Finborough Theatre to Stage UK Premiere of ALMOST NEAR, March 30-April 15

Samuel Julyan, in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre, presents the UK premiere of ALMOST NEAR by Pamela Carter. The production is directed by Audrey Sheffield, with design by Fly Davis, lighting design by Peter Small, and sound design by Max Pappenheim. The cast features Mariam Haque, Amy Loughton, Tom McCall, Kate Miles, Oliver Mott, Adam Philps, and Michael Sheldon.

A production commissioned by the Finborough Theatre - following a highly successful staged reading at Vibrant 2012 - A Festival of Finborough Playwrights and its world premiere run at Germany's Dresden Staatshauspeel - Almost Near plays a limited run of nine Sunday and Monday evening and Tuesday matinee performances from Sunday, 30 March 2014 to Tuesday, 15 April 2014.

Afghanistan. Amongst the debris of a bomb-attack blast, four young British soldiers try to pick up the pieces. The UK. A couple worry about the strange behaviour of their nine year old son and his imaginary friend as their marriage crumbles around them. They are separated by 3000 miles, but they are all in it together. Exploring themes of war, trauma, kinship and empathy, Almost Near is a stunning new play about wanting to be a part of something, and what it means to be alive.

Pamela Carter is an award-winning playwright and dramaturg. Theatre includes Paul Bright's Confessions of a Justified Sinner, directed by Stewart Laing (National Theatre of Scotland at Tramway Glasgow), Fast Ganz Nah (Almost Near), directed by Elias Perrig (Dresden Staatshausspiel), Skåne, directed by Tim Carroll (Hampstead Theatre), Wildlife (Tour) and What We Know (Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, and New York City). Pamela was the winner of the New Writing Commission at the Berliner Festspiele Stückemarkt 2012, and was Traverse Theatre Playwriting Fellow at the University of Edinburgh in 2012.

Director Audrey Sheffield's credits include June (Park Theatre), Apples (Theatre503), The Little Flower of East Orange (National Theatre Studio), Bohemians (Etcetera Theatre), Alice, Jim and Janice (Theatre503), Moony's Kid Don't Cry and The Case of the Crushed Petunias (King's Head Theatre), Albert (Canal Café Theatre) and Popcorn (Schepkin Theatre, Moscow). Associate and Assistant Directing includes Rapture, Blister, Burn (Hampstead Theatre), Antony and Cleopatra (Royal Shakespeare Company and Public Theater, New York), The Effect (National Theatre), One Man, Two Guvnors (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Troilus and Cressida (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Lay Down Your Cross (Hampstead Theatre). Audrey has also worked as Co-Facilitator of the National Theatre New Views London Programme for the last two years.

Mariam Haque (Buddy/Budur)'s productions at the Finborough Theatre include Hurried Steps. Mariam trained at Drama Studio London and studied French and Drama at Bristol University. Other theatre includes Twelve (Kali Theatre) The House of Bilquis Bibi (Hampstead Theatre), Category B (Tricycle Theatre), The Roundabout (Theatre Delicatessen at the Bush Theatre), Monster Under The Bed(Polka Theatre), A Better Life (Theatre 503), Crossed Keys (Eastern Angles), INVASION! (Tooting Arts Club) and Au Revoir Les Enfants (German Tour for Tour de Force).Film includes Diary of a Jihadi and Lost Paradise. Television includes Hunted.

Amy Loughton (Jackson)'s productions at the Finborough Theatre include Apart from George. Other Theatre includes Neighbourhood Watch (59E59 Theaters, New York City, and Tricycle Theatre), A View From The Bridge (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick), Dear Uncle (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough), Peter Pan, Women, Power and Politics Season (Tricycle Theatre), Nation(National Theatre) and All You've Ever Needed (Hampstead Theatre). Television includes Talking to the Dead, EastEnders, Hamlet, Emma and Doctors.

Tom McCall (Nicey) trained at LAMDA. Theatre includes Hag (Soho Theatre and National Tour), This Happy Breed (Theatre Royal Bath),Pants on Fire's Ovid Metamorphosis (Flea Theatre, New York City, and UK Tour), Freddie hearts Freddie (Southwark Playhouse), The Gift (The Old Vic), Smile (Arcola Theatre), Inches Apart and Potholes (Theatre503). Film and Television includes Wallander, The Bill, Doctors, The Intern and In a Heartbeat. Tom is also Co-Artistic Director of WeBuyGold Theatre Company.

Kate Miles (Louise)'s theatre credits include Seven Year Twitch (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond), How to Be Happy (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond), The Grouch (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Troilus and Cressida (Royal Shakespeare Company), On Ego (Soho Theatre) and Antigone (The Young Vic). Television includes Family Tree, Casualty, EastEnders, Doctors, Waking the Dead, The Bill, Lewis andMidsomer Murders.

Oliver Mott (Chips) trained at Rose Bruford College. Theatre includes Milked (Pentabus Theatre), Rails (Birmingham Rep), For Once (UK Tour) and May Fair (Latitude Festival). Film includes The Patrol. Television includes Doctors.

Adam Philps (Princess) trained at Arts Educational Schools. Theatre includes War Horse (New London Theatre), Father of the Bride (The Mill at Sonning), The Two Noble Kinsmen (Shakespeare's Globe) and My Name is Richard (Edinburgh Festival). Television includes Doctors.

Michael Sheldon (Ed)'s theatre credits includes King Lear (Chichester Festival Theatre and Brooklyn Academy of Music), Three Days in May (Trafalgar Studios), The Promise (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond), Timon of Athens, Hamlet, The Seagull, Democracy, Three Sisters (National Theatre), The Bootmaker's Daughter(Brighton Festival), The Twin Stars (Unicorn Theatre), The Tempest (US Tour), St Joan (Fisher Centre, New York City), Top Dogs (Dialogue Productions), Othello (Theatre Royal York), Men on Fire (King's Head Theatre), Bedevilled (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield), For Services Rendered (The Old Vic), All My Sons, The Winter's Tale and The Second Mrs Tanquerary (Salisbury Playhouse),The Belle Vue (Actors Touring Company), Wounds to the Face (The Wrestling School), The Double, The Way of All Flesh, Death in Venice (Red Shift), House of Straw (Millstream Theatre for Trestle), Noises Off (Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton), Rebecca (Duke's Playhouse, Lancaster),Richard III (Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow), Journey's End (Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, and Whitehall Theatre) and Scream Blue Murder (Gate Theatre, London). Television and Film includes 40 Years, Search, Dream Team IV, Licht des Feuers and Little White Lies. Radio includes The Portland Vase and Byron's Women.

Tickets are £18 with £16 concessions. Book online at www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Wilson

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