Rose Theatre Kingston Announces Casting for GOOD CANARY

Rose Theatre Kingston today announces full casting for Zach Helm's Good Canary, directed by Award winning actor and director, John Malkovich.

After sell-out performances in Mexico City and Paris (where it was nominated for six Molière Awards and won two for Best Director and Design), Rose Theatre Kingston and Mihara Donegan Productions Ltd present the English language première of Zach Helm's gripping play Good Canary. Harry Lloyd leads the cast as Jack with Freya Mavor as Annie, Ilan Goodman as Jeff, Sally Rogers as Sylvia, Michael Simkins as Stuart, Steve John Shepherd as Charlie and Simon Wilson as Mulholland. Good Canary opens at Rose Theatre Kingston on 21 September, with previews from 16 September, and runs until 8 October.

Following rave reviews for his first novel, Jack is on the verge of signing a multi-million-dollar deal with a leading publisher. With his wife Annie struggling with addiction and mental illness, will she cope with the public scrutiny that comes with success?

Set in New York, this hard-hitting and provocative play explores the spiral of self-destruction and the cost of creativity.

Californian writer Zach Helm has spent years honing his craft in Hollywood, writing screenplays such as Stranger Than Fiction, and establishing himself as one of the most interesting and promising writers and directors of his generation in film and theatre. His other work includes the forthcoming Jumanji, Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium (also director) and Other People's Business.

John Malkovich directs. As a guiding member of Chicago's landmark Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Malkovich has had a profound impact on the American theatre landscape. He acted in, directed or designed costumes for more than fifty Steppenwolf Theatre Company productions. His theatre credits include True West (Obie Award winner), Death of a Salesman, Slip of the Tongue, State of Shock and Burn This across New York, London and Los Angeles. His directing credits for theatre include Balm in Gilead (Steppenwolf), The Caretaker and Libra. Malkovich's 2003 French stage production of Hysteria was honoured with five Molière Award nominations including Best Director. For film, he recently finished work on Deepwater Horizon opposite Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russel due to open in cinemas later this year. His other recent film acting credits include Penguins of Madagascar, Cut Bank, Red, Red 2, Secretariat, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Burn After Reading and The Changeling. Further film credits include Being John Malkovich (New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor), Dangerous Liaisons, The Portrait of a Lady, In The Line of Fire, Of Mice and Men, The Great Buck Howard, Beowulf, Klimt, Ripley's Games, The Sheltering Sky, Empire of the Sun, The Glass Menagerie, The Killing Fields and Places in the Heart. For television his credits include Death of a Salesman (Emmy Award), Heart of Darkness, Napoleon and RKO 281.

Ilan Goodman plays Jeff, drug dealer. His theatre credits include The Mighty Walzer (Manchester Royal Exchange), Bad Jews (Theatre Royal Haymarket and Theatre Royal Bath), Dinner with Saddam (Menier Chocolate Factory), Arcadia (Nottingham Playhouse), Intimate Apparel (Theatre Royal Bath/ Park Theatre), Paper Dolls (Tricycle Theatre), Red Light Winter (Theatre Royal Bath), Tartuffe (English Touring Theatre), Chicken Soup With Barley (Royal Court), Danton's Death (National Theatre), Miss Nightingale (The Lowry & national tour), Six Degrees Of Separation (Old Vic), Breaking The Silence and All Quiet On The Western Front (Nottingham Playhouse), Little Wolf's Book of Badness (Hampstead Theatre) and Border (Old Vic). His television credits include Call the Midwife, Yes, Prime Minister (BBC), Lost Cosmonauts and Broadside. His films credits include Stratton, The Imitation Game, A Long Way Down, Diana, That Woman and The Echelon Conspiracy.

Harry Lloyd plays Jack. His theatre credits include Notes from Underground (Paris and London, Print Room at Coronet), The Duchess of Malfi (Old Vic), The Little Dog Laughed (Garrick Theatre), Ghosts (Arcola Theatre), A View From The Bridge (Duke Of York Theatre), The Sea (Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Good Family (Royal Court), Bash (Trafalgar Studios), The Comedy Of Errors (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre). Television credits include Marcella, Wolf Hall, Manhattan, The Fear, The Hollow Crown - Henry IV Great Expectations, Game of Thrones, Taking the Flak, Lewis, Doctor Who, The Devil's Whore, Warriors, Robin Hood, Vital Signs, Pope Town, M.I.T., Goodbye Mr Chips, David Copperfield. Film credits include Anthropoid, The Theory of Everything, The Riot Club, Big Significant Things, Narcopolis, Closer To The Moon, The Iron Lady and Jane Eyre.

Freya Mavor plays Annie. Her theatre credits include Boys (Arcola). Her television credits include The White Queen, New Worlds, Skins, Castings. Her film credits include La Dame Dans L'auto Avec Des Lunettes Et Un Fusil (Long listed for a Cesar award), Sense of an Ending, Not Another Happy Ending, Sunshine on Leith and Modern Life is Rubbish.

Sally Rogers plays Sylvia, Stuart's wife. Her theatre credits include Hangmen (Royal Court and West End), The People are Friendly and Uganda and Killing the Cat (Royal Court), Children's Children (Almeida), The Duchess of Malfi, Billy Liar, Murmuring Judges, Arturo UI, Black Snow (National Theatre), Rita Sue and Bob Too, A State Affair, Some Explicit Polaroids, Our Country's Good, Blue Heart (Out of Joint) and Blithe Spirit (Bristol Old Vic). Television credits include Cold Feet, The Syndicate, Siblings, Come Fly With Me, Little Britain, Messiah, Pepys, Murphy's Law, A Demon in My View, Attachments, Playing the Field, Out of Hours, The Lakes and Seaforth.

Michael Simkins plays Stuart, book publisher. His theatre credits include Fracked! Or: Please Don't Use The F-Word (Chichester Festival Theatre), Sweet Charity In Concert (Cadogan Hall/The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), Hay Fever (Theatre Royal Bath/UK Tour/ Duke of York's Theatre), Oh What A Lovely War (Theatre Royal, Stratford East), Yes Prime Minister (Chichester/UK Tour/Trafalgar Studios), Loyalty and The Argument (Hampstead Theatre), Less Than Kind (Jermyn Street Theatre), Taking Steps (Orange Tree Theatre), King Lear, 'Tis A Pity She's A Whore, A View From A Bridge, A Small Family Business, Tons Of Money (National Theatre), Chicago (West End), Donkey's Years (Comedy Theatre), Mary Stuart (Apollo Theatre), Democracy (Wyndhams Theatre), Mamma Mia (Prince Edward), Richard III (Savoy), Company (Donmar/Albery), Burn This (Hampstead & Lyric), Look Look (Aldwych), Henceforward (Vaudeville), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Her Majesty's). His television credits include Grantchester, A Touch Of Cloth, Above Suspicion, Lead Balloon, Green Wing, Foyle's War. His film credits include The Iron Lady, V For Vendetta, Topsy-Turvy, Wilde, Heidi, A Demon In My View.

Steve John Shepherd plays Charlie, Jack's agent. Theatre credits include A View From Islington North (Out Of Joint), Bomber's Moon (Trafalgar Studios/Park Theatre), Albion (Bush Theatre), Piaf (Donmar Warehouse/Vaudeville Theatre), The Five Wives Of Maurice Pinder, Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads (National Theatre), Original Sin (Sheffield Crucible), Dangerous Corner (Garrick Theatre). Television credits include Waking The Dead, Lunch Monkeys, Being Human, Material Girl, Plus One, Cold Blood, The Bad Mother's Handbook, Bonkers, Lilies, Dalziel and Pascoe, New Tricks, Last Chancers, Real Men, The Knock An Unsuitable Job For A Woman, Maisie Raine, This Life, EastEnders. Film credits include The Best Man, Too Much Too Young, Boudicca, Star Wars Episode II, Now You See Her, Me Without You, From Hell, Greenwich Mean Time and I Want You.

Simon Wilson plays Mulholland, book critic. His theatre credits include All My Sons (Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park), The God Of Carnage (Northampton), Benefactors (Sheffield Crucible), Ubykh (Arcola), Betrayal (Nuffield Southampton), Vanya (Gate Theatre), The Hour We Knew Nothing Of Each Other And Present Laughter (National Theatre), Titus Andronicus, The Comedy Of Errors (Shakespeare's Globe), See How They Run (UK Tour), Forty Winks (Royal Court). Television credits include Unforgotten, The Crimson Field, Luther, Lewis, Silk, Twenty Twelve, Waking The Dead, Whistleblowers, Midsomer Murders, Rough Crossings, Britz, Whatever Love Means, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Auf Wiedershen Pet, A Thing Called Love, Murphy's Law, Hear The Silence and Wire In The Blood. Film credits include Now Is Good, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Girl In The Café and Woman X.

F0r more information visit: www.rosetheatrekingston.org

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