Casting Announced For Tim Firth's NOW IS GOOD at Storyhouse

A funny and poignant new musical by award-winning playwright Tim Firth receives its world premiere at Storyhouse this spring and the full cast has now been revealed.

Now is Good will be staged from 11-28 May.

The new musical comedy is about the greatest challenges currently facing humanity: how to help your children, where to hide your biscuits...and how to fight loneliness.

When builder Ray and his son Neil embark on a very personal renovation project, it unlocks a bank of memories - and with the arrival of some unexpected help, it also takes an extraordinary turn.

Meet the Cast

Jeff Rawle will appear as Ray. During a career stretching back five decades, he has played roles including Billy Liar, Silas Blissett in Hollyoaks, Plantagenet in Doctor Who, Roger Fenn in Doc Martin and he spent eight years as hapless news editor George Dent in cult TV series Drop the Dead Donkey. He also appeared as Amos Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and played Neville in a TV film of Tim Firth's Neville's Island.

His recent stage credits include Blood Wedding (Salisbury Playhouse), Allelujah! and Alys, Always (Bridge Theatre), Raising Martha (Park Theatre) and Saint George and the Dragon (National Theatre).

The role of Ivy is being played by Michele Dotrice, known to millions as Betty, the long-suffering wife of the hapless Frank Spencer in the hit BBC sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.

Her extensive screen credits also include A Very English Scandal, Vanity Fair, Bramwell and The Way We Live Now, while recent stage appearances include Tim Firth and Gary Barlow's The Girls, Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest and Mrs Wilberforce in The Ladykillers.

Meanwhile Bruce Montague is Ted. After National Service and RADA, Bruce started his career at the Old Vic where he appeared in several plays with Vivien Leigh. His more recent stage work includes Fiddler on the Roof with Topol (London Palladium), Mr Brownlow in Sam Mendes' Oliver! (also at the Palladium), two years as the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty's Theatre), 42nd Street (UK tour) and Funny Girl (Savoy Theatre).

His extensive screen credits include Whoops Apocalypse, Secret Army, Doctor Who, New Tricks, Hollyoaks and Doctors. But he remains best known for playing Leonard Dunn, the illicit love interest of Ria in Carla Lane's Butterflies.

Alice is played by Elizabeth Counsell. Her theatre career stretches back more than 50 years, with early roles including Lady Macbeth opposite Michael Gambon's Macbeth (Forum Theatre, Billingham) while she was leading lady in Sir Michael Redgrave's Shakespeare'sPeople. Other credits include Jean Seberg (Royal National Theatre), Miss Dietrich Regrets (St James Theatre Studio), An Inspector Calls and The Birthday Party (Theatr Clwyd) and The Glass Menagerie (Lyric Theatre).

Her screen credits include From Russia With Love, Anne of the Thousand Days, Z Cars, Doctor At Sea, Executive Stress, Doctors, Call the Midwife and five years as Veronica Bainbridge in Brush Strokes.

Ray's son Neil is played by Cheshire-born Coronation Street actor Chris Hannon. His theatre credits include My White Best Friend (Eclipse Theatre - directed by Joyce Branagh), Pride and Prejudice (Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds), and The Ladykillers (Oldham Coliseum).

He also writes and performs in pantomimes, while his other screen roles include Darrel in Lunch Monkeys, Brian in Topsy and Tim and appearances in Doctors.

And Alyce Liburd is teacher Katy. Her theatre credits include Airplays (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Rita in Rita, Sue and Bob Too (Out of Joint), The Parting Glass (Red Ladder) and Scribbles (Oldham Coliseum).

Tim Firth, writer composer said: It's a real privilege to see what amounts to British TV comedy royalty coming up to Storyhouse. I've grown up watching a lot of their shows and to have them in Chester at all - let alone in something of mine - is beyond anything I could ever have hoped. Alyce and Chris totally blew us away in the auditions - and then to find Chris was virtually related to the play without knowing - well that was the cherry on a very rich cake.

The new production is being directed by Joyce Branagh. The West Yorkshire-based actor, playwright and director started her career as a trainee director at the Orange Tree Theatre and Bristol Old Vic and later became associate director at Watford Palace Theatre.

Her directing credits include Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Sunshine Boys, Travels With My Aunt and The Thunder Girls.

Meanwhile arranger and musical director George Francis returns to Storyhouse following his work on The Wizard of Oz.

His other credits as musical director and orchestrator include Amelie the Musical (Watermill, UK tour and West End), Miracle on 34th Street (Liverpool Playhouse), The Last Five Years (Burton Brewhouse) and Fiddler on the Roof and Paint Your Wagon (Liverpool Everyman).

Tickets for Now is Good are on sale now priced from £18 for adults and £7 for under 26s.

To post a comment, you must register and login.