James McAvoy Stars in THREE DAYS OF RAIN at the Apollo, Previews Begin 1/30

James McAvoy joins Nigel Harman in Richard Greenberg's Three Days of Rain, which opens at the Apollo Theatre on February 10th 2009. Previews begin January 30th. The female lead is yet to be cast.

Three Days of Rain explores how the private worlds of one generation are reinterpreted by the next.  A tender and surprising story of love lies at the heart of a creative conflict which could never have been imagined by these children. The actors play both generations in this humorous and touching play about family and the enigma of parenthood.

"Walker Janeway (James McAvoy) and his sister Nan reunite for the reading of their father's will in the Manhattan loft where he lived. A wealthy architect, Ned's legacy is the iconic, internationally renowned 1960s New York house designed with his late business partner Theo. Joined by Theo's son Pip (Nigel Harman), the three childhood friends meet to settle the estate and determine the future of the house. The discovery of a brief entry, "three days of rain", in Ned's diary is the only clue to the true stories of the previous generation", explain press notes.

James McAvoy (Walker/Ned) is regarded as one of the most talented and versatile actors of his generation.  His film credits include the critically acclaimed Atonement, for which he received both a Golden Globe and BAFTA nomination for his performance, The Last King Of Scotland which earned him another BAFTA nomination, The Chronicles of Narnia, Bright Young Things, Becoming Jane and Wanted starring Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie. He will be appearing in The Last Station co-starring Helen Mirren due for release in 2009.  TV credits include White Teeth, State of Play and Shameless. Theatre credits include Breathing Corpses at the Royal Court, Out in the Open at Hampstead directed by Kathy Burke and Privates on Parade directed by Michael Grandage at the Donmar. 

Nigel Harman (Pip/Theo) is perhaps best known from TV's EastEnders and is soon to lead in Hotel Babylon. Other small screen credits include Lark Rise to Candleford and The Friday Night Club. Theatre credits include The Caretaker at Sheffield and the Tricycle directed by Jamie Lloyd, Privates on Parade at the Donmar and Guys and Dolls in the West End, both directed by Michael Grandage, and The Exonerated at Riverside Studios. Film credits include Blood Diamond.

Award winning playwright Richard Greenberg's extensive stage credits include Take Me Out, Night and her Stars, The American Plan, The Author's Voice, The Bloodletters, The House In Town, The Maderati, Eastern Standard, The Dazzle and Hurrah at Last.

Jamie Lloyd most recently directed Piaf at the Donmar which has just transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre. Other credits include The Lover/The Collection at the Comedy and The Caretaker at Sheffield and on tour. As an Associate Director, his credits include Guy & Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre and Melbourne, Evita at the Adelphi Theatre and The Glee Club at the Bush and the Garrick Theatre. He is an Associate Director of the Donmar.

Three Days of Rain was commissioned and originally produced by South Coast Repertory in 1997, and had its New York premiere later that year, in a production at the Manhattan Theatre Club featuring Patricia Clarkson, John Slattery and Bradley Whitford. It was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama, and has enjoyed many subsequent productions in regional theatres across the United States and abroad. Its UK premiere was staged at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre in 1999 with Colin Firth, David Morrissey and Elizabeth McGovern.

Three Days of Rain is produced by Caro Newling for Neal Street Productions and Nick Frankfort and Tobias Round for Creative Management and Productions (CMP).

Neal Street Productions was formed in 2003 by Sam Mendes, Caro Newling and Pippa Harris to produce film and theatre under an umbrella deal with Dreamworks SKG.  Films: Stuart a Life Backwards, Starter for Ten, Things We Lost in the Fire, Jarhead, Revolutionary Road. Theatre:  Broadway premieres of Shrek the Musical, The Vertical Hour.  British Premieres:  All About my Mother, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Anna in the Tropics, Days of Wine and Roses, Fuddy Meers. West End/Broadway transfers: Sunday in the Park with George (Menier Chocolate Factory) and Mary Stuart (Donmar Warehouse). Forthcoming: The Bridge Project with Brooklyn Academy of Music/Old Vic Theatre.

CMP are producers Nick Frankfort and Tobias Round.  Formed in 2006, the company is committed to commissioning and presenting high quality plays and musicals. Nick Frankfort was formerly Executive Producer of the Donmar. Tobias Round worked at Adventures in Motion Pictures before joining the Donmar Warehouse as General Manager in 2003. During this time, plays they produced include Caligula, After Miss Julie, Schiller's Mary Stuart, A Voyage Round My Father and Frost/Nixon as well as the musicals Grand Hotel and Guys and Dolls. CMP's work includes co-producing The Hound of the Baskervilles at the Duchess Theatre, commissioning and producing Swimming with Sharks starring Christian Slater at the Vaudeville Theatre, co-producing Year of the Rat at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and transferring the Donmar's sell-out production of Piaf to the Vaudeville Theatre.

Photo Credit Sara De Boer/Retna Ltd.