Anna Shaffer, Pauline McLynn, and More Join Age-Blind Production of DAISY PULLS IT OFF

A ripping revival of Denise Deegan's Olivier Award-winning, festive heart-warmer Daisy Pulls It Off is set to wrap up Park Theatre's 2017 season. This affectionate parody of 1920s boarding schoolgirl novels, directed by Paulette Randall MBE, will feature a truly diverse ensemble cast.

Starring Anna Shaffer (Harry Potter film series, Hollyoaks), Pauline McLynn (Father Ted, Shameless), Shobna Gulati (Dinnerladies, Coronation Street) and Clare Perkins (EastEnders, Family Affairs), the official press night will be on Friday 8 December, 7pm.

Paulette Randall says: "We knew straightaway that we were never going to cast an actual bunch of 12-year-old schoolgirls to portray the play's army of smart, brave and hilarious characters. So why even try with a bunch of sort-of lookalikes? Instead, we've thrown the rulebook out the window, casting a brilliant bunch of talented and diverse actors who, gloriously, tick none of the boxes. Not being bound by age and race has been such a freeing experience, and the results are hugely exciting. Our only criteria were: Are they smart? Are they brave? And - most importantly - are they hilarious? It's all about creating a modern Daisy for a modern London crowd."

Daisy Meredith, the energetic new girl from an underprivileged background, is the first scholarship student to attend Grangewood School for Girls. Faced with prejudice and pranks from the wealthier schoolgirls, Daisy also discovers her new school is faced with financial closure. Having won over a zany group of chums, Daisy concocts a wizard plan to save the school with the discovery of a secret treasure.

Daisy Pulls It Off won the 1983 Olivier Award for Best Comedy and ran for 3 years, launching the careers of actresses like Samantha Bond and Gabrielle Glaister.

CAST & CREATIVES

Anna Shaffer as Daisy

Pauline McLynn as Trixie

Shobna Gulati as Sybil / Mummy

Clare Perkins as Monica / Belinda

Melanie Fullbrook as Clare / Winnie / Miss Granville

Lucy Eaton as Alice / Miss Gibson

Freddie Hutchins as MR Thompson / Mr Scoblowski / Mademoiselle

Directed by Paulette Randall

Written by Denise Deegan

Designed by Libby Watson

Anna Shaffer recently filmed Fearless (produced by Mammoth for ITV), and Lovesick for Netflix. Other recent credits include the role of Poppy in I Live With Models (produced by Rough Cut for Comedy Central) and the role of Rachel in the BBC's Doctor Who spin-off Class. Anna had a regular role in Hollyoaks and played Romilda Vane in the Harry Potter film series.

Pauline McLynn's television credits include: EastEnders (BBC), Father Figure (BBC), Threesome (Comedy Central), Shameless (Channel 4), The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff (BBC) Pramface (BBC), Jam and Jerusalem (BBC), Bremner, Bird and Fortune (Channel 4), High Hopes (BBC), French and Saunders (BBC), TV To Go (BBC) and The Dark Ages (ITV). She is well known for her award-winning role as Mrs Doyle in Father Ted (Hatrick/ Channel 4). Her theatre credits include Happy Days (Sheffield Crucible), The Taming of the Shrew (Smock Alley Theatre), Playboy of the Western World (Donmar Warehouse), Cymbeline and The Knight of the Burning Pestle (The Globe Theatre) and East is East (Ambassadors Theatre).

Shobna Gulati became a household name for her role as Anita in Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies and as Sunita in Coronation Street. Her other TV credits include: Paranoid (ITV1/RED PRODUCTIONS), Casualty (BBC1), Kay Mellor's In the Club (BBC1) and The Circle (Channel 4). Her theatre credits include: Anita & Me (The Touring Consortium), Grease (Leicester Curve Theatre), Mamma Mia (International Tour 2015- 2016), Hunger for Trade and Come Closer (Royal Exchange Theatre), The Jungle Book, (West Yorkshire Playhouse), and The Vagina Monologues (Mark Goucher Ltd).

Clare Perkins' theatre credits include: Primetime (Royal Court), The Convert (The Gate), Little Revolution (Almeida Theatre), Generations of the Dead (Young Vic), The House That Will Not Stand (Tricycle Theatre), Mules (Royal Court), Welcome to Thebes (National Theatre), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime (National Theatre Tour), Removal Men (The Yard), Caucasian Chalk Circle (Shared Experience). Her screen credits include Death In Paradise (BBC), EastEnders (BBC), Men Behaving Badly (BBC), Family Affairs (Channel 5).

Lucy Eaton trained at LAMDA. Her theatre credits include: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Donmar Warehouse), The Duchess of Malfi (Old Vic), Khadija is 18 (Finborough Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Southwark Playhouse), Almost, Maine (Park Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Cambridge Arts Theatre), Win/Lose/Draw (Waterloo East Theatre), This Year It Will Be Different (Theatre 503), Cyrano De Bergerac (White Bear), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Edinburgh Fringe). Film credits include: Sedu (Ansu Kabia Productions) and Exposure. Her TV credits include: Murder Maps (Netflix).

Melanie Fullbrook trained at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Her theatre credits include: Playing For Time (Sheffield Crucible), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Southwark Playhouse), Almost, Maine (Park Theatre), See What I See (Eyestring Theatre), The Voice Of The Turtle (London tour), BASH! (Rag Factory) and Win/Lose/Draw (Waterloo East Theatre). Radio credits include: Peer Gynt (BBC Radio). Her directing credits include: Joy (director at Theatre Royal Stratford East), In Night's Darkling Glory (Director), Experience (assistant director at Hampstead Theatre), Diminished (assistant director at Hampstead Theatre), Looking at Lucien (associate director at Theatre Royal Bath)

Freddie Hutchins trained at Bristol Old Vic. His theatre credits include: Coram Boy (Bristol Old Vic), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Southwark Playhouse), The Provoked Wife (London tour), While the Sun Shines (Lion and Unicorn), Richard III (Tower of London), Brewing Tea (White Bear) and Tartuffe (Courtyard Theatre). Film credits include Viking: The Berserkers (Lindisfarne Films). Freddie is a regular participant of the Read Not Dead initiative at Shakespeare's Globe.

Libby Watson trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Wimbledon School of Art. Her design credits include: The Philanthropist (Trafalgar Studios), A Midsummer Night's Dream (New Wolsey Theatre), Godiva Rocks (Belgrade Theatre), Sweet Charity (Wolsey Theatre), Rudy's Rare Records (Birmingham Rep and Hackney Empire), Frankie and Johnny (Chichester Festival Theatre), History Boys (UK tour), What's in the Cat and Blest Be the Tie (Royal Court). Libby also designed The Mountaintop at Trafalgar Studios, which was the winner of the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Play.

Paulette Randall is a freelance theatre director and producer. Her most recent theatre credits include; Five Guys Named Moe (Underbelly and Cameron Mackintosh), The Disappearance of Dorothy Lawrence (Vital Exposure), Obama-ology (RADA), Play Mas (Orange Tree Theatre), Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune (Chichester Festival Theatre), and Rudy's Rare Records - starring Lenny Henry (Birmingham Rep and Hackney Empire). Her TV credits include River City, Holby City, The Real McCoy (BBC Two), Desmond's, Porkpie, C4, The Crouches, Comin Atcha, CITV and Kerching! (CBBC). Paulette was also the Associate Director of the London Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2012.

For more information visit www.parktheatre.co.uk.

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