Finborough Theatre Opens Premiere of LINGUA FRANCA, 7/13

The Cherub Company returns to the Finborough Theatre with the world premiere of a brand new play by Peter Nichols, Lingua Franca, opening Tuesday, 13 July 2010 (Press Night: Thursday, 15 July 2010) as part of the Finborough Theatre's 30th anniversary year.

Lingua Franca follows innocent abroad, Steven Flowers, as he travels from National Service in South-East Asia to 1950's Florence. He soon finds himself working for a chaotically-run language school, together with a cosmopolitan muddle of seven foreign misfits killing their post-war nihilism in the cafés of Florence, the cradle of Renaissance high culture.

Based around a leading character in Peter Nichols' acclaimed work Privates on Parade, and inspired by his own experiences, Lingua Franca is a fast-paced, sexually-charged story, and both a damning indictment and a celebration of sexual freedom.

Playing with notions of xenophobia and deep-seated cultural stereotypes, nationalist foibles and prejudices clash and sparkle to high comic effect as Steven tries to make sense of his own life and a Europe at peace after so many years of war.

Playwright Peter Nichols was born in Bristol in 1927, and is a multiple award-winning author of some of the most enduring British plays of the last four decades. With its controversial and subversive range of themes and styles, his work continues to be revived on both sides of the Atlantic. His many plays include A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (recently seen in the West End and on Broadway), Passion Play (originally produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and recently seen at the Donmar Warehouse, directed by Michael Grandage), Privates on Parade (also originally produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and recently revived at the Donmar Warehouse with James McAvoy as Steven Flowers), The Freeway, The National Health (National Theatre), Forget-Me-Not-Lane (Greenwich Theatre), Chez Nous (Gielgud Theatre), Born in the Gardens (Bristol Old Vic), Blue Murder (later Fig-Leaves) (Show of Strength Theatre Company, Bristol), So Long Life (The Tobacco Factory, Bristol) and A Piece of My Mind (Nuffield Theatre, Southampton). His awards include four Evening Standard Awards, an Olivier Award for Best Comedy and two Ivor Novello Awards for Best Musical. He has also written screenplays of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, The National Health and Privates on Parade. His books include Feeling You're Behind, a memoir, published by Weidenfeld in 1984 and Peter Nichols: Diaries 1969-1977, published by Nick Hern Books in 2000. His Plays One and Two are published by Methuen.

Director Michael Gieleta combines work in theatre and opera internationally. His London credits include Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams by Pulitzer-Prize winner Nilo Cruz at the Finborough Theatre, the recent acclaimed revival of Artist Descending a Staircase by Tom Stoppard (Old Red Lion Theatre), Mimi and the Stalker by Glyn Maxwell (Theatre 503), David Lescot's Le Mariage, Tena Stivicic's Fragile! (Arcola Theatre) and Smetana's Hubicka (Wexford Opera Festival in October 2010). Michael has also worked extensively as an Assistant Director in the West End and at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Chichester Festival Theatre, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Formerly Associate Director to Franco Zeffirelli, Michael is looking forward to revisiting his Italian roots through Lingua Franca.

Enzo Cilenti's credits include Asylum Talk (Royal Court Theatre), Miu Miu (Paines Plough), The Shape of Things (New Ambassadors Theatre), Anna in the Tropics (Hampstead Theatre). Film credits include Nine, Rome, The Rum Diary.

Ian Gelder's credits include The Power of Yes, Stuff Happens, His Dark Materials (National Theatre), The Sound of Music (London Palladium), The Crucible, Richard III, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice (Royal Shakespeare Company), Good (Donmar Warehouse). Ian played Steve Flowers in the original production of Peter Nichols' Private on Parades (Royal Shakespeare Company).

Rula Lenska's credits include Dangerous Corner (Garrick Theatre), Temptation, Blithe Spirit (West End), Our Better (Chichester Festival Theatre). Television credits include Coronation Street, EastEnders, Minder, Dr Who, One Foot in the Grave, Casualty, Rock Follies.

Olivier Award winner actress Abigail McKern's credits include The Magistrate, Suddenly Last Summer, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Death of a Salesman, The Merchant of Venice, The Cherry Orchard (West End), Tartuffe (Almeida Theatre), Wild Honey (National Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It (Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park), King Lear, Love's Labour's Lost, The Country Wife (Royal Shakespeare Company), Three Birds Alighting on a Field (Royal Court Theatre).

Chris New's credits include Pictures from Exhibition (Sadler's Wells), Prick Up Your Ears (West End), Amazonia (Young Vic), The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Reporter (National Theatre), Bent (West End - Evening Standard Theatre Awards Nomination for Outstanding Newcomer and Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards Nomination for London Newcomer of the Year, 2006).

Charlotte Randle's credits include Love the Sinner, Mother Courage, Romeo and Juliet (National Theatre), All About My Mother (Old Vic), King Lear (Young Vic Theatre), Don Carlos, Lobby Hero (West End).

Natalie Walter's credits include The 39 Steps, Noises Off (West End), A Midsummer Night's Dream, Love's Labour's Lost (Royal Shakespeare Company), Piano/Forte (Royal Court Theatre).

Designer James Macnamara is one of South Africa's leading stage designers. In June, he is designing the Opening Ceremony of the World Cup in Johannesburg. James has a long-standing partnership with the Cherub Company having previously worked on Fragile! and Le Mariage (Arcola Theatre). With director Michael Gieleta, James created the productions of Lucia di Lamermoor, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci (South African State Theatre) as well as Mimi and the Stalker (Theatre 503).

The Cherub Company was established in 1978 by directors Andrew Visnevski and Simon Chandler and it has lost none of its pioneering nature under the direction of Michael Gieleta. Committed to reinforcing links between British and interNational Theatre, the company's work has been seen in over a dozen countries. Is has premiered international plays ranging from classical authors (Rostand, de Ghelderode, Calderon) to the latest Cuban, Croatian and French drama. It actively recruits new audiences among the ethnic and cultural communities that do not historically belong to the British theatre tradition, and aims to inspire and devise work which responds to the preoccupations and anxieties of modern British society.

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