Photo Flash: The Theatre Group at SBCC presents ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS

The Theatre Group at SBCC will continue the 17/18 season with Richard Bean's hilarious comedy, ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS, music by Grant Olding, directed by Rick Mokler, October 11-28 in the Garvin Theatre.

From London to New York, both critics and audiences alike have laughed and cheered over this super smash hit. Based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni, and

set in the swinging '60s in Brighton, England, the story is pure fun from start to finish, complete with live music and even audience participation!

Francis, a failed musician with an insatiable appetite, finds himself in the employ of both the murderous Stanley Stubbers and the mysterious Roscoe Crabbe. But Roscoe is really Rachel Crabbe, posing as her own dead brother, herself in love with Stanley, her brother's killer. And that's just the beginning!! Throw in an old man with an unpredictable pacemaker, an arrogant actor, a host of other loony characters and a live band and you have an evening that will leave you laughing all the way home.

One Man, Two Guvnors premiered at the National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre from May to September 2011, Nicholas Hytner directed James Corden in the starring role of Francis Henshall. The play then premiered on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre with an opening in April 2012. James Corden reprised the role for American audiences.

The production received four nominations for the Outer Critics Circle Award: Outstanding New Broadway Play, Nicholas Hytner (Outstanding Director of a Play), James Corden (Outstanding Actor in a Play) and Tom Edden (Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play). Tom Edden went on to win the Outer Critics Circle Award for 'Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play.' For the Tony Awards in 2012, the play received seven nominations: James Corden for Best Actor in a Play, Tom Edden for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Nicholas Hytner for Best Direction of a Play, Grant Olding for Best Original Score, Mark Thompson for both Best Scenic Design of a Play and Best Costume Design of a Play and Paul Arditti for Best Sound Design of a Play. James Corden went on to win his Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

Richard Bean was born in Hull in 1956. After school, he worked in a bread plant before leaving to study Psychology at Loughborough University. Richard has worked as a psychologist and stand-up comedian.

In 2011 Richard became the first writer to win the Evening Standard Award for Best Play for two plays, The Heretic and One Man, Two Guvnors. He was also awarded the 2011 Critics' Circle Award for Best Play and 2012 Whatsonstage.com Award for Best New Comedy, both for One Man, Two Guvnors. The New York production of One Man, Two Guvnors was awarded the 2012 Outer Critics' Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Play.

Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning composer Grant Olding has over the last fourteen years made a name for himself as a versatile and prolific composer and lyricist who is equally at home writing for film or theatre, orchestra or rock band, acoustic or electronica. A multi-instrumentalist, working out of his studio in Kent, Grant has composed for animated feature films, TV sitcoms, documentaries, romantic comedies, ballets, musicals and plays for both the National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company. He is known for his holistic understanding of drama and ability to write in any number of musical idioms.

Grant was nominated for a Tony award and won the Drama Desk Award for best score for the National Theatre's One Man, Two Guvnors written by Richard Bean and directed by Sir Nicholas Hytner. The hit comedy ran for three years at the NT and in the West End as well as playing on Broadway, and on UK and International tours. Grant's music and lyrics can be heard in countless productions of the play around the world. "Guvnors" saw Grant leading the four piece skiffle band The Craze and he can be heard playing and singing lead vocals on the original cast album.

Photo credit: Ben Crop

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