Finborough Theatre Debuts Anders Lustgarten's BLACK JESUS Tonight

In a production commissioned by the Finborough Theatre, Anders Lustgarten's Black Jesus receives its world premiere at the Finborough Theatre, playing for a four week season from tonight, 1 October 2013 (Press Night: Thursday, 3 October 2013 at 7.30pm). A sold-out workshop production of Black Jesus at the Harare International Festival of Arts, Zimbabwe, was described by the Guardian as "a highlight of the festival".

Zimbabwe. 2015. Eunice Ncube, working for the new Truth and Justice Commission, interviews Gabriel Chibamu, one of the most infamous of the old regime's enforcers. As Gabriel's trial approaches, Eunice sifts through the past - to find that right and wrong, and guilt and innocence, are far less clear than she first thought...

This stunning new play by Finborough Theatre Playwright-in-Residence Anders Lustgarten, one of the UK's leading political playwrights, has extra resonance in light of the upcoming Zimbabwean elections. Black Jesus unpicks the political complexities of Zimbabwe through the devastating personal journeys of two very different people, both shaped and scarred by one of Africa's most complex and notorious regimes.

Playwright Anders Lustgarten's most recent play was If You Don't Let Us Dream, We Won't Let You Sleep, an exceptionally insightful and optimistic dissection of modern British politics at The Royal Court Theatre Downstairs in March 2013, for which he won the inaugural Harold Pinter Playwrights' Award. Lustgarten is a Playwright-in-Residence at the Finborough Theatre, where his work includes A Day at the Racists (2010), about the BNP and New Labour's betrayal of the working class, which won the Catherine Johnson Award. Other work includes Socialism is Great(National Theatre, 2012), Blair's Children (Cockpit Theatre, June 2013) and Three Gifts (Royal Court, June 2013).

Director David Mercatali is a director and writer. His production of the world premiere of Philip Ridley's Tender Napalm, received a nomination for the Evening Standard Best Newcomer Award and the OffWestEnd Award for Best Director. Previous work includes Feathers in the Snow(Southwark Playhouse), the acclaimed verbatim play Someone to Blame (King's Head Theatre), the breakthrough premiere production of Philip Ridley's Moonfleece (London and National Tour),Weights and his own play The Sound (Blue Elephant Theatre), Runners: The Return (Underbelly for the Edinburgh Festival) and People's Day (Pleasance London). He was Assistant Director onThe Eleventh Capital (Royal Court Theatre), is currently Assocate Director at the Southwark Playhouse and has developed new work with Paines Plough and Theatre503.

THE CAST:

Paapa Essiedu
Trained at Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Theatre includes Outside On The Street (Arcola Theatre and Pleasance Edinburgh), A Marked Man(Hightide Festival), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Mouse and His Child (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Dutchman (Orange Tree Theatre).

Alexander Gatehouse
Trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Theatre includes The Merchant Of Venice (UK Tour), A Midsummer Night's Dream (UK Tour), Old Things (Bush Theatre), Hamlet (Dalston Bunk er), Cyrano De Bergerac (US tour), The Taming Of The Shrew (US tour), Someone To Blame (King's Head Theatre), Green And Pleasant Land (Arcola Theatre), A Doll's House (Arcola Theatre), The Exonerated (Charing Cross Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Unicorn Th eatre), Communication Breakdown (Theatre 503), Big Shoe (King's Head Theatre), The Gif t (Old Vic New Voi ces), Freddie Hearts Freddie (Southwark Playhouse), Beat Generation/Jack Kerouac (Old Vic New Voices), The S ound (Blue Elephant Theatre), Inches Apart (Theatre 503), All For Honour (Tara Arts), Present Tense (Trafalgar Studios), Elegies For Angels, Punks And Raging Queens (F ortune Theatre), Valpariso (Old Red Lion Theatre), Not In My Home (The Space), The Broken H eart (White Bear Theatr e), A Bequest To The Nation (Je rmyn Street Theatre) andHanging Around (Kneehigh).
Television includes A London Affair.

Debbie Korley
Theatre includes Too Clever By Half (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and Told by an Idiot), The Endings (Theatre 503) King Lear, American Trade, Little Eagles, Morte D'Arthur, Hamlet, Romeo And Juliet, The Grain Store, The Comedy Of Errors, As You Like It (Royal Shakespeare Company), Feathers In The Snow (National Theatre Studio), SaturdayNight (White Bear Theatre), Cinderella (Theatre Royal S tratford East), A Matter Of Life And Death (Kneehigh and The National Theatre), Coram Boy (National Theatre), Sick! (Almeida Theatr e), Ten Suitcases ( The Drill Hall), The Little Mermaid (The Bull Theatr e), The Vagina Monologues (Merc ury Theatre, Colchester), The African Maiden (Blue Elephant Theat re) and Whistle Down The Wind (Palace Theatre).
Television includes Doctors, Green Balloon Club, Holy Smoke, Casualty, Night And Day and Night Fever.

Cyril Nri
Theatre includes Julius Caesar (Royal Shake speare Company and West End), The Riots (Tricycle Theatre), Mad About The Boy (Edinburgh Fes tival), The Observer (Nation al Theatre), Oxford Street (Royal Court Theatre), Othello (Birmingha m Stage Company), The Exonerated (Riverside Studios), Where Do We Live (Royal Court Theatre), The Way Of The World (Nationa l Theatre), Playboy Of The West Indies (Tricycle T heatre), The Darker Face Of The Earth (National Theatre) and The Tempes t(The Old Vic).
Film includes Deadmeat, Long Time Dead, The Siege and Talos: The Mummy.
Television includes Law and Order, Holby City, New Tricks, The Sarah Jane Adventures,
Doctors, Waking The Dead, Cold Blood, The Bill, EastEnders, Family Affairs, Arabian Nights andThis Life.

PRESS NIGHT: THURSDAY, 3 OCTOBER 2013 AT 7.30PM. The show will play the Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED. Box Office 0844 847 1652; or book online at www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk. Runs: Tuesday, 1 October - Saturday, 26 October 2013, playing Tuesday to Saturday Evenings at 7.30pm. Sunday Matinees at 3.00pm. Saturday matinees at3.00pm (from 12 October 2013). Performance Length: Approximately ninety minutes with no interval.

Prices for Weeks One and Two (1-13 October 2013) - Tickets £14, £10 concessions, except Tuesday Evenings £10 all seats, and Saturday evenings £14 all seats. Previews (1 and 2 October) £9 all seats. £6 tickets for Under 30's for performances from Tuesday to Sunday of the first week when booked online only. £10 tickets for residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on Saturday, 5 October 2013 when booked online.

Prices for Weeks Three and Four (15-26 October 2013) - Tickets £16, £12 concessions, exceptTuesday Evenings £12 all seats, and Saturday evenings £16 all seats.

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