Dive Into London Below at NEIL GAIMAN'S NEVERWHERE

Know Theatre's landmark 20th Anniversary Season dives into the fantastical this November with a new stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman's modern classic novel, Neverwhere.

Richard Mayhew is a young London businessman with a good heart and an ordinary life. That life is changed forever when he discovers Door, a young woman bleeding on the sidewalk. He stops to help her-and that act of kindness plunges him into another world.

Richard slips through the cracks in reality and lands in London Below-a world of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels that exists in a labyrinth beneath our feet.

If Richard is to ever return to his normal life, he must join the journey to save Door's world-and find a way to survive.

Originally beginning life as a BBC serial, which Gaiman adapted into his most famous novel in 1996, Neverwhere is an internationally beloved tale of adventure, heartache, and human nature (as seen through monsters, angels, and a menagerie of sinister and saintly characters, roaming beneath our feet).

Producing Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford worked for four years to secure the rights to this modern classic. Here's what he has to say about adapting such a beloved story fort he Know MainStage...

One of the joys of novel reading is the way in which your imagination translates the world of the text to the stage in your mind. We get to work that same magic with every show that we produce, but in the case of a grand, expansive story like Neverwhere, the challenge is especially delightful. We're thrilled to tackle this story with a theatricality that we hope will delight and surprise the audience. Our goal is to bring this magical world to life for first time visitors to London Below, and provide a new way of seeing a favorite story for long-time Neverwhere fans. It's going to be a wild journey!

Joining Andrew as co-director is Dan R. Winters, last seen on the Know MainStage in 2014's Moby Dick, and making his Know directing debut in Neverwhere. A faculty member of Ohio University's Division of Theatre and Dance, as well as Know's resident production photographer, Daniel is no stranger to adventurous theatre, having directed the 2017 Cincinnati Fringe Festival black comedy Vapers at the Gate.

But London Below won't be built by just two directors - joining them are a cast of local fan-favorites from both the Know's stage and other stages around the city!

Rory Sheridan makes his MainStage debut as Richard, the unassuming London businessman whose life takes an unexpected tumble into London Below when he meets the mysterious Door, played by Ernaisja Curry. Rory comes to us fresh from his role as Cliff in Cabaret at the Incline Theatre, while Ernaisja joins us from a smash-hit stint in Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati's season opener, This Random World.

Nothing is as it seems in this sinister new realm, and soon Richard finds himself pursued by the nefarious Croup and Vandemar - played by Madcap Puppets' own Sean P. Mette and Dylan Shelton!

Richard and Door soon enlist the help of the enigmatic Marquis de Carabas, brought to vivid life by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's Jeremy Dubin*.
*Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association under a Special Appearance Agreement.

Joining the fight is the unpredictable (and very, very dangerous) Hunter, played by Jordan Trovillion, while Brandon Burton returns to the Know MainStage as the impressive - and secretive - Angel Islington.

And who will bring the rest of the 30+ named characters of the teeming, sordid world of London Below? The all-star team of Maggie Lou Rader, Andrew Ian Adams, and Chris Wesselman, of course!

Neil Gaiman is an international literary star, whose works span novels, novellas, YA, and comics, and have been adapted into radio, television, and film. His fan base is uniquely dedicated to the imaginative worlds he creates - which is why Know is partnering with local artist Christina Wald for a gallery show in our Underground Bar. Everwhere: Art Inspired by the Works of Neil Gaiman will open on November 9 and be available to view through December 17.

Dive into Neil Gaiman's spectacular imagination in a stage adaptation of his beloved novel, Neverwhere, starting November 25 - only at Your Theatrical Playground.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling 513.300.5669 (KNOW).

Know Theatre is Cincinnati's Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.

Know Theatre's work is made possible, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

Know Theatre is also supported by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, helping to change our communities for the better through collaboration and innovation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.

Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate member of the National New Play Network.

To post a comment, you must register and login.