Final Cast, Creatives Set for BRITTEN IN BROOKLYN Premiere at Wilton's Music Hall

Final casting and creatives have been announced for the world premiere of Zoe Lewis's "Britten in Brooklyn" at Wilton's Music Hall.

Joining the previously announced Sadie Frost (who starred in Lewis's one-woman play, Touched, in the West End) are Ruby Bentall (Minnie in Lark Rise to Candleford, Mary Bennet in Lost in Austen and cousin Verity Poldark in the BBC adaptation), David Burnett (Henry Foster in Brave New World), John Hollingworth (Design for Living at the Old Vic, Capt Henshawe in Poldark) and Ryan Sampson (Grumio in the TV comedy Plebs, Charles 'Boz' Dickens in TV's The Frankenstein Chronicles).

Directed by Oli Rose, Britten in Brooklyn will play for a strictly limited season of 21 performances from 31 August - 17 September. Press night is Friday 2 September.

The bohemian lifestyle of Benjamin Britten, WH Auden, Carson McCullers and Gypsy Rose Lee in the artistic community at 7 Middagh Street starts to unravel as World War II becomes a brutal reality. Exiled in America for his beliefs and a national disgrace Benjamin Britten must decide which way his conflicted political ideals lie but the constant parties, doomed affairs and John Dunne, the mysterious stranger provide an easy distraction.

Based on true events, the World Premiere of Zoe Lewis's passionate and thought-provoking play takes place in the beautiful and unique setting of Wilton's Music Hall.

On the creative team are: Director Oli Rose, Set and Costume Designer Cecilia Carey, Lighting Designer Peter Harrison, and Musical Director and Sound Designer Dom James. Produced by Jimmy Jewell and Positive Entertainment in association with Wilton's Music Hall.

For more information, visit www.britteninbrooklyn.com.

LISTINGS INFO:

WORLD PREMIERE

Britten in Brooklyn
By Zoe Lewis

Wilton's Music Hall
1 Graces Alley
London E1 8JB

Box Office: 020 7702 2789
Book in person from 11am - 6pm Monday - Friday.
No booking fee.

www.britteninbrooklyn.com
www.wiltons.org.uk

Performance schedule:
Wednesday 31August 7.30pm
Thursday 1 September 7.30pm
Friday 2 September 7.30pm - Press Night
Saturday 3 September 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Tuesday 6 September 7.30pm
Wednesday 7 September 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Thursday 8 September 7.30pm
Friday 9 September 6.00pm & 8.30pm
Saturday 10 September 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Tuesday 13 September 7,30pm
Wednesday 14 September 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Thursday 15 September 7.30pm
Friday 16 September 6.00pm & 8.30pm
Saturday 17 September 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Tickets:
Stalls £27.50, Restricted Stalls £22.50,
Front Balcony £25.00, Balcony £19.00
Concessions: Under 16s, over 60s, Equity/BECTU/MU
Member, Job Seeker, Student, Tower Hamlets Resident,
Carers - free carer ticket for every full price ticket held by someone who is registered disabled and needs the assistance of a carer

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Ruby Bentall (Carson McCullers)

Ruby is best known on TV for playing Minnie in Lark Rise to Candleford, Mary Bennet in Lost in Austen and cousin Verity Poldark in the recent BBC adaptation. She was Hilary "Hils" Barnstaple in the 10-part Jekyll & Hyde series on ITV1. She made her stage debut at the National Theatre, appearing in DNA and The Miracle, and more recently as Victoria in the Mike Leigh-directed Grief. She was also Anya in Remembrance Day at the Royal Court.

David Burnett (John Dunne)

David graduated from Drama Centre London in 2014 winning the First Prize Laurence Olivier Bursary. His stage roles include Mephistopheles in Faust (Greenwich Theatre/UK tour); Henry Foster in Brave New World (Royal & Derngate & tour); Best Years of Your Life and Jefferson's Garden (Watford Palace); and Pioneer (Norwich Playhouse). for TV he has appeared in ITV's Endeavour, The Mummy and Jacques.

Sadie Frost (Gypsy Rose Lee)

Sadie is foremost an actress, performing extensively on stage and screen. She achieved success at an early age, attending Italia Conti school and appearing in the play Mumbo Jumbo, directed by Nicholas Hytner, at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester at 19. Her first film role came as 'Rebecca' in the film Dark Obsession (originally titled Diamond Skulls), opposite Gabriel Byrne and Amanda Donohue. Since then Sadie has featured in over 20 films, including working with Francis Ford Coppola as 'Lucy Westenra' in Bram Stoker's Dracula alongside Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins. She starred in the one-woman West End play Touched...For The Very First Time, directed by Douglas Rintoul and produced by Imogen Lloyd Webber, and in 2010, acted in Fool For Love at Riverside Studios opposite The Libertine's Carl Barat.

John Hollingworth (WH Auden)

John graduated from RADA in 2008 and has since had an illustriously busy career. On TV, he played series regular Capt Henshawe in the BBC's Poldark, Federico Sassetti in Da Vinci's Demons, Alastair in The Hour, and Max Furst in The Man Who Crossed Hitler and most recently Detective Wallace in Our Loved Boy. His professional stage debut was at the Royal Court in Ignition 2. His stage credits also include Playboy of the Western World, For King and Country, Power and Politics (Tricycle), Design for Living and Headlong (Old Vic) and Earthquakes in London (NT).

Ryan Sampson (Benjamin Briten)

Ryan is best known for playing Grumio, a leading role in the ITV2 sitcom Plebs and in comedy sketch show GLITCHY. He is also recognised as Alex Venables in After You've Gone for the BBC. On stage, Ryan has starred at the National Theatre in: DNA, The Miracle and Dido, Queen of Carthage and most recently as Maggio in the musical From Here To Eternity for the West End. Some of his other theatre credits include: Prince Edward in Edward II and Richard III, directed by Michael Grandage at the Crucible Theatre, Canary at The Hampstead Theatre and Monsieur Ibrahim And The Flowers Of The Qur'an, Sixty Six Books and The Kitchen Sink for the Bush Theatre.

ZOE LEWIS (Writer)

Two time winner of North West Playwrights competition (Contact Theatre Manchester) plays include Like A Virgin (Soho Theatre) Touched (Trafalgar Studios), Flanders Mare (Sound, West End), Pool Death (Salisbury Playhouse) Glastonbury, Sharp Relief (Salisbury Playhouse) and Paradise Syndrome. She is an associate writer with High Tide New Writing Festival. Other projects include screenplays for Working Title Films and Ealing Studios and in development Mad Mums TV drama series. She is also a feature writer for The Times and other broadsheets.

Oli Rose (Director)

Oli is the artistic director of Rogues' Gallery and a freelance theatre director. His shows include Run by Stephen Laughton (Southwark Playhouse & Vault Festival), Twelfth Night (Mountview) The Incredible One Man Pandemic (Vault 2014); Sock Puppet (The Yard, Pleasance Edinburgh); The Folk Contraption (Vault 2012,
Southbank Spiegeltent, Latitude); The Boy I Love is Up in the Gallery and Dog in the Manger (Hoxton Hall). Oli won the Old Vic New Voices Ignite 5 competition and also completed OVNV's 24 Hour Plays and TS Eliot New York Exchange. He was the associate director Shakespeare in Love in London and is currently associate director on the Stratford, Ontario production.

WILTON'S MUSIC HALL

Wilton's Music Hall is a gem in the heart of London and the oldest grand music hall in the world. It presents a year round programme of exceptional live music and world-class productions alongside learning and participation work that engages the local community and schools. The Grade 2 Star listed building recently completed a 4 year capital project with support from Heritage Lottery Fund and numerous trusts and individuals. This project, designed by Tim Ronalds Architects recently won the RIBA London Award 2016, RIBA London Conservation Award 2016 and RIBA London Building Of The Year 2016.

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