Canadian Playwright Daniel Macdonald to Make UK Debut with VELOCITY, April 27-May 13

In a production commissioned by the Finborough Theatre, and another in its acclaimed series introducing Canada's finest playwrights to the UK, the European premiere of Daniel Macdonald's Velocity opens at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine Sunday and Monday evening and Tuesday matinee performances from Sunday, 27 April 2014.

Dot doesn't hate her father. She just wants to explode him out of his office tower to shake things up. Set him off. See what happens. And get an "A" on her science project...

Daring to challenge the law of physics, Dot interviews her flailing father and neurotic mother, as their world crashes to the ground. Just imagine. Your life in six seconds.

Velocity was originally workshopped at the Saskatchewan Spring Festival of New Plays and had its world premiere at Persephone Theatre, Saskatoon directed by Del Surjik. It won the New Works of Merit playwriting competition in New York City, and received its US premiere with Twilight Theatre at the HERE Space in New York City in 2012. It was also seen as part of the LARK Play Development Centre's Playwrights' Festival in New York City.

Playwright Daniel Macdonald makes his professional UK debut with this production of Velocity. He is an award winning playwright, teacher and director. Most recently, his play A History of Breathingreceived its world premiere at Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon and was short-listed for the national Carol Bolt Award. It is published by Playwrights Canada Press. Other plays includePageant, MacGregor's Hard Ice Cream and Gas, Mercy, Radiant Boy and Johnny Zed The Musical! (The Musical). His film series Redemption, SK was televised in Canada and nominated for a Canadian Independent Series Award. As a teacher, Daniel has co-written several plays with and for high school students including Blind Love which was performed at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival. He is a recipient of the Enbridge National PlayRites award (Alberta Theatre Projects), a two-time recipient of the City of Regina Writer's Award, and a two-time recipient of the SMPIA award for acting. He continues to teach high school and university classes, and splits his time between Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island.

Director Blythe Stewart directed the staged reading of Bekah Brunstetter's A Long and Happy Lifefor Vibrant 2013 - A Festival of Finborough Playwrights. Her previous productions include Julie and Paul (LOST Theatre), Game (Ovalhouse), There's No Place Like Home (Etcetera Theatre), the UK premiere of Kerrigan and Lowdermilk's musical Party Worth Crashing (Edinburgh Festival) and the European premiere of Tallgrass Gothic (Site specific for Theatre In Heights). She is a recipient of the Amelia Hall Gold Medal Scholarship, and has studied and worked internationally from Toronto to London to Moscow as a director, writer and assistant director. She has a Masters in Theatre Directing from East 15 Acting School and studied at the National Academy of Dramatic Arts (GITIS) in Moscow.

The Finborough Theatre is committed to presenting the work of Canadian playwrights in the UK, and has been responsible for the UK debuts of some of Canada's most acclaimed dramatists including Michael Lewis MacLennan, Kim Morrissey, David Young (with Antarctica - subsequently seen in the West End), Brad Fraser, John Mighton, Colleen Wagner, Adam Pettle, Jason Hall, Donn Short, Jason Sherman, Joanna McClelland Glass, Arthur Milner, Matthew Edison, Michael Healey, Daniel MacIvor and Colleen Murphy.

The cast are:

Waleed Akhtar's (Jee) theatre credits include The Kite Runner (Nottingham Playhouse and Liverpool Playhouse), Betrayed (Tron Theatre, Glasgow), Under 11's (Soho Theatre), Black I (Kali Theatre and Ovalhouse), Love Match (Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham), I Call My Brothers (Arcola Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Tooting Arts Club), Masculine Law (Big Chill Festival and Tara Arts), Hearts and Minds(National Tour), Screwface (Tristan Bates Theatre), Gladiator Games (ETC, Germany) andThoughts and Truths (Old Red Lion Theatre). Film credits include Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, Sidney, Sparks and Embers, Lipstikka and Diary of a Jihadi. Television credits include Law and Order UK, Doctors, Edge of Heaven and Dustbin Baby.

Nicholas Cass-Beggs (Michael) was trained at the Oxford School of Drama. Theatre credit includes La Fille du Régiment, Tamerlano, The Rake's Progress, Orlando (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), The Zero Hour (West Yorkshire Playhouse and National Tour), Carousel(Barbican, Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, and The Lowry, Manchester), 6 Degrees (Contact Theatre, Manchester and National Tour), Antigone (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester), The Snowman(Peacock Theatre and Korean Tour), The Temperamentals (Greenwich Theatre), The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (New Vic Theatre, Staffordshire), Ménage à Trois (Cochrane Theatre),Park Avenue (Lilian Baylis Theatre), Pajama Game (Union Theatre), Kismet (English National Opera at the London Coliseum) and Trailer (Camden People's Theatre). Contemporary Dance credit includes five years as a soloist with Ballet Theatre Munich from 1997-2002 and three years with Ballett Nordhausen from 1994-1997. Nicholas has performed in works choreographed by Kim Brandstrup, Mark Bruce, Philip Taylor, Jiri Kylian, Rui Horta, Jonathon Lunn, Stefan Haufe and Henning Paar.

Sion Alun Davies (Zoo) trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Theatre credit includes Pen-Blwydd Poenus Pete (Theatr Iolo), Outside On The Street (Arcola Theatre), A Marked Man (HighTide Festival Theatre), A Soldier and a Maker (Barbican Theatre) and Festopia(Theatre503). Television credit includes Doctors and Treflan.

Rosie Day's (Dot) theatre credit includes Les Miserables (Palace Theatre), The Winter's Tale, The Playboy of the Western World, Summerfolk (National Theatre), The Pussy Riots, Spur of the Moment (Royal Court Theatre) and Microwave (National Theatre Studio). Film credit includes The Seasoning House for which she won Best Actress award at the Fantaspoa Film Festival 2013 and was named Screen International Star of Tomorrow, the BAFTA nominated Good Night, Ironclad: Battle for Blood, Sixteen, Heart of Lightness and Soror. Television credit includes Siblings, Misfits, Homefront, DCI Banks, Harley Street, My Life as a Popat, Fallen Angel, The Romantics, Bernard's Watch, Darwin's Daughter, Family Affairs, Big Train, Indeep, Black Books and Hope and Glory.

Siu-See Hung (Ming) trained at Arts Educational Schools. Theatre credit includes Love (Southwark Playhouse), Something There That's Missing (Theatre503), Nic Knight's Tales (Park Theatre), Granny Dumpling, Ba Banh It (Yellow Earth Theatre at The Albany),Dim Sum Nights, Theef (Yellow Earth Theatre) and Our Town (King's Head Theatre).

Helene Wilson's (Laura) theatre credit includes The Seven Year Itch (Queen's Theatre), Aunt Dan and Lemon (Almeida Theatre),Life During Wartime (Lyric Theatre), Navy Pier (Soho Theatre) and Since You Left Us (Tristan Bates Theatre). Film credit includes The Dark Knight, Hellboy, Down, Caught Out, Horses for Courses and Virgin Birth. Television credit includes Relentless, The Other Wife, Inside Waco, Body Story 2, Rosemary and Thyme and Survivors.

Velocity will run Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, 27, 28, 29 April and 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 May 2014. The show begins Sunday and Monday evenings at 7.30pm and Tuesday matinees at 2.00pm. Tickets are £18 with £16 concessions. Book tickets by calling the box office at 0844 847 1652 or book online at http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/.

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