DAYTONA Debuts at Park Theatre Tonight; Launches UK Tour thru Oct 2013

Daytona is a brand new play by Oliver Cotton, which today announced its UK tour. After its premiere at the Park Theatre, London on tonight, the 17 July, Daytona will embark on a seven week tour visiting Rose Theatre Kingston, Watford Palace Theatre, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Oxford Playhouse, Lyceum Theatre Sheffield, Malvern Festival Theatre and Bath Theatre Royal.

Directed by David Grindley and starring Maureen Lipman, Harry Shearer (The Simpsons, This is Spinal Tap, Saturday Night Live) and John Bowe (Cranford, Sweeney Todd), Daytona is a haunting, funny and poignant play full of mystery, with not one but two love stories at its heart.

Happy in their shared passion for ballroom dancing, Joe and Elli plan to win the next big competition. But the unexpected arrival of a figure from their past threatens to throw everything off balance. What can this man possibly want of them on this cold winter's night? What can be gained from this uneasy reunion? When they discover the story behind his sudden return, Joe and Elli must confront a profound moral dilemma.

Oliver Cotton (playwright) is primarily known as an actor but as a writer his credits include Wet Weather Cover (King's Head & Arts Theatre), The Incredible Journey of Sir Francis Younghusband, The Enoch Show (Royal Court), Scrabble (National Theatre) and Man Falling Down (Shakespeare's Globe). For television, A Touch of Frost and Diamond Geezer; and for film, Singing for Stalin, Peeping Through, Deadline, Sofa and The English Game. He has recently appeared in Passion Play in the West End. Closes on August 3rd?

David Grindley (Director) has directed internationally on a number of projects as well as in the West End and UK tours. Credits include The American Plan (Theatre Royal, Bath), Our Boys (Duchess), Enron (Tokyo), Copenhagen (Sheffield), The Misanthrope(Stratford, Canada), Journey's End (Tour/ Duke of York's), Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell (Tour), Six Degrees of Separation (Old Vic), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Stratford, Canada), The Philanthropist (Broadway), The American Plan (Broadway), Crown Matrimonial(Tour), Blackbird (Tour), Pygmalion (Broadway), Journey's End (Broadway - 2007 Tony Award for Best Revival), In The Club (Hampstead/Tour), Honour (Wyndhams), The Philanthropist (Donmar), National Anthems (Old Vic), What The Butler Saw(Hampstead/Criterion), Some Girls (Gielgud), Abigail's Party (Hampstead/Ambassadors/Tour), Loot (Chichester/Vaudeville), Single Spies (Tour) and Richard III (Mercury, Colchester).

Maureen Lipman (playing Ellie) has had a prolific acting career. Her many theatre credits include When We Were Married (Garrick Theatre), A Little Night Music (Menier Chocolate Factory and Garrick Theatre), Aladdin (Old Vic), Thoroughly Modern Millie(Shaftesbury Theatre), Old Money, Peggy For You (Hampstead Theatre), Re-Joyce (West End, national tour and US transfer), and extensive work for The National Theatre, including Oklahoma! (also West End), Macbeth, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Jumpers, The Front Page and The School for Scandal. Her television work includes Ladies of Letters, Skins, He Kills Coppers, Sensitive Skin, About Face, All at No. 20, Agony, Cold Enough for Snow and Eskimo Day; and for film, Bridge of Lies, Flight of Fancy, The Pianist, Carry on Columbus, Educating Rita and Gumshoe.

Harry Shearer (playing Joe) has provided voice work for The Simpsons since it began in 1987, most notably as Mr. Burns, Principle Skinner, and NEd Flanders. He was a writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live and is famed for his collaborations with Christopher Guest and friends, in particular as co-writer and the role of bassist Derek Smalls in This is Spinal Tap. Shearer began his career as a child actor, appearing in The Jack Benny Program, as well as the films Abbott and Costello Go to Mars and The Robe. His series Nixon's the One will be broadcast on Sky Arts this autumn we have a date?) following a successful pilot last year. His other television work includes two seasons as writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live. His other film work includes The Fisher King,Godzilla and The Truman Show.

John Bowe (playing Billy) is perhaps best known for his television roles in Prime Suspect and Coronation Street. His theatre work includes Judge Turpin in the award-winning Sweeney Todd at Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End, Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Palace Theatre), Terms of Endearment (national tour), The Lady from the Sea and Heartbreak House (Almeida Theatre), The Marriage of Figaro, The Price (Palace Theatre Watford), Saint Joan (OId Vic), The Taming of the Shrew, The Body, Arden of Faversham, Thirteenth Night, As You Like It, Richard II, Hamlet, The White Guard, Captain Swing, Antony and Cleopatra and The Merchant of Venice (RSC) and Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Toward the Somme (Hampstead Theatre). Other television work includes Murder on The Home Front, The Hour, Einstein and Eddington, Cranford, Tipping the Velvet and Poldark; and for film,Ruby's Skin, Gozo, Snappers, County Kilburn, Resurrection and The Living Daylights.

DAYTONA
A new play by Oliver Cotton
Produced by Lee Dean and Jenny Topper in association with Park Theatre
Directed by David Grindley
Designed by Ben Stones
Lighting by Jason Taylor
Sound by Fergus O'Hare
Choreography by Francesca Jaynes

Cast:
Maureen Lipman - Ellie
Harry Shearer - Joe
John Bowe - Billy

DAYTONA: UK Tour schedule 2013

Monday 2 - Saturday 7 September
ROSE THEATRE KINGSTON
Evenings 7.30pm, matinees Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Tickets from £15.00
Box Office 08444 821556
www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Monday 9 - Saturday 14 September

WATFORD PALACE THEATRE
Evenings 7.30pm, Wednesday & Saturday matinees 2.30pm
Tickets from £11.50
Box Office 01923 225671
www.watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk

Monday 16 - Saturday 21 September

CLWYD THEATR CYMRU
Evenings 7.30pm, Thursday & Saturday matinees 2.30pm
Tickets from £14.00
Box Office 0845 330 3565
www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk

Monday 23 - Saturday 28 September

OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
Mon-Thu & Sat evenings 7.30pm, Fri evening 8pm, Thu & Sat matinees 2.30pm
Tickets from £13.00
Box Office 01865 305305
www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 October

LYCEUM THEATRE SHEFFIELD
Evenings 7.45pm, matinees Thu 2.00pm & Sat 3.00pm
Tickets from £17.00
Box Office 0114 249 6000
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Monday 7 - Saturday 12 October

MALVERN FESTIVAL THEATRE
Evenings 7.30pm, Wed & Sat matinees 2.30pm
Tickets from £11.50
Box Office 01684 892277
www.malvern-theatres.co.uk? ?

Monday 14 - Saturday 19 October

BATH THEATRE ROYAL
Mon-Wed evenings 7.30pm, Thu-Sat evenings 8pm, Wed & Sat matinees 2.30pm
Tickets from £18.50
Box Office 01225 448844
www.theatreroyal.org.uk

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