Lyric Hammersmith Presents TWISTED TALES, 1/14 - 2/26

The world premiere of Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales, based on the best loved author's renowned short stories for adults, opens at the Lyric Hammersmith for previews on 14 January 2011, with a press night on 24 January. Adapted by The League of Gentlemen's Jeremy Dyson and directed by the exciting young talent Polly Findlay, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales will continue to Northern Stage and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse following its London run.

Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales stars Nick Fletcher (The White Guard, National and Thyestes, Arcola); Selina Griffiths (After Life, National and BBC's Cranford); Alexandra Maher (Our Country's Good, Watermill and Dr. Korczak's Example, Manchester Royal Exchange); George Rainsford (Days of Significance, Royal Shakespeare Company and All's Well that Ends Well, National); Trevor White (Red Bud, Royal Court and Macbeth, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre) and in the role of the young boy Jonathan Danciger (Billy Elliot The Musical, Victoria Palace) and Larry McCartney (Thyestes, Arcola).

Celebrating the delightfully twisted imagination and delicious black humour of Roald Dahl, Dyson brings a wonderfully dark and dangerous world to the stage; created from some of his most macabre stories including William and Mary and The Landlady. In Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales nothing is quite as it seems; pleasant old ladies have sinister hobbies, widows seek sweet revenge on the recently departed and a simple gambling game has alarmingly high stakes. Expect the unexpected.

Director Polly Findlay received the JMK Trust's Young Theatre Director Award in 2007 and was also a recipient of the 2006/7 Bulldog Princeps Bursary at the National Theatre. Findlay's credits include Caryl Churchill's Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, Thyestes (Arcola); Eigengrau (Bush) and Romeo and Juliet (Battersea Arts Centre).

Jeremy Dyson, co-writer & co-director of the Everyman & Playhouse and Lyric's West End smash-hit Ghost Stories, has also won numerous awards as the co-writer of the hilariously bleak The League of Gentlemen; including a Perrier Award, BAFTA Award for Best Comedy and the Golden Rose of Montreux. The stage show he co-penned, A Local Show for Local People, was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2002. Dyson has written several critically acclaimed books including Bright Darkness: Lost Art of the Supernatural Horror Film, a non-fiction guide to horror films; a novel What Happens Now and two collections of short stories Never Trust a Rabbit and The Cranes That Build The Cranes (winner of the 2010 Edge Hill Award). Dyson co-created, with Simon Ashdown, the BBC TV series Funland and wrote the Billy Goats Gruff episode of the 2008 BBC series Fairy Tales.

Ages 14+

Adapted by Jeremy Dyson
Directed by Polly Findlay
Designed by Naomi Wilkinson
Lighting by James Farncombe
Sound by Nick Manning

FREE First Nights (FFN)
As part of the Lyric Hammersmith's commitment to its local borough, anyone who lives or works in Hammersmith & Fulham can claim two free tickets to see Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales on Friday 14 January, 7.30pm. People just need to come to the Ticket Office with proof of their home or work address, on either the Friday or Saturday before the FFN to pick up their free tickets. The Lyric runs FFN for all Lyric main house shows.

A LYRIC HAMMERSMITH, LIVERPOOL EVERYMAN & PLAYHOUSE AND NORTHERN STAGE PRODUCTION

Lyric Hammersmith
Dates Friday 14 January - Saturday 26 February 2011
Times Evenings: Mon - Sat 7.30pm
Matinees: 26 Jan, 02 & 09 Feb 1.30pm29 Jan, 05, 12 & 19 Feb 2.30pm
Tickets £10 - £25
Bookings 0871 22 117 22 / www.lyric.co.uk

Free Q&A after the show 27 Jan & 08 Feb
In Conversation 17 Jan 6pm
Simon Stephens talks to Jeremy Dyson about the play.

Open Captioned performance 22 Feb 7.30pm
Audio Described performance 19 Feb 2.30pm

 

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