Theatre News

Greg Hicks plays Aegisthus opposite Brie Larson in Daniel Fish’s revival of Elektra at The Duke of Yorks Theatre from January.  The London transfer of Kyoto has also been confirmed for January after its success at the RSC this year. Jenna Augen will reprise the role of Shirley Pearlman at Soho Place with directors Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin reuniting.  Anita Reynolds joins the cast of Backstroke at the Donmar Warehouse, written and directed by Anna Mackmin and with Tamsin Greig and Celia Imrie playing mother and daughter.  Colm Gormley will next be seen at Hampstead Theatre in An Interrogation written and directed by Jamie Armitage and George Caple returns to Boys From the Blackstuff but this time taking on the main role of Chrissie.  

Openings include James Doherty who leads the cast of the Hans Christian Anderson classic Red Shoes at the RSC this Christmas, Dorothea Myer Bennett who plays Olivia in Twelfth Night at The Orange Tree, Fred Haig who who plays Ernst Ludwig in Rebecca Frecknall’s acclaimed production of Cabaret,  Rhys Rusbatch who returns to the RSC in Prasanna Puwanarajah’s production of Twelfth NightRichard Dempsey in Dr Strangelove at The Noël Coward and Robert Hands who has taken over the role of Myers in Witness For the Prosecution; all playing this Christmas.

Summer Stage

Our actors are currently working across some very exciting stage productions in London and beyond. Lyonesse will play at the Harold Pinter Theatre from October with Sara Powell cast as Chris, joining Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James for a strictly limited run in Penelope Skinner’s funny and poignant new play, directed by Ian Rickson. Richard Dempsey will be joining the company of Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Gielgud Theatre from September in a celebration of the life and works of the great writer and composer, produced by Cameron Mackintosh. Winner of the Best Theatre Event at the Whats On Stage Awards, the all star cast are back for another strictly limited run directed by Matthew Bourne and Julia Mckenzie. Billy Carter plays George in Regent Park Theatre’s revival of the Olivier and Tony award winning La Cage Aux Folles , directed by Timothy Sheader and Tom Edden’s brilliant turn as Bela Zangler in Crazy For You has now transferred to the Gilliam Lynne Theatre, West End from Chichester, earning rave reviews along the way.

Tamsin Carroll and Fred Haig are both in Chichester this season for the stage premiere of Rock Follies, directed by Dominic Cooke. Jodie McNee has opened in Cuckoo, Michael Wynne’s new play at The Royal Court Theatre , directed by Vicky Featherstone and then transferring to The Liverpool Everyman. Also performing in Liverpool will be George Caple who opens in James Graham’s new stage production of the classic Boys From the Blackstuff at Liverpool’s Royal Court. Following his run in The Olivier Award winning Oklahoma, Greg Hicks returns to the stage at the Sam Wanamaker in a new production of Ibsen’s Ghosts, directed by Jo Hill Gibbons this autumn whilst Sandy Foster and Colm Gormley both return to the RSC. Sandy opens in Falkland Sound with Aaron Parsons directing and Colm Gormley will appear in Cowbois, written by Charlie Josephine and co directed with Sean Holmes.

Autumn Stage

Jodie McNee joins the Michael Grandage Company who are bringing Orlando to the West End stage for a strictly limited run. Virginia Woolf’s gender defining historical fiction has been adapted by Neil Bartlett with Emma Corrin in the title role and will play at The Garrick Theatre until February 2023. Mariah Louca, John Mackay and Dan Rabin are all appearing in The Doctor, Robert Icke’s brilliant reimagining of Schnitzler’s 1912 play originally for The Almeida and now playing at the Duke Of Yorks. Also currently appearing in the West End are Tamsin Carroll in 2:22 at the Criterion, Jason Callender in Upstart Crow at the Apollo and Robert Hands and James Doherty in Come From Away at the Phoenix Theatre.

Hayley Carmichael in rehearsals for “Super High Resolution”

Gavin Spokes is in rehearsal at The National Theatre for Kerry Jackson, a biting new comedy by April de Angelis whilst Jay Simpson and Colm Gormley also return to The National in Clint Dyer’s Othello playing in The Lyttleton from November. Richard Dempsey has opened in The Almeida’s hit new musical Tammy Faye which runs until December and Hayley Carmichael opens in Soho Theatre’s Super High Resolution, Nathan Ellis’s debut play about being a doctor in the NHS with Blanch McIntyre directing.

Tom Edden has joined Josie Rourke’s production of As You Like It which will open Soho Place , London’s newest theatre. Greg Hick‘s brings Dinner With Groucho Frank McGuinness’ new play to London after its successful premiers at the Dublin and Belfast International Festivals and Justin Avoth joins Witness For the Prosecution at County Hall. Further afield, Jenna Augen has opened on Broadway in Leopoldstadt, Tom Stoppard’s latest play whilst across the Channel Oliver Dench takes on the role of Cliff in Cabaret at the Lido Theatre, Paris and Daniel Crossley joins the cast of 42nd Street at Theatre du Chatelet.

Stage Latest

London Theatre

David Seadon-Young20161122-1 will play the role of Adam in An American in Paris, the award winning Broadway musical opening at The Dominion Theatre in March 2017. Aleksandar Mikic reprises his role as The Lead in The Wish List directed by Matthew Xia at the Royal Court, Daniel Rabin opens in Robert Icke’s Mary Stuart at The Almeida, Howard Ward is in rehearsals for Wild Honey at the Hampstead Theatre, Gavin Spokes plays The Dame at this years Hackney Empire Panto Sleeping Beauty whilst Clemmie Sveaas returns to the Royal Opera House in Javier de Frutos’ production of Les Enfants Terribles. Laura Rogers will perform in Winter Solstice directed by Ramin Gray for The Orange Tree and Sarah Malin will play Prospero in The Tempest at the Southwark Playhouse directed by Amy Draper, whilst Arabella Neale takes over the role of Patricia in David Hare’s The Red Barn at The National’s Lyttleton Theatre from December.

Succesful openings include Tom Edden in Amadeus at The National Theatre, Stephen Kennedy in The Old Vic’s King Lear with Glenda Jackson, John Mackay in EV Crowe’s The Sewing Group at The Royal Court and Graham Turner in King Lear & Cymbeline for the RSC at The Barbican. Also transferring to London with the RSC are Sam Alexander and Peter McGovern in Much Ado About Nothing and Love’s Labour’s Lost playing in rep at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

And beyond

At The Sheffield Crucible Josie Walker will join the cast of the Everyone’s Talking About Jamie playing Jamie’s mum Margaret in the coming-of-age story of a teenage drag queen directed by Jonathan Butterell. Lisa Palfrey joins the cast of Headlong’s new Jack Thorne play Junkyard directed by Jeremy Herrin, RADA Grad George Caple is to join the fist resident Rep company at The Liverpool Everyman in 25 years where roles will include playing Romeo in Romeo and Juliet directed by Nick Bagnall. Geoff Leesley has opened to excellent reviews in Trouble in Mind directed by Laurence Boswell at the Ustinov Studio Bath whilst Richard Dempsey plays JJ Silvers in Strictly Ballroom and Jenna Augen plays Grandma in The Witches, both opening at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Jason Callender meanwhile begins rehearsals for The Play That Goes Wrong Tour, Sandy Foster opens in Maria Aberg’s production of Fantastic Mr Fox touring the UK next year and Jude Monk McGowan takes Punchdrunks acclaimed London show Sleep No More to Shanghai.

Summer theatre

20160801In theatre news Tom Edden will play The Emperor in Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus directed by Michael Longhurst for The National Theatre. Richard Teverson will play Sackville in Theatre Royal Bath’s production of The Libertine, directed by Terry Johnson coming to The Theatre Royal Haymarket in September. Stephen Kennedy joins the cast of Deborah Warner’s King Lear at the Old Vic this autumn with Glenda Jackson in the title role, Scott Karim returns to the Globe in Matthew Dunster’s Imogen and Amy Booth-Steel joins the company of Briony Kimmings’ musical A Pacifists Guide to The War on Cancer a co pro between The National Theatre and Complicite. At Regents Park, Tafline Steen and Jordan Mifsúd play Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Bingley in Pride and Prejudice, a revival of Deborah Bruce’s acclaimed production, this summer. Laura Rogers plays Dorothea in Tennessee William’s A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur at The Print Room. Derek Hutchinson, meanwhile, joins the cast of The Roundabout at The Park and Richard Dempsey plays Peter in Noel Cowards Home Chat at The Finborough theatre.

RSC transfers to the West End include Sam Alexander with Much Ado about Nothing and Peter McGovern in Love’s Labours Lost. Coming to The Barbican are Nicholas Lumley in Maria Aberg’s Doctor Faustus and Hywel Morgan with Polly Jerrold’s The Alchemist. Graham Turner meanwhile opens in Stratford as The Fool in Greg Doran’s King Lear prior to a Barbican run this autumn.

Out of town Geraldine Alexander heads to The Royal Exchange to play Sarah Turing in Breaking The Code directed by Rob Hastie, Rhys Rusbatch will play Captain Jack Absolute in The Rivals at Bristol Old Vic, Eugine O’Hare plays Sir Clifford in Sheffield Crucible’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover directed by Phillip Breen, Jason Callender joins the company of The Play that Goes Wrong on tour, and NYT graduate Melissa Vaughan plays Dora in Night Must Fall directed by Luke Sheppard and touring.

Autumn Theatre Preview

20150831-6-VerticalGavin Spokes will play Nicely Nicely in Chichester Festival Theatre’s West End transfer of the critically acclaimed Guys and Dolls playing at The Savoy Theatre. Ferdy Roberts returns to the Royal Court in the role of Jez in Plaques and Tangles which will be directed by Lucy Morrison in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. Michelle Bonnard will play Maxine in American playwright Marcus Gardley’s A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes at the Tricycle Theatre directed by Indu Rubasingham whilst at The Print Room Richard Dempsey takes on the role of Edward in TS Elliot’s  The Cocktail Party directed by Abbey Wright.

Thomas Coombes will appear in a revival of Barbarians (for which he won an Offie in 2013), as Tooting Arts Club bring Barrie O’Keefe’s play back to the site specific former St Martins School of Art in central London. For Actors Touring Company, meanwhile, Farshid Rokey and Kriss Dosanjh join the cast of Martyr a story of a young radicalised Christian boy directed by Rahmin Grey. Robert Hands is currently in rehearsals for Mouthful at The Trafalgar Studios and Hayley Carmichael will appear in First Love Is The Revolution, a new play written by Rita Kalnejais’s to be directed by Steve Marmion for Soho Theatre.
Out of town Sara Powell plays Tituba in The Crucible at The Bristol Old Vic directed by Tom Morris; Jess Murphy joins the cast of ATG’s new musical The Choir directed by Dominic Hill at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow.Scott Karim plays Helmholtz in The Royal and Derngate’s Brave New World directed by James Dacre.

20150831-4-Square Alex Blake will play Torvald in A Dolls House directed by Rachel O’Riordan at The Sherman Theatre Cymru and Rose O’Laughlin plays Anna in a revival of Brian Friel’s Living Quarters at The Tobacco Factory.
Openings include Jodie McNee in Our Country’s Good at The National, Tom Edden in Measure For Measure at The Young Vic and Tafline Steen making her Broadway debut in King Charles III at The Music Box Theatre, NY.

Theatre News

On stage we are pleased to confirm that Tafline Steen will reprise her role as Jess in The Broadway transfer of the Olivier Award winning Charles III which will run at The Music Box Theatre this autumn. Jodie McNee, meanwhile, returns to The National Theatre where she will play Liz Morden in Nadia Fall’s revival of Our Country’s Good. Lisa Palfrey has started rehearsals for The Seagull at Regents Park which Matthew Dunster is directing in a new version by Torben Betts and Ferdy Roberts will transfer with Lampedusa, Anders Lustgarten’s new political elegy, which will be at Soho Theatre from the end of June. Chris Harper will play Benedick in The Globe’s Much Ado About Nothing with Max Webster directing, Robert Hands opens in Sunspots at Hampstead Theatre with Charlotte Gwimmer directing, Gavin Spokes returns to the West End in Headlong’s revival of 1984 and Richard Dempsey opens as Reggie in Rob Ashford’s Chichester staging of A Damsel in Distress.

Four-in-a-row

 

 

On Screen, on Film, on Stage

On Screen

OnScreen200315Max Fowler plays regular Krispin Stockley in POWERS. The series based on the award winning comic books is a combination of noir police story and real world superheros from the producers of ‘Breaking Bad’ and premiers this month for Sony. Also premiering this month, Richard Teverson features as Lib Dem politician David Laws in Channel 4’s new political drama Coalition which details the days after the 2010 general election and the formation of the current government. Joe Sims is in BBC 3’s second series of Uncle and Geraldine Alexander is in ITV’s period drama Arthur and George. Over on Sky catch Cosima Shaw real time medical drama Critical and Joseph May in new comedy I Live With Models for Comedy Central. Meanwhile Robert Hands can be seen playing Henry in the BBC’s 7-part fantasy drama Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Also for The BBC Thomas Coombes plays Stefan in the final series of Wallander opposite Kenneth Branagh whilst in the US Ken Bones plays regular Annas in the 12 part Biblical drama AD from Lightworkers Media, premiering Easter Sunday.  In UK cinemas Tom Edden plays The Lizard Footman in Branagh’s live action Cinderella released on the 27th of March and Jodie Mcnee plays Rosencrantz in The Manchester Royal Exchange’s Hamlet with Maxine Peake, in cinemas now.

On Film

Lisa Palfrey will join the regular cast of BBC2’s police corruption thriller Line of Duty which returns for a much anticipated third series. Also for BBC2 Jay Simpson plays Ernie in new 8 part comedy drama From The Cradle To The Grave written by Jeff Pope and based on the memoirs of Danny Baker. Natasha Gordon will play Pearl, Danny’s older sister in Danny and The Human Zoo a 90 minute semi autobiographical drama written by Lenny Henry for RED productions. Thomas Coombes will play Kieran Benson in CUFFS an 8-part police drama written and created by Julie Gearey for Tiger Aspect/BBC1. Meanwhile Richard Teverson reprises his role as Dr Ryder in series 6 of Downton Abbey and Joe Sims will feature in the third series of Endeavour directed by Sandra Goldbacher for ITV/Mammoth Screen.

On Stage

Richard Dempsey will play Reggie Byng in Damsel in Distress at Chichester Festival Theatre this summer. The musical with songs from George and Ira Gershwin is based on the novel by P.G Woodhouse and is well-known from the popular 1937 comedy film. Daniel Rabin joins the cast of the rarely staged King John directed by James Dacre for The Globes ‘Season of Plenty ‘and Scott Karim will play Morocco in The Merchant of Venice directed by Jonathan Munby also for The Globe. Ferdy Roberts plays Stefano in Anders Lustgarten‘s political two hander Lampedusa at The Soho Theatre directed by Steven Atkinson.

What the papers say

Jodie McNee has opened GAME at The Almeida Theatre with terrific reviews

****4 Stars from The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish who calls it a ’dark, riveting drama packed with ideas, and it makes guilty peeping-toms of us all’

Thomas Coombes has opened to great reviews at The Trafalgar Studios in Laurie Slade’s version of Strindberg’s The Father

****4 Stars from The Times’ Kate Maltby The Father, has been triumphantly revived at Trafalgar Studios. Abbey Wright’s crisp, clear production is the tale of a crumbling marriage and a father desperately fighting for control of his child.

Graham Turner has opened in Mark Rosenblatt’s Uncle Vanya at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and Colm Gormley starts his run as Ted Narracott in the National Theatre’s West End production of Warhorse this month.

Ongoing

Scott KarimOngoing200315 (Dara at National Theatre), Daniel Coonan (Treasure Island National Theatre) Richard Dempsey (Charlie and The Chocolate Factory Theatre Royal Drury Lane) Tom Edden (Les Misérables Queens Theatre). On tour Matt Rawle plays Billy Crocker in Sheffield Theatre’s Anything Goes and Geraldine Alexander plays Siobhan in The National Theatre’s The Curious Incident Of The Dog in The Night Time.

What to see? Our New Year’s tips

17th December 2014Kickstarting January is the second series of Broadchurch in which Joe Sims reprises his role as Nigel Carter in the gripping crime drama. Also on ITV this January Hermione Gulliford plays regular Elizabeth Addis in Foyles War which returns with three new 2 hour films. On BBC2 Wolf Hall premiers featuring Max Fowler in the Peter Kosminsky screen adaptation of Hillary Mantel’s books. Mr Selfridge returns for a third series introducing Rocky Marshall as new regular DI Purkiss whilst Pooky Quesnel gains a promotion in the tenth and final series of Waterloo Road, on screens from January.

On film, catch Ridley Scott’s epic Exodus ‘Gods and Kings’ featuring Ken Bones opening in cinemas on Boxing Day. Kenneth Branagh’s much talked about live action Cinderella is scheduled for release early 2015 with Tom Edden as the Lizard Footman whilst The Royal Exchanges’ recently filmed Hamlet, featuring Jodie McNee also gains a cinema release early next year. Expect The Pride with Lisa Palfrey and Mr Turner also with Tom Edden to feature brightly during awards season.

On stage, recent openings playing during the holidays include Daniel Coonan as the menacing Black Dog in Polly Findley’s Treasure Island for The National Theatre. Also for the National, Jodie McNee and Hermione Gulliford continue their run in Three Winters. Matt Rawle plays stowaway Billy Crocker in Anything Goes at The Sheffield Cruicible and Vincenzo Nicoli is the Mafioso Duke of Venice in Ruper Goold’s inspired staging of Merchant of Venice at The Almeida.

Completing their West End runs in January are Ferdy Roberts (Shakespeare in Love), Tafline Steen (King Charles III) and Scott Karim (Great Britain) whilst Tom Edden (Les Misérables) and Richard Dempsey (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) will continue into the new year.

Geraldine Alexander, meanwhile, opens at The Lowry, Manchester as Siobhan in The National’s Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night Time which is now touring whilst Gavin Spokes continues his hugely successful run as Francis Henshell in the One Man 2 Guvnors also touring with The National Theatre.