatre). On television Karl appeared in the BAFTA Television Award-winning mini-series This is England 90 and as Louis Loveday in Hollyoaks, and film credits include Twentyfourseven and the BAFTA winning The Unloved.
Pandora Colin (Mrs Gibbs) most recently appeared as Titania in A Misdummer Night’s Dream(Sheffield Crucible). Other recent theatre credits include: Julius Caesar (Sheffield Crucible), The Vote(Donmar Warehouse), Cornelius – Brits off Broadway (59E59 Theatre, New York), The Dark Earth and the Light Sky, The House of Bernarda Alda (Almeida) and After the Dance (National Theatre). On film credits include: Aftermath, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool and The Lady in the Van.
Tom Edden (Editor Webb) recently appeared as part of the Pinter at the Pinter season directed by Jamie Lloyd. Other theatre credits includes: Mr Wormwood in Matilda (Camrbridge), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Donmar Warehouse), Amadeus (National Theatre), Doctor Faustus (Duke of Yorks), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Apollo), Thénardier in Les Misérables and Fagin in Oliver! (Sheffield Crucible). On film, credits include: Star Wars Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Disney’s Cinderellaand Mr Turner.
Thusitha Jayasundera (Mrs Webb) recently appeared in Stories (National Theatre). Other theatre credits include: Behind The Beautiful Forevers, Crime and Punishment, War Horse (National Theatre),The Vertical Hour (Park Theatre) and Tiger Country (Hampstead), and on television, credits includeHumans, Doctor Foster and Broadchurch.
Nicola Sloane (Mrs Soames) recently appeared in Flowers for Mrs Harris (Chichester Festival). Theatre credits also include: Frankenstein, To Kill a Mockingbird (Royal Exchange Manchester), Love in Idleness, A Little Night Music (Menier), London Road (National Theatre), My Fair Lady, Me and My Girl (Sheffield Crucible). Film credits include Red Joan, The Danish Girl, The Theory of Everything,Les Misérables and London Road.
Garry Robson (Constable Warren) was most recently seen in Kiss Me Quickstep (Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch/New Wolsey/Theatr Clwyd). Other recent theatre credits include: White Christmas(Curve, Leicester), Our Country’s Good (Ramps on the Moon/Nottingham Playhouse and touring),Blanche and Butch (Birds of Paradise), Mother Courage (Tron), The Who’s Tommy (New Wolsey Theatre/Ramps on the Moon), Reasons to be Cheerful and The Threepenny Opera (both with Graeae Theatre Company). He is Artistic Director of the disability led national organisation, Fittings Multimedia Arts.
Joining Director Ellen McDougall are Rosie Elnile (Designer), Sasha Milavic Davies (Movement Director), Orlando Gough (Composer), Lizzie Powell (Lighting Designer), Tom Gibbons (Sound Designer) and David Ridley (Musical Director). Casting is by Jacob Sparrow and Barbara Houseman is Season Associate Director (Voice and Text).
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The 2019 season at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre also includes the opera Hansel and Gretel (14 – 22 June) in a co-production with English National Opera, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (28 June – 27 July) and Evita (2 August – 21 September), lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Their award-winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar plays a 60-performance season at the Barbican Theatre (4 July – 24 August)