Coming-Out, Coming-of-Age Play 46 BEACON to Play The Hope Theatre, 4-12 Oct

46 BEACON, a coming-out and coming-of-age play set in 1970's America by Drama Desk and Richard Rodgers Award Award winner Bill Rosenfield, willl get its world premiere at The Hope Theatre, Islington, London N1 1RL, 4 -12 October 2015.

Robert is a British actor visiting Boston who may have missed his chance professionally. Alan, a young man who works at the local theatre, is just learning who he is and how he may (or may not) fit into the world at large. They both want something from one another but is it the same thing? 46 BEACON explores a turning point in these two lives...

46 BEACON is directed by Joshua Stamp-Simon (The Last of The DeMullins) and features Matthew Baldwin 'Offie' nominee for his one-man play The Act and recent East 15 graduate Jak Ford-Lane. It is produced by Oli Sones (A Chorus Line, Taken at Midnight).

WARNING: 46 BEACON contains strong sexual content, brief nudity and a couple of musical theatre trivia references.

Matthew Baldwin (Robert) - In 2013 Matthew and Thomas Hescott developed The Act, a play for one actor, for the Oval House. Matthew was nominated for an Off West End award for Best Actor and jointly with Tom in the category of Best New Playwright. In 2014 The Act transferred to Tafalgar Studios with Matthew reprising his role. Also in 2014 Matthew and Tom wrote Outings, which enjoyed a successful run at the Gilded Balloon at the Edinburgh Festival and on a national tour featuring Simon Callow, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Stephen K Amos and Jim Davidson among many others. He played Dame and Villain alternately in four seasons of the multi-award-winning Above The Stag pantomime.

Jak Ford-Lane (Alan) - Jak recently graduated from East 15 where his roles included The Three Sisters (Andrei); Measure for Measure (Pompey); The Pillowman (Michael) and The Winter's Tale (Clown).

Joshua Stamp-Simon (Director) - Previous productions include include Flatmates & Sixteen Sonorous Stones (The Warren: Theatre Box, Brighton Fringe) and The Last of the De Mullins (Jermyn Street Theatre).

Bill Rosenfield (Author) - His adaptation of Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella was performed in April of 2014 as part of New York's City Center Encores! Series, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicolaw. For the past four years he has written the annual Drama Desk Awards ceremony in New York. He is the author of a weekly blog "Up to My Ears" on the website BwayTunes.com. and he has served as dramaturg on a number of productions, most notably the Daniel Kramer/Gate Theatre production of Hair in London. Prior to his life as a writer, Bill was the executive producer of over 65 Original Cast Recordings for RCA Victor Records, beginning with the original production of Assassins and ending 20 years later with the recording of the award-laden Broadway revival of Hair. In addition to 46 Beacon, Bill's other plays include True Fans (presented at The Abbey in Orlando and The Blank Theatre's "Living Room" series); Let Me (Asolo Rep's "Unplugged" series; Actors' Collective, New York) and Bridal Terrorism. Among the awards he has received in New York are two Drama Desk Awards (1992 and 2002); the SDC Foundation Governors' Award; and a Richard Rodgers Award (2006). A longtime resident of Islington, Bill and his husband moved permanently to London in June of 2002 and became UK citizens in 2009.

Oli Sones (Producer) - Oli began producing theatre in 2005, having started his career in TV production. His producing credits include musical theatre, plays, cabaret and sketch comedy. He has worked extensively in international theatre and has produced many major theatre productions across the globe, including new productions of Chicago (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Cyprus); My Fair Lady (Singapore and Malaysia); Fame the Musical (Monaco); Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease and Evita (Ljubljana International Festival, Slovenia), The Sound of Music (Malaysia); A Chorus Line (Tel Aviv) and Hairspray (Malaysia, Singapore and Macau). Cabaret work includes Clare Burt: Now You Know (Metropolitan Rooms, New York) and Helen Lederer: WTF (St James Theatre). Oli was a producer on the 2012 critically acclaimed revival of A Chorus Line at the London Palladium and more recently, associate producer on Taken at Midnight at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

IF YOU GO:

46 BEACON

The Hope Theatre, 207 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 1RL

Performances: Sunday 4 October, Monday 5 October, Sunday 11 October, Monday 12 October at 7.45pm. Press night: Monday 5 October at 7.45pm.

Tickets: £14.00/£12.00

Box Office: 0333 666 3366 | www.thehopetheatre.com

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