Casting Announced for THE PASSING OF THE THIRD FLOOR BACK in London

In a new production commissioned by the Finborough Theatre, a unique rediscovery of The Passing of the Third Floor Back by Jerome K. Jerome, author of Three Men in a Boat, opens at the Finborough Theatre for a four week limited season on Tuesday, 28 November 2017 (Press Nights: Thursday, 30 November and Friday, 1 December 2017 at 7.30pm).

Christmas in London, 1907. Mrs. Sharpe's squalid Bloomsbury boarding house plays host to some unscrupulous residents. Vivian is being forced to marry a man she doesn't love, Harry's musical career is a laughing-stock, Alick is plotting to swindle the next man he meets, while Stasia, the maid, has almost been forgotten. So their lives go on, until the sudden arrival of a mysterious stranger in search of a room...

Described by its author as "an idle fancy", the mystical and mysterious The Passing of the Third Floor Back was one of the longest running West End and Broadway hits of its time. The original stage production and silent film version starred the greatest Hamlet of his day - Sir Johnson Forbes-Robertson. In 1935, it was adapted for film again to great acclaim, starring silent screen icon Conrad Veidt (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari).

Cast: Benjamin Chandler. Ella Dunlop. Alexander Knox. Anna Mottram. Paddy Navin. Graham Pountney. Claire Redcliffe. Carmen Rodriguez. Richard Stirling. Caroline Wildi. Matthew Winters. Edward Wolstenholme.

Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) was both novelist and playwright. He remains best known for his 1889 comic travelogue Three Men in a Boat. Depicting three men on a two-week boating holiday along the River Thames, it never been out of print since its publication. It continues to be popular to the present day, with The Guardian ranking it No. 33 of The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time in 2003, and no. 25 in 2015, and Esquire ranking it No. 2 in the 50 Funniest Books Ever in 2009. He also established himself as a playwright on both sides of the Atlantic, writing for a long list of prominent players. The Passing of the Third Floor Back, his first serious play, drew upon his early life experiences of living in a variety of dingy London lodgings. Other notable works include Three Men on the Bummel, On the Stage-and Off, Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow and his autobiographical novel Paul Kelver.

Director Jonny Kelly returns to the Finborough Theatre following his sell out production of Michael Healey's Proud in 2016. As co-founder of NorthSEE Theatre, he has recently directed Hyem (Theatre503 and Northern Stage). He was also Assistant Director on both The Hard Man and Unscorched at the Finborough Theatre. Direction includes A is for Ali (Old Red Lion Theatre), Money Womb (Theatre503), The Special Relationship (Southwark Playhouse), Boys Will Be Boys (Soho Theatre), Lies (VAULT Festival), and Call Centre (New Wimbledon Theatre). Associate and Assistant Direction includes assisting Justin Audibert on Flare Path (National Tour) and Nina Raine on Donkey Heart (Trafalgar Studios). He was also the Assistant Director of Papatango Theatre Company for two years. He trained at East 15 Acting School.

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