THE PICTURE OF JOHN GRAY Comes to the Old Red Lion, Now thru Aug 30

The Picture of John Gray will play the The Old Red Lion Theatre, 418 St John Street, London EC1V 4NJ, from today 5th - Saturday 30th August 2014, 7.30pm. Press Night: Friday 8th August 2014, 7.15pm.

In the summer of 1889, Oscar Wilde began a love affair with a young man whose beauty seemed to defy time itself. Months later, he used this man's surname for his most infamous creation - Dorian Gray. Soon ditched by the author, John Gray was left to become his own man, but meanwhile Oscar played out his own downfall on the most public of stages.

He was imprisoned for acts of 'gross indecency' with other men, and the community of poets and artists fractured as a hunt for sodomites swept London. As around him the most resilient of relationships are pushed near breaking-point, John must choose sanctuary in the purity of faith or the dangerous arms of a man who offers him love.

Director Gus Miller (Vessel) said: 'It's a big play, spanning the lives of real people across a period of enormous change but it remains, at its heart, a deceptively simple love story. It unearths challenging questions about purpose, acceptance and compromise in love.'

The Picture of John Gray is a period piece with a fresh, classy style, an exploration of sexual identity and acceptance and a completely new angle on the story of Oscar Wilde, told by an exciting, up-and-coming cast and creative team.

Alongside current West End productions of Wilde's classic The Importance of Being Earnest and after the recent in-depth look into Wilde's life, The Judas Kiss, new writer C.J. Wilmann offers a challenging, untold story about the circles Wilde moved in and a time when it was, possibly, the most dangerous ever time to be gay in Britain.

This production is supported by Lord Browne, the first and only chief executive of a Fortune 500 company to publicly identify as gay, and Baron Chris Smith, one of the first openly gay MPs, amongst many others.

The Picture of John Gray

Tuesday 5th - Saturday 30th August 2014, 7.30pm
Saturday matinee at 3pm
Sunday matinee at 2pm
The Old Red Lion Theatre, 418 St John Street, London EC1V 4NJ
The nearest underground station is Angel (on the Bank branch of the Northern line). The nearest rail station is King's Cross.
2 hrs 5 mins (including interval)

Tickets are available from oldredliontheatre.co.uk and 0207 837 7816, priced at £15 (full price), £13 (concessions), £10 (previews).

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM:

Patrick Walshe McBride - Patrick graduated last year from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where he appeared in The Laramie Project, Twelfth Night, and May '08 - a devised piece directed by Richard Wilson. Other theatre credits include: The Winter's Tale (Sheffield Crucible), Hamlet (Elsinore Castle), A Midsummer Night's Dream (European Tour), Hostage (Cambridge Footlights) and Totally Over You (Tricycle Theatre). He is also collaborating throughout this year with the Belarus Free Theatre, with whom he worked on devising Red Forest at the Young Vic. Patrick recently completed filming two episodes of Lewis for ITV.

Christopher Tester - Theatre includes: King Lear (Almeida), Pedal Pusher, Henry V (Theatre Delicatessen), Blue/Orange (Tobacco Factory & UK tour), A Place at the Table (Tristan Bates Theatre), Romeo & Juliet (New Wolsey & UK tour), The Hypochondriac (English Touring Theatre), The Duchess of Malfi (Inky Cloak), Pride & Prejudice (European tour), It Was Not So (Arcola), I Still Get Excited When I See A Ladybird (Theatre 503), Crave and Rough for Theatre II (Failbetter Productions), The Alchemist and Breakfast with Emma (Rosemary Branch), Cyrano de Bergerac (Black and White Rainbow), Macbeth (Catford Broadway). His one man performance of Nikolai Gogol's Diary of A Madman played in London and Edinburgh and was nominated Time Out's 'Best Fringe Show'. Short film includes: On the Bridge (Film London), Lippy (Epiphany Productions).

Jordan McCurrach - Jordan McCurrach trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Theatre includes: East of Berlin (Southwark Playhouse), Fleeto (winner of 'Emerging Talent Award' at Edinburgh Fringe 2011, 'Critics Circle Award' at Adelaide Fringe 2012 and 'Argus Angel Award' at Brighton Fringe 2012), Yellow Moon (Citizen's Theatre - European Tour), Romeo & Juliet (Dundee Rep), Mother Goose; Cinderella (Byre Theatre), James & The Giant Peach (Citizen's Theatre), Project Macbeth (National Theatre of Scotland) and Stars (Traverse Theatre). Television includes: Doctors (BBC), Dani's House (CBBC), Lip Service II (Kudos/BBC3), Push (Camden Creative/FIVE), The Adventures of Daniel (BBC Scotland), Taggart (STV Productions) and Being Victor (SHED Media Scotland/MTV/STV). Film includes: Solstice (NFTS - nominated for a BAFTA New Talent Award) and Joyeux Noel (Nord Ouest).

Oliver Allen - Since graduating from Guildford School of Acting Oliver has appeared in a diverse range of projects. His theatre credits include playing William Burroughs in Visions of Kerouac, for Pilot Light Theatre, a life-size teddy bear in Greg Freemans weird and wonderful No Picnic, (London Tour) and the French fop Caius in Merry Wives of Windsor (Cambridge Shakespeare Festival.) Further credits include Feature Film Promo Creaks and Channel 4's production Hero at 30,000 feet. Oliver is delighted to be a part of the world premier of The Picture of John Gray.

Tom Cox - Tom trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Film credits include: The Lesson (UrbanFox Films), Remainder (Tiger Lilly) and Bill (The Catalyst). At LAMDA Tom featured in a wide range of production including: Romeo and Juliet (Rodney Cottier), PUNK ROCK (James Kerr), The Seagull (Adam Meggido), Overspill (Catherine Warren) and Parade (Jonna Reid).

Gus Miller - Gus has trained with Living Pictures and the Young Vic. He most recently gained critical acclaim for Fine Frenzy's Vessel, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013 and subsequently showed at Curve Theatre, Leicester and the New Diorama Theatre. His assistant directing includes the UK premiere of Tracy Letts' Superior Donuts and the world premiere of Philip Ridley's Feathers in the Snow.

C.J. Wilmann - Craig is an alumnus of the University of Birmingham's MRes in Playwriting where he was taught by Steve Waters. He previously studied English at the University of Nottingham where he wrote several plays for the New Theatre. At Nottingham he wrote his dissertation on 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and his research sparked a fascination with the world of Oscar Wilde which developed into the passion project which is The Picture of John Gray.

Rosanna Vize - Rosanna trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She was a finalist in the Linbury Prize 2013. Recent design work includes: Chris Goode's Infinite Lives, Banksy: The Room in the Elephant at the Arcola and on tour and Bristol Old Vic Young Company's production of Talon. She is currently designing Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde in association with Kneehigh and will soon start as Trainee Designer at the RSC.

Chris Walters - Chris is a freelance producer and sound designer, and is the Executive Director of Fine Frenzy Theatre. He is an alumnus of the Stage One New Producers workshop. He's recently written scores for Entertaining Angels by New Perspectives Theatre Company and 27; a new musical performed by the Haringey Shed Theatre Company.

Hannah Groombridge - Hannah has recently finished working at the King's Head Theatre as an Assistant Producer and is now working as a freelance producer. Through her own production company, previous credits include Life Sentence at the Edinburgh Fringe. She is an alumnus of the Stage One New Producers Workshop and in September will be starting a new role as a producer at Oxford Playhouse and Magdalen College School.

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