Finborough Theatre Stages First UK Production in 100 Years of St. John Ervine's JOHN FERGUSON, Now thru June 14

The first UK production in nearly 100 years of St John Ervine's timeless tragedy John Ferguson opens at the Finborough Theatre for a four week run from today, 20 May 2014 - Saturday, 14 June 2014.

Rediscovered and commissioned by the Finborough Theatre, John Ferguson is an urgent and powerful tale of faith and fear in a time of crisis. It is another of the Finborough Theatre's acclaimed series of rediscovered Irish dramas, following the huge success of another play by St John Ervine -Mixed Marriage in 2011.

Ulster in the 1880s. John Ferguson lives by the word of God, and believes there is a reason for everything. His wife, Sarah, lives by the earthly reality around her. The Ferguson family are on the brink of eviction from their farm when a local man makes a proposal that could be the answer to their prayers. But as a series of devastating events unfold, the Fergusons find themselves tested to their limits...

Set in a rundown farmhouse in County Down, John Ferguson was first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin in 1915, establishing Ervine as one of Ireland's greatest writers. The play was subsequently performed in 1919 at The Theatre Guild in New York where it was originally scheduled for just five performances - it eventually ran for more than 130, putting the Guild on the Broadway map and saving it from bankruptcy. It was last produced in England by Nigel Playfair at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith in 1920.

Playwright St John Ervine (1883-1971) was a dramatist, novelist, biographer and critic. A protestant, born in East Belfast, he was for a time an unlikely choice as Literary Manager at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, under W.B. Yeats, where John Ferguson was first produced in 1915. His many other plays include Mixed Marriage (1911), Anthony and Anna (1926), The First Mrs. Fraser(1926) and Boyd's Shop (1939). In later life, Ervine turned his back on Ireland and its politics, and moved to England where he became a noted drama critic for The Observer and The Morning Star, as well as a novelist and a biographer of both Oscar Wilde and Bernard Shaw.

Director Emma Faulkner returns to the Finborough Theatre where she directed Sam Thompson's Northern Irish classic Over the Bridge (2013). She received the 2010 Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme bursary in association with The Young Vic. Directing includes London 2012: Glasgow (Theatre Uncut at the Bussey Building), Christmas The Musical (Battersea Mess and Music Hall), The Scared Ritual of the Nymphs of Natterjack, part of Bush Bazaar (Bush Theatre), Different is Dangerous (Tamasha), After the End (Dundee Rep and Pleasance, Edinburgh), The Miracle(Dundee Rep), Forfeit, What Love Is (Òran Mór, Glasgow, and Dundee Rep), The Ruffian on the Stair, Making Good, Absolute Return (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond) and Knives in Hens (St Mary's at BAC). Associate Direction includes Sunshine on Leith (National Tour). As Assistant Director, she has assisted Alan Ayckbourn on Taking Steps as well as Sleeping Beauty and A Doll's House (Dundee Rep), and Alison's House, Spring Shakespeare, The Lady or the Tiger and The Ring of Truth (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond).

Paul Lloyd (Henry Witherow)'s theatre credits include The Velveteen Rabbit (Unicorn Theatre), Bedbound (Albany Theatre), Cardenio, The Frontline (revival), King Lear, Othello, Antony and Cleopatra, In Extremis (Shakespeare's Globe), Our Country's Good (Watermill Theatre, Newbury), The Factory Girls and Gompers (Arcola Theatre), The Quare Fellow (Oxford Stage Company) and The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Royal Shakespeare Company at the Garrick Theatre and National Tour).

Ciaran McIntyre (John Ferguson)'s theatre credits include The Big Yum Yum (Corcadorca at the Cork Opera House), Uncle Vanya (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), How The World Began (Arcola Theatre), Translations (The Curve, Leicester),Dreams of Violence (Soho Theatre and tour), Absence of Women (Lyric Theatre, Belfast, and Tricycle Theatre), Shoot the Crow (Waterfront Theatre, Belfast, and National Tour), The Chairs (Theatre Royal, Bath), Deep Cut (Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh), Endgame, Port Authority(Everyman Theatre, Liverpool), The Comedy of Errors, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Coriolanus, The Seagull, A Jovial Crew, All's Well That Ends Well (Royal Shakespeare Company), In Celebration (Duke of York's Theatre), Coriolanus, Under The Black Flag (Shakespeare's Globe),Richard II (The Old Vic), The Quare Fellow (Oxford Stage Company at the Tricycle Theatre and National Tour), A Whistle In The Dark, Shadow of a Gunman (Citizen's Theatre, Glasgow), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (National Tour), Waiting for Godot (Contact Theatre, Manchester) and The Hairy Ape (Bristol Old Vic). Film credits include Still Life and Hemingways. Television credits include The Time of Your Life , Holby City, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Doctors, Absolutely Fabulous and Birds of a Feather. Radio credits include The Old Tune, Talking in Whispers, Morning Story and Twilights.

Veronica Quilligan (Sarah Ferguson)'s theatre credits include Dangerous Lady (Theatre Royal Stratford East), The Way Of The World (National Theatre), A Lesson In Blood And Roses (Royal Shakespeare Company), Dancing At Lughnasa(Phoenix Theatre and Garrick Theatre), A Pagan Place (Royal Court Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (Liverpool Playhouse and The Old Vic), Colours- Jane Barry Esq. (Abbey Theatre, Dublin),Faith Healer (Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh), Flesh and Blood (National Tour for Triumph Apollo),Gigi (Fortune Theatre), Looking At You (Revived) Again, Loved and Please Shine Down on Me(Bush Theatre), Other Voices Other Rooms, Romeo and Juliet, Spring Awakening, The Tempest(National Theatre), The Key Tag and The School Leaver (Royal Court Theatre) and The Glass Menagerie, Translations and Wild Oats (Bristol Old Vic). Film credits include Anchoress, Angel, Call at Corazon, Candleshoe, Crime Pays and Lisztomania. Television credits include Between The Wars, Centrepoint, City Sugar, Country Matters, Doctors, Family Affairs and Rough Justice.

Zoe Rainey (Hannah Ferguson)'s theatre credits include Oh What A Lovely War (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Dancing at Lughnasa(Royal and Derngate Theatre, Northampton, and Oxford Playhouse), Finding Neverland (The Curve, Leicester), The School for Scandal (Theatre Royal Bath), She Stoops to Conquer (National Theatre), The Commitments (Workshop at Leicester Square Theatre), Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre), Sunshine on Leith (Dundee Rep and National Tour), Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre),Gigi (Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park), The Sound of Music (Larnaca Festival), Parade (Donmar Warehouse), Guys and Dolls (National Tour), Jean de Florette (Workshop at The Venue), The Woman in White (Palace Theatre), Little Women (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Jekyll and Hyde(National Tour) and War Crime Tribunal (Pleasance and Underground Theatre). Recordings include Singer's Inc 2 album, Michael Ball's Past and Present album, Parade (Donmar Warehouse), True Colours (Bombardier Aerospace) and It's 1995, Song for Peace (Dave Glover).

Paul Reid (James Caesar0 was trained at the Gaiety School of Acting, Dublin. Theatre credits include Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Donmar Warehouse), Les Liaisons Dangerous , Anna Karenina and A View From The Bridge (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Man of Valour and Dublin by Lamplight (Corn Exchange Theatre Company), Life is a Dream (Rough Magic Theatre Company),Monged, The Gist of It, Pilgrims in the Park (Fishamble Theatre Company), King Ubu (Galway Arts Festival) and Alice in Funderland (Abbey Theatre, Dublin). Film credits include Glassland and Boy Eats Girl. Television credits include London Irish, RAW 3, RAW 2, Frazier Fraze, The Clinic and Love is the Drug.

Alan Turkington (Andrew Ferguson)'s productions at the Finborough Theatre include Gates of Gold. He was
trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Theatre credits include Angelic Tales - Three (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Stars in the Morning Sky (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry), Lagan (Root Theatre), Afterthought (Word for Word), Hamlet (Donmar on Broadway and Donmar West End),Sweet Bird of Youth (Dundee Rep), A Cry From Heaven (Abbey Theatre, Dublin), Hoxton Project(National Youth Theatre), John Bull's Other Island (Tricycle Theatre), The Tempest, The Winter's Tale, Pericles (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Santaland Diaries (Union Theatre) and A View From The Bridge (Harrogate Theatre). Film includes The Man From Uncle, Implementation, and Love and Pure. Television credits include Mr Selfridge, Strike Back, Dates, Eoghan Nolan, Hollyoaks, What The Nazis Really Thought and Holby City.

David Walshe (Clutie John)'s productions at the Finborough Theatre include Drama at Inish and A Life. He was trained at the Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama. Theatre credits include Sleeping Beauty Insomnia (National Theatre of Scotland), D, Sex, Chips And The Holy Ghost, Westenders and Clara, One Man Show (Òran Mór, Glasgow), By The Seat Of Your Pants (Plutot La Vie), The Breathing House and The Other Side of Conflict (Tron Theatre, Glasgow), The Weir (Mull Theatre), Shining City (National Tour for Rapture Theatre) and The Psychic Detective (National Tour).

Performance times are Tuesday to Saturday evenings at 7.30pm, Sunday matinees at 3:00pm, and Saturday matinees at 3.00pm (from 31 May 2014).

For Weeks One and Two (20 May-1 June 2014), tickets are £14, £10 concessions, except, on Tuesday evenings, all seats are £10, and Saturday evenings all seats are £14. All seats for Previews (20 and 21 May) are £9. Tickets for under 30s for performances from Tuesday to Sunday of the first week are £6 when booked online only. Tickets are £10 for residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on Saturday, 24 May 2014 when booked online.

For Weeks Three and Four (3-14 June 2014) tickets are £16, £12 concessions, except, onTuesday evenings, all seats are £12, and on Saturday evenings all seats are £16.

Tickets can be purchased at www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk. This production is approximately two hours with one interval of fifteen minutes. The production runs concurrently with the first London production for more than 40 years of Stewart Parker's Ulster classic 1970s drama Spokesong on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays between 25 May -10 June 2014.

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