Jermyn Street Theatre has announced casting for Tomorrow at Noon, a programme of three new plays by Jenny Ayres, Emma Harding, and Morna Young, each of which reacts to one of Coward's Tonight at 8.30 plays, and responds to it in a contemporary voice.
Glimpse, The Thing Itself and Smite, all directed by Jermyn Street Theatre's Deputy Director Stella Powell-Jones, will run from Tuesday 24 April - Tuesday15 May in tandem with Tonight at 8.30.
Press night is Tuesday May 1 at 7.30pm.
Cast:
Elaine Claxton (Nation, The Relapse, The Winter's Tale, The Children's Hour, The Machine Wreckers, all National Theatre).
Laura Morgan (The Blinding Light, Jermyn Street Theatre, Deposit, Hampstead Theatre).
Laila Pyne (African Americana, Theatre 503, 7 Deadly Sins, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Soho Theatre).
The playwrights of these three funny, moving and provocative plays were chosen from 390 entrants to write a contemporary female response.
Jenny Ayres' Glimpse is inspired by Coward's Still Life. It is the story of a woman whose history holds too much for her to leave behind. In a world that never stops, are we brave enough to wait? What might we glimpse if we miss the train?
Emma Harding's The Thing Itself reacts to Coward's Shadow Play. When the sun fails to come up one morning, Vic and Simone must face the dark. But what emerges from the shadows? Truth or illusion?
Morna Young's Smite is inspired by Coward's The Astonished Heart. It is a story of buried answers, blind hearts, and life after loss.
Running time is two hours, including a 15-minute interval.
Creative Team
Directed by Stella Powell-Jones
Set design by Louie Whitemore
Costume design by Emily Stuart
Lighting design by Tim Mascall
Sound design by Tom Attwood
ELAINE CLAXTON
Theatre incudes: Carthage (Finborough Theatre), Nation, The Relapse, The Winter's Tale, The Children's Hour, The Machine Wreckers (National Theatre), Beasts and Beauties (Hampstead Theatre/Bristol Old Vic) The Price (Nottingham Playhouse/Liverpool Playhouse) Purvis, Touch Wood, Forget-me-not Lane (Stephen Joseph Theatre). Television includes: Emmerdale, Doc Martin, Delicious, The Coroner, Wire in the Blood, Waking the Dead, Holby City. Film incudes: Richard II, The Death of Stalin. As a four time member of BBC Radio Drama Company, work includes Rumpole, The Barchester Chronicles, Gormenghast, The Glittering Prizes. Elaine is currently to be heard on World War One series Home Front (Radio 4).
LAURA MORGAN
At Jermyn Street Theatre: The Blinding Light. Theatre Includes: Deposit (Hampstead Theatre); The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant of Venice (The Drill Hall); The Deafening Silence [Workshop], Cornershop Homesick Blues [Workshop] (Liverpool Everyman Theatre); Love and Money, A Waste of Time, Our Lady of Sligo, Oh, What a Lovely War!, Entertaining Mr Sloane, The Crucible, Mr Norris Changes Trains, Henry IV Part One, Electra, Love for Love, The White Devil, A Midsummer Night's Dream (RADA). Television includes: Dark Angel (World Productions/ITV); Stan Lee's Lucky Man (Carnival/Sky One); The Hollow Crown Series 2 (BBC/NBC/Neal Street Productions); The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: Beyond the Pale: (Hat Trick/ITV); Prisoners' Wives Series 2 (Tiger Aspect/BBC); Bound (Tiger Aspect).
LAILA PYNE
Theatre includes: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Pleasance Beyond), African Americana (Theatre 503), 7 Deadly Sins, Vicky Christina Barcelona (Soho Theatre); An Insomniac's Guide to Ambulances (time2shine); The Passing of Great Aunt Grace, (From the Soul Productions). Film includes: 29 to Life, Witsec, Huey and Louis, Benjamin, Bediako, Unfaithful, A Day at the National Portrait Gallery, Talion. Television includes: Mix (Sun Girl Production), Jonny Zero (Warner Bros Television), Drive (Twentieth Century Fox). Voice work includes 'Corporal Tequila' for the iconic Aliens vs Predator franchise and Driver: San Francisco, Forza Horizon, Star Wars: Battlefront, Homefront the Revolution, Mirror's Edge.
JENNY AYRES (Playwright, Glimpse, in reaction to Noel Coward's Still Life)
Jenny studied at The Central School of Speech and Drama before being invited onto the Royal Court Young Writers Programme in 2005 - the same year she won the London Lost Theatre Festival with her one woman show The Fourth Photo. In 2016 her stage play, Station 9, received its West End showcase at The Criterion Theatre whilst the year before she won the Words and Women 'About' writing competition with her play for a female ensemble entitled Trouble and Strife (published by Unthank Books). Co-written short films include Lost and Broken and Paths of Faith (filmed in Budapest and Milan with the support of the Arts Council England) and Runners (finalist in Disney's Star Wars Fan Film Competition - Audience Choice Category).
EMMA HARDING (Playwright, The Thing Itself, in reaction to Noel Coward's Shadow Play)
Emma Harding is originally from Birmingham and works as a BBC radio drama producer, where her recent productions include Midnight's Children, Riot Girls and The Merchant of Venice. Her poems have been appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, such as Poetry Review, Stand and Magma, and a poetry pamphlet, whatever means the good, comes out later this year. This is her first stage play.
MORNA YOUNG (Playwright, Smite, in reaction to Noel Coward's The Astonished Heart)
Morna is a playwright, actress and musician from Scotland. She was recipient of the 2017 Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship (hosted by Creative Learning, Aberdeen City Council) and the New Playwrights Award 2014 (Playwrights' Studio, Scotland). She is the 2018 playwright-in-residence for BATS Theatre and Toi Põneke Arts Centre in Wellington, New Zealand. Lost at Sea, her first full-length play, was developed in 2013 with award-winning Stellar Quines Theatre Company and is in pre-production with Eden Court for 2019. Other plays include: Aye, Elvis ('A Play, A Pie and A Pint'), Netting ('A Play, A Pie and A Pint' and Scotland-wide tour with Woodend Barn), She of the Sea (Paines Plough 'Come to Where I'm From'), B-Roads (Play Pieces), Never Land (Eden Court) and two short plays for the National Theatre of Scotland's Great Yes, No, Don't Know Show. Upcoming productions include The Buke of the Howlat (Findhorn Bay Arts).
Stella Powell-Jones (Director)
Stella is Deputy Director at Jermyn Street Theatre where she has directed Let The More Loving One Be Me: An Evening of W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood and Associate Directed The Blinding Light. Prior to joining Jermyn Street Theatre, Stella was based in the U.S. where work includes: The Healing (Theatre Breaking Through Barriers), Levity (Warren Miller Performing Arts Centre), Trevor (Circle X Theatre, Los Angeles - Ovation Award for Best Production, Ovation Award Nomination for Best Direction), The Mystery of Love and Sex (Signature Theatre), 17 Orchard Point (Theatre Row), Bulfinch Mythology, Mr. Universe, The Gnadiges Fraulein (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Theatre includes: This Is Our Youth. As Associate Director for James Macdonald: Escaped Alone (Royal Court/Brooklyn Academy Of Music), The Father (Cambridge Arts Theatre, Wyndhams, UK tour). Stella's position at Jermyn Street Theatre is sponsored by The Carne Trust.
£30 / £20 concessions.
Concessions available to over-60s, theatre unions,
unwaged, access, students. Concessions are available
at all performances.
Previews
Tuesday 24 April and Monday 30 April. £15
Under 30 - 100 tickets at £10 are available for under-30s. Available at all performances.
Box Office: 020 7287 2875
Box office opening hours
1.00pm-9.00pm (Mon/Fri)
1.00pm - 9.00pm Saturday
1.00pm - 7.00pm Sunday (if there is a performance)
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