Full Cast Announced For UK Tour Of BEING TOMMY COOPER

Full casting is announced today for BEING TOMMY COOPER, a new play by Tom Green opening
at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre on Friday 3 May. Joining the previously announced DamIan Williams as 'Tommy Cooper' are Morgan Deare as 'Billy Glason', Halcro Johnston as 'Miff Ferrie' and Rebecca Thorn as 'Mary Kay'.

Las Vegas, 1954. In a small hotel room the up-and-coming Tommy Cooper faces the prospect of his first big failure. With the show closing and a warring relationship with his manager, Tommy finds an offer on the table and a drink in his hand.

Powerful, provocative, painfully funny and true, Tom Green's astonishing play celebrates the brilliance in Britain's most famous comic and explores the pressures and loneliness of fame. The man who could make you laugh just by walking on to stage comes vividly alive in this confrontational new play.

Morgan Deare's many theatre credits includes "Rocket to the Moon", "August: Osage County"
and "Buried Child" at The National Theatre, "Little Shop Of Horrors", "Whistle Down the Wind", "A Streetcar Named Desire, "Copacabana", "South Pacific" and "Killing Jessica" in the West End, and UK Tours of "Carousel", "Fiddler on the Roof", "Little Shop of Horrors", "42nd Street", "South Pacific", "A View From the Bridge" and "Annie". Other recent work includes "Floyd Collins" at the Southwark Playhouse and "Sweet Smell of Success" at the Arcola Theatre.

Halcro Johnston has appeared in the West End as 'Mr. Fezziwig' in "Scrooge" at the London
Palladium, 'Mr Bumble' in "Oliver!" at the London Palladium, in "Evita" at the Adelphi Theatre,
"South Pacific" at the Prince of Wales theatre, "LES MISERABLES" at the Palace Theatre and "Beauty and the Beast" at the Dominion Theatre. UK Touring credits include 'Lazar Wolf' in "Fiddler on the Roof", 'Abner Dillon' in "42nd Street", 'General Bellowes' in "Doctor Dolittle" and 'Annas' in "Jesus Christ Superstar". Television credits include "Doctor Who", "EastEnders" and "The Bill".

Rebecca Thorn has appeared in "The Devil's Disciple" and "Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards" at The National Theatre, "Harold Pinter in Havana" at The Print Room, "The Kitchen" at the Royal Court, "The Deep Blue Sea" at Theatre Royal Bath, "An Ideal Husband" at the Albery Theatre, "Under The Doctor" at the Harold Pinter Theatre, "Drive Ride Walk" and "Momo" at Greenwich Theatre and "One Dark Night" at Riverside Studios. Recent television work includes "Wallander", "The Old Guys", "Casualty", "Prime Suspect" and "The Bill".

DamIan Williams is well known to television audiences as the presenter of "Damian's Are You
Smarter Than a 10 Year Old" on Sky One. Other television credits include 'Ginger Gahagan' in
"Billy Webb" and "Alfonzo Bonzo" for CBBC, 'Lumpy' in "Spatz" for CITV and 'Ian' in ITV's "The
Bill". On stage Damian is well known as resident Dame at the Sheffield Lyceum theatre, a role he has played for the last five years. He has also appeared in repertory seasons all over the country in roles including 'Bernard' in "Don't Dress For Dinner", 'Reece' in "Communicating Doors", 'Hugo' in "Spider's Web", 'Gerald Thornton' in "Time And The Conways", 'Michael' in "Dancing At Lughnasa" and 'Frank' in "Educating Rita". Damian's many touring credits include 'Lurcio' in "Up Pompeii", 'Bob' in "Straight and Narrow", 'Dennis' in "One For The Road", 'Nick' in "Dead Funny" and 'Oliver Hardy' in "Laurel and Hardy", as well as lead roles in "Lucky Sods", "Run For Your Wife", "The Mating Game", "Hi De Hi" and "Bedside Manners".

Tommy Cooper is one of Britain's best-loved comedians. After his television debut on the BBC in 1948, Tommy went on to star in many variety shows in a career that spanned four decades, most notably on London Weekend Television from 1968 to 1972 and on Thames Television from 1973 to 1980. By the mid 1970s he was one of the most successful and recognizable comedians in the world. Tommy died in 1984, famously collapsing from a heart attack on live television in front of millions of viewers during his act on variety show "Live From Her Majesty's".

Tom Green's plays include "Talking In Bed" at Theatre503, "The Death Of Margaret Thatcher" at the Courtyard Theatre and "Antigua" at the Finborough Theatre. Radio plays include "For Ever England" and "The Tent," both for BBC Radio 4. Being Tommy Cooper will be directed by Cecily Boys, whose credits include "The Church of IfEyeHad" at the Bush Theatre, "Talking in Bed" at Theatre503, "Bed", "Pinter...esque", "Hang Up", "Waiting for Godot" and "Oleanna" at the Old Bomb Theatre at York Theatre Royal and "The Merchant of Venice" and "As You Like It" for York Shakespeare Company. Work as Assistant Director includes the UK Tour of "Yes, Prime Minister", "Three Days In May" at Trafalgar Studios and "Lysistrata" at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.

Set and costume design is by Susannah Henry, lighting design by Simeon Miller and sound
design by Max Pappenheim.

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