Johanna Day, John Ellison Conlee, Among Initial Casting of MTC's THE NAP

MTC has announced initial casting for the American premiere of The Nap, written by Olivier Award nominee Richard Bean, the author of the rollicking, award-winning Broadway comedy One Man, Two Guvnors, and directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan.

The cast of The Nap will feature Alexandra Billings ("Transparent," "Goliath," recipient of the HRC Visibility Award), Tony Award nominee John Ellison Conlee (Murder Ballad, The Full Monty, "Boardwalk Empire"), two-time Tony Award nominee Johanna Day (Proof, Sweat, "Madam Secretary"), four-time and current 2018 United States National Snooker Champion Ahmed Aly Elsayed, Heather Lind (Incognito, Othello, "Turn"), Max Gordon Moore (Saint Joan, Indecent), Bhavesh Patel (Present Laughter, War Horse), Thomas Jay Ryan (The Crucible, In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), and Ben Schnetzer (Sticks and Bones, Pride, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan), with additional cast members to be announced.

Opening MTC's 2018-2019 Broadway season at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre The Nap will now begin previews Wednesday, September 5, 2018 ahead of a Thursday, September 27, 2018 opening night.

Tickets are on sale to the general public beginning Wednesday, August 8 at 10:00am EST.

The Nap is a very funny look at the world of snooker - the British version of pool. Dylan Spokes (Ben Schnetzer), a fast-rising young star arrives for a championship tournament only to be confronted by the authorities warning him of the repercussions of match fixing. Before he knows it, Dylan's forced into underhanded dealings with a cast of wildly colorful characters that include his ex-convict dad (John Ellison Conlee), saucy mum (Johanna Day), quick-tongued manager (Max Gordon Moore) and a renowned gangster (Alexandra Billings), to boot. It's a fast-paced comedy thriller where, in an exciting twist, the tournament unfolds live on stage. In its British premiere, The Guardian raved, "Ingenious," The Observer cheered, "Outrageously funny," and The Daily Mail called The Nap "brilliant and terrifically inventive." Directing is Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan.

The Nap's creative team includes David Rockwell (scenic design), Kaye Voyce (costume design), Justin Townsend (lighting design), Lindsay Jones (sound design), Anne Ford-Coates (hair and make-up design), Ben Furey (dialect coach), and Thomas Schall (fight director).

Single tickets for The Nap will be available beginningWednesday, August 8 at Telecharge.com, by calling 212-239-6200, or by visiting The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre Box Office at 261 West 47thStreet.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski