Stage news

Natasha Gordon’s hugely successful Nine Night which premiered at The National this spring transfers to The Trafalgar Studios from December. Natasha will take the role of Lorraine in the West-End transfer of her debut play for which she recently won the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright at The Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2018.

Gavin Spokes will play Harry in Marianne Elliot’s updated production of Company Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy about life, love and marriage which will run at The Gielgud Theatre, West End from October. Tom Edden joins the Jamie Lloyd Company for Pinter at The Pinter, a season of one act plays in which he will perform Trouble in the Works, Night and GirlsAnita Reynolds joins the cast of ear for eye at The Royal Court Theatre with Debbie Tucker Green directing. Robert Hands will play Nick in the Tony Award Winning Come From Away directed by Christopher Ashley and premiering at The Abbey Theatre Dublin before transferring to the West End in January. Nicholas Lumley transfers to the Garrick, West End with the RSC’s Don Quixote with Angus Jackson directing with Richard Dempsey also joining the cast as Duke. Elsewhere graduate Patricia Allison will play Hermia in The Sheffield Crucible production of A Midsummer Nights Dream directed by Artistic Director Rob Hastie, Hayley Carmichael joins Les Bouffes du Nord’s production of The Prisoner directed by Peter Brook, Michelle Bonnard plays Darina in Iqbal Khan’s Tartuffe at The RSC, Sara Powell joins the cast of Adam Penford ‘s revival of The Madness Of George III with Mark Gatiss in the title role at Nottingham Playhouse.

Openings include Dan Rabin in the Chichester transfer of King Lear playing at the Duke of York’s Theatre and staring Ian Mckellen, Scott Karim joins the cast of The Village, Nadia Fall’s first production as artistic director at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Howard Ward, Sophie Stone and Clemmie Sveaas all join Michelle Terry’s inaugural season at Shakespeare’s Globe (in The Winter’s Tale & Eyam, Emilia and OthelloJenna Augen and Peter McGovern, meanwhile, continue at the Criterion Theatre in the hit show The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, Jason Callender continues in the West End company of The Play That Goes Wrong.

Autumn Theatre Preview

Josie Walker returns to the West End with Sheffield Crucible’s production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in which she plays the lead role of Margaret; Jonathan Butterell directs opening at The Apollo Theatre in November. Olwen May plays the Butcher in St George and the Dragon with Lyndsey Turner directing for The National Theatre whilst Clemmie Sveaas will begin rehearsals for Pinocchio with John Tiffany directing. Also opening at The National this Autumn for a limited run is Oslo with Geraldine Alexander and Howard Ward, transferring to the Harold Pinter Theatre from October. Tom Edden returns to the West End as he takes on the role of Mr Wormwood in Matilda for the RSC at The Cambridge Theatre. Lisa Palfrey, meanwhile continues as Big Mama in the Young Vic’s production of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof at The Apollo. Scott Karim joins Nicholas Hytner’s exciting new venture at the Bridge Theatre for his inaugural show Young Marx, Geoff Leesley transfers with Trouble in Mind, Laurence Boswell’s acclaimed production from Theatre Royal Bath coming to the Print Room Coronet and Jenna Augen plays Val in The Knowledge at the Charing Cross Theatre with Maureen Lipman directing.

Laura Rogers joins the cast of Rules For Living with Simon Godwin directing for ETT with Natalie Radmall Quirke also joining the company playing the lead role of Valerie in their celebrated revival of The Weir. Meanwhile at The Royal Exchange, Sophie Stone starts rehearsals for their much anticipated stage adaptation of the cult film Jubilee, Carol Macready, Kriss Dosangh head to Home Manchester for Walter Meierjohann’s production of Uncle Vanya and Patricia Allison plays Susan in The Harper Elliot/West Yorkshire Playhouse co production of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe directed by Sally Cookson.

TV Update:

Pooky Quesnel returns to The A Word, BBCs groundbreaking drama centring around the family of an autistic boy. Pooky reprises her role as Louise for Series 2. Also recommissioned for a second series is National Geographic’s MARS. Cosima Shaw returns as astronaut Lesley in the innovative sci- fi adventure set in the perhaps not too distant future. Max Fowler will begin filming on State of Happiness an epic new drama series for Maipo Film exploring the Norwegian oil boom of the 1970s. Petter Noess Oscar nominated director of Elling is at the helm. Ken Bones, meanwhile, appears as the Papal Envoy across Season 3 of the hugely popular Versailles for Capa Drama and Canal+.
Back home Geraldine Alexander joins Benedict Cumberbatch in one off BBC 90 minute drama The Child in Time an adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel about the grief and loss of a couple directed by Julian Farino. Scott Karim films Crazy Diamond (Electric Dreams: The World of Philip K Dick) with Marc Munden for Left Bank/Channel 4. Hywel Morgan films the E4/Netflix produced The End Of The F**king World based on the American comic book. Laura Rees plays Dotti and Melissa Vaughan Sear in The City and the City a Mammoth Screen production for BBC 2 with Tom Shankland directing and Howard Ward plays Gary Green in Sky Atlantic’s The Tunnel which returns for a 3rd and final series later this year.
Kriss Dosanjh will play Uncle Molinder in BBC’s The Boy with the Topknot a 90 minute single drama for BBC2 adapted by from Sathnam Sanghera’s critically acclaimed Memoir with Lynsey Miller directing. Joseph May plays Justin Trudeau in The Windsors, Sophie Stone films the key role of Jo Halley in the 4th season of Shetland, Anita Reynolds films Rellik, a new 6 parter for the BBC from the creators behind The Missing and Gary Oliver plays Franco in the ever popular Benidorm. Over in soap land Laura Rogers joins Eastenders as new character Corrine Mandel whilst in Coronation Street the Bethany/Nathan storyline continues to unfold with Chris Harper both brilliant and appalling as the groomer at its centre.

Autumn Screen

Jodie McNee heads to Prague to shoot Jez Butterworth’s epic 10 part Sky/Amazon drama Britannia in which she plays Mackenzie Crook’s sidekick Willa. Hayley Carmichael plays Alice Mayhew the BBC 1/Mammoth Screen two-parter Witness for the Prosecution, an adaptation of Agatha Christie short story by the same name. She then goes on to shoot Kiss Me First a new tv show from Skins creator Bryan Elsley for E4 and Netflix. Also for Netflix, Chris Gordon will return for series two of The Crown in which he returns as Prince Phillips valet John Dean. Sophie Stone also joins the cast as Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Greece. Sophie has also been filming the pivotal role of Lucy Yolland in the new BBC adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ novel The Moonstone

In Comedy drama; Ken Bones plays Nathan Clore in The Jonathan Creek Christmas Special, Joe Sims plays butcher Thomas Rice in Carnival’s ever popular Lucky Man, Jay Simpson joins the cast of Retort’s Royal sitcom The Royal Blues, Tony Guilfoyle shoots new period satire Decline and Fall for Tiger aspect, Joe May shoots series 6 of the hit comedy Trollied and Howard Ward and Alex Felton film the fourth season of Drifters whilst Sophie Duval can be seen in the forthcoming series of Chewing Gum.

Gary Oliver meanwhile shoots series 2 of CBC drama X Company in Budapest, Alex Blake shoots new BBC brothel drama Harlots, Rhys Rusbatch films Sherlock for the BBC, Sarah Winman and Sandy Foster join the cast for Season 6 of Call The Midwife, Geraldine Alexander and Howard Ward shoot documentary drama experiment The Jury directed by Nick Holt and Natalie Radmall Quirke shoots a new 4 part drama for RTE titled Cheaters.

autumn-screen

Film news

Alex Blake and Howard Ward will join the cast of Richard Eyre’s new film The Children Act adapted from Ian McEwan’s award winning novel, shooting this Autumn. This season also see’s Jordan Mifsúd premier in Irish Netflix film The Siege of Jadotville, Oliver Dench star in Nickelodeon’s Ride and Daniel Coonan, Alex Felton and David Nellist’s debut in The Discovery Channel’s Harley and The Davidsons.

On screen now catch Terry Beesley playing Buxton in Victoria on ITV, Rose O’loughlin in RTE’s Small Town and Sophie Duval playing Clothilde in The Collection for Amazon Prime.

In Rehearsals:

20160301Josie Walker will play Mrs Gogan and Stephen Kennedy Fluther Good in a revival of Sean O’Casey’s Plough and The Stars, directed by Howard Davies for The National Theatre and marking the centenary of the Easter Rising. Also for The National, Pooky Quesnel joins the cast of The Suicide in a fresh adaptation of Erdman’s original script relocated to contemporary London directed by Nadia Fall. Tom Edden will play The Good Angel in The Jamie Lloyd Company’s West End Production of Dr Faustus with Kit Harrington in the title role whilst at the Royal Exchange, Jodie McNee takes on the role of Kay in Sarah Waters’ The Night Watch directed by Rebecca Gatward. Sam Alexander returns to Hampstead Theatre in Howard Brenton’s new play Lawrence After Arabia with John Dove directing, Hywel Morgan joins the cast of the RSC’s The Alchemist directed by Polly Findlay, Natasha Gordon joins Mel Giedroyc in Simon Dormandy’s production of Luce at the Southwark Playhouse and Michelle Bonnard plays Jess in The Quiet House by Bruntwood Prize winning writer Gareth Farr at The Park Theatre. For the West Yorkshire Playhouse and London’s South Bank Centre, Carla Harrison Hodge plays Avocado and Pomegranate in two hander The Fruit Trilogy, 3 short plays from the Tony Award winning playwright of the Vagina Monologues Eve Ensler whilst over at The Birmingham Rep Sophie Stone plays the Postmaster in Artistic Director Roxanna Silbert’s innovative new production of Gogol’s The Government Inspector. Also out of London Tony Guilfoyle plays Prospero in William Galinsky’s production of The Tempest at Hippodrome/Great Yarmouth and Kate Maravan joins the cast of Phelim McDermott’s new show Opening Skinner’s Box for Improbable.

New Year Stage News:

On Stage

Robert Hands20160114 Theatre plays the Lord Chamberlain in Mrs Henderson Presents, directed by Terry Johnson and transferring to the Noel Coward Theatre, West End from February. Sophie Stone plays Michelle in a revival of the Simon Stephens’ play Herons at the Lyric Theatre directed by Sean Holmes. Charlotte Lucas revives her role as Ellen Tree in the critically acclaimed Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti as part of The Kenneth Branagh Season at The Garrick. Josie Walker continues her run at The National as Mrs Purdy in Husbands and Sons. Peter McGovern will play Ned in The Globe’s transfer of Nell Gwynn to the Apollo Theatre, West End whilst Dan Rabin continues at The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse opening in The Winters Tale. Molly Logan, meanwhile, plays Viola in Twelfth Night director Bill Buckhurst also for The Globe. Graham Turner returns to the RSC playing the Fool to Tony Sher’s Lear in Greg Doran’s new production as well as Belarius in Melly Still’s Cymbeline. Nicholas Lumley is also returning to Stratford in Maria Aberg’s Dr Faustus and Angus Jackson’s Don Quixote.

Laura Rogers and Richard Teverson take a new production of Private Lives on a tour for Ambassadors, directed by Tom Attenborough, Penny Beaumont plays Camilla in Make Bartlett’s King Charles III touring the UK and then Australia whilst Geoff Leesley returns to PW’s An Inspector Calls. Natalie Radmall-Quirke and Chris Gordon both appear in Winter’s Tale for Cheek By Jowl touring Paris, Madrid and Italy and Scott Karim will play Edmund in the Philip Frank’s directed King Lear starring Michael Pennington. In a year for Lear’s Thomas Coombes will be playing Oswald in Michael Buffong’s version for The Royal Exchange whilst Sévan Stephan begins rehearsals for Breakfast At Tiffanys which will tour prior to opening at The Haymarket Theatre, West End.