Tag: Mark Henderson

Steven Moffatt and Mark Gatiss reunite for The Unfriend’s return to the West End

Steven Moffatt and Mark Gatiss are bringing The Unfriend back to the West End this year.

The show, from Playful Productions, will open in previews at Wyndhams’ Theatre on December 16 and will run until March 9, 2024.

Comedian and actor Lee Mack (Not Going Out) will take the lead as Peter, while Sarah Alexander (Jonathan Creek) will play Peter’s wife Debbie and Nick Sampson (Witness for the Prosecution) will play The Neighbour. Frances Barber (Silk) returns as serial killer Elsa Jean Krakowski.

While on holiday Peter and Debbie befriend Elsa: a lusty, Trump-loving widow from Denver, USA. She’s less than woke but kind of wonderful, so they agree to stay in touch – because no one ever really does, do they?

When Elsa invites herself to stay with the family a few months later, they decide to look her up online. But it’s too late: on learning the truth about Elsa Jean Krakowski, the deadly danger is already on a flight to London. What began as a casual holiday friendship is suddenly a threat to all their lives. 

Peter and Debbie now face the ultimate challenge of the modern world – how do you protect all that you love from mortal peril without seeming a bit impolite?

Because guess who’s coming… to murder…

Director Gatiss said: “You can’t keep a good serial killer down! I’m absolutely delighted that Elsa Jean Krakowski has found a home at the beautiful Wyndham’s theatre and very much look forward to bringing Steven’s hilarious play back to the West End.”

Writer Moffat added: “It’s a real thrill to welcome a couple of comedy legends on board The Unfriend, for our new run at the Wyndhams Theatre.  Lee Mack is one of the funniest men in the country and someone I’ve been wanting to work with for years. And Sarah Alexander is not just brilliant and hilarious, she’s an old friend from our days together on Coupling. Can’t wait to get started all over again.”

The Unfriend is designed by Robert Jones, with lighting by Mark Henderson, sound by Ella Wahlström, video design by Andrzej Goulding and casting by Charlotte Sutton. The Unfriend by Steven Moffat was originally developed by Playful Productions.

Rehearsals begin at the Young Vic for Beneatha’s Place

Take a look at the rehearsals of Beneatha’s Place, a satire written and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah that will have its UK premiere at the Young Vic.

Inspired by the groundbreaking civil rights drama A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha’s Place is about the power of knowing your history and the cost of letting it go.

1959. The first wave of independence is sweeping across Africa and Beneatha has left the prejudice of 1950s America for a brighter future with her Nigerian husband in Lagos. But on the day they move into their new house in the white suburbs, it doesn’t take long for cracks to appear, changing the course of the rest of their lives.  

Present day. Now a renowned Dean whose colleagues are questioning the role of African American studies for future generations, Beneatha returns to the same house in search of answers.   

Cherrelle Skeete (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) stars in the title role as Beneatha Younger, with Zackary Momoh (Seven Seconds) as Joseph Asagai/Wale Oguns, Sebastian Armesto (Leopoldstadt) as Daniel Barnes/Prof Mark Bond, Jumoké Fashola (The High Table) as Prof Shirley Jones/Aunty Fola, Tom Godwin (Best of Enemies) as Mr Nelson/Prof Gary Jacobs and Nia Gwynne (Tolkien) as Mrs Nelson/Dr Harriet Banks. 

Set and costume design is by Debbie Duru, lighting design by Mark Henderson, sound design by Tony Gayle, voice and dialect coach Esi Acquaah-Harrison, casting director Heather Basten, Jerwood assistant director Ellis and Jerwood trainee assistant director Tia-zakura Camilleri. 

Written and directed by Kwei-Armah, the Young Vic Theatre Artistic Director, it plays in the Young Vic Main House from June 27-August 5.

More information and tickets: www.youngvic.org 

Cast announced for Beneatha’s Place at The Young Vic

Cherrell Skeete, Zachary Momoh and Sebastian Armesto will head the cast of Beneatha’s Place, Kwame Kwei-Armah’s satire at The Young Vic.

Running from June 27 to August 5, Skeete will star as Beneatha Younger,
Momoh as Joseph Asagai/Wale Oguns, Armesto as Daniel Barnes/Prof Mark Bond, with Jumoké Fashola as Prof Shirley Jones/Aunty Fola, Tom Godwin as Mr Nelson/Prof Gary Jacobs, and Nia Gwynne as Mrs. Nelson/Dr Harriet Banks.

1959. The first wave of independence is sweeping across Africa and Beneatha has left the prejudice of 1950s America for a brighter future with her Nigerian husband in Lagos. But on the day they move into their new house in the white suburbs, it doesn’t take long for cracks to appear, changing the course of the rest of their lives.

Present day. Now a renowned Dean whose colleagues are questioning the role of African American studies for future generations, Beneatha returns to the same house in search of answers.

Inspired by the groundbreaking civil rights drama, A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha’s Place challenges today’s culture wars about colonial history and reckoning with the past.

The creative team is completed by set and costume designer Debbie Duru, lighting designer Mark Henderson, sound designer Tony Gayle, voice and dialect coach Esi Acquaah-Harrison, casting director Heather Basten, Jerwood assistant director Ellis and Jerwood trainee assistant director Tia-zakura Camilleri.

Tickets: www.youngvic.org

Dancing begins at National Theatre

Rehearsals are underway for Dancing at Lughnasa, Josie Rourke’s revival of Brian Friel’s Olivier Award-winning play that opens at the National Theatre next month.

The starry cast includes Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls), Ardal O’Hanlon (Father Ted), Alison Oliver (Conversations with Friends) and Louisa Harland (Derry Girls), alongside Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Bláithín Mac Gabhann, Justine Mitchell and Tom Riley.

Set during harvest time in County Donegal, 1936, outside the village of Ballybeg, the five Mundy sisters battle poverty to raise seven-year-old Michael and care for their Uncle Jack. During the Festival of Lughnasa, Pagan and Christian meet and collide. The sisters fight, love, dance, yearn and survive, in this astonishing evocation of a family’s world on the brink of change.

Director Rourke said: “In my time as artistic director of the Donmar, we staged four works by Brian Friel. During those years, I was lucky enough to meet Brian and it was a joyous honour to be near this great man and his plays, which are defining works of the theatre. It’s a privilege to be the director of this revival for the National Theatre. It was on the South Bank that the seed of the play was planted with Friel and it was always his intention that this play be produced by the NT. I’m so happy to be working with this glorious cast and creative team to bring it to the Olivier stage.”

Sean Donegan, Lauren Farrell, George Turner and Caitríona Williams also join the company.

Set and costume design is by Robert Jones, the lighting designer is Mark Henderson, the choreographer is Wayne McGregor, the composer is Hannah Peel, the sound designer is Emma Laxton, the video designer is Douglas O’Connell and the casting director is Alastair Coomer.

Performances begin in the Olivier theatre on April 6 and run until May 27. nationaltheatre.org.uk.