Defibrillator Announces Casting of Douglas Booth and Tony Revolori in Stephen Karam's SPEECH AND DEBATE

Defibrillator today announces a casting update for the UK première of Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam whose play The Humans won four Tony Awards this year, including Best Play.

Tom Attenborough directs Douglas Booth (his film work includes Noah and The Riot Club and his television work includes Great Expectations and Worried About The Boy) and Tony Revolori (best known for playing Zero Moustafa in The Grand Budapest Hotel and soon to be seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming) in the production which opens at Trafalgar Studios on 24 February 2017, with previews from 22 February, and runs until 1 April. Further casting will be announced shortly.

They may go to the same high school, but misfits Solomon, Diwata and Howie have never met and their peers just don't take them seriously.... until a sex scandal involving one of their teachers brings them together.

By creating a Speech and Debate team they finally have a chance to be heard, but will they be able to get their interpretive dance version of The Crucible ready in time for the big day?!

A hilarious play that grapples with serious modern social issues - homophobia, teenage alienation and the limits of online privacy. Speech and Debate is Karam's first play to be produced in the UK. It premièred at the Roundabout Theatre Company, has received more than 150 productions in the US, and 2017 will see the release of a film version, written by Karam.

Stephen Karam's plays include The Humans (Tony Award for Best Play, finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama), Sons of the Prophet (finalist for 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama), Dark Sisters, columbinus, Girl on Girl, Emma and an adaptation of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard.

Douglas Booth plays Howie. His theatre work includes 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic). His television credits include And Then There Were None, Great Expectations, Christopher and his Kind and Worried About The Boy; and for film, The Riot Club, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jupiter Ascending, Noah, Romeo and Juliet, L.O.L., From Time to Time and the forthcoming A Storm in the Stars, Loving Vincent and Limehouse Golem. He is a High Profile Supporter of UNHCR.

Tony Revolori plays Solomon. This is his UK theatre debut, having previously performed in Mercury Fur in New York (The New Group). His television credits include Son of Zorn, Shameless, My Name is Earl, Entourage and The Unit. His is perhaps best known for playing Zero Moustafa in The Grand Budapest Hotel and his other film work includes Lowriders, The 5th Wave, Dope and the forthcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming, Table 19 and Take the 10.

Tom Attenborough directs. His directing credits include Burbage's Farewell (Chichester Festival Theatre), Twelfth Night, Bell Book & Candle (US & UK tour), Untold Stories (Watermill Theatre), Private Lives (ATG UK tour), Dinner with Friends (Park Theatre), The Whipping Man (The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth), The Wasp (Hampstead Theatre Downstairs & Trafalgar Studios), Cinderella & The Beanstalk (Theatre 503), Hay Fever (Kay & McLean Australia Tour), Abigail's Party (Theatre Royal Bath & UK tour). He is the Artistic Director of Rhapsody of Words Productions, Associate Director of the Watermill Theatre and Artistic Associate of HighTide Festival Theatre.

DEFIBRILLATOR is an award-winning London based company with a growing reputation for delivering inspiring and entertaining theatre in both conventional and non-theatre settings. With a history of bringing to life material that may have been forgotten, the company is increasingly developing and discovering new works from UK and international writers for audiences around the world. Defibrillator is led by Artistic Director James Hillier who trained at RADA as an actor and has experience across theatre, film and television and Executive Producer Trish Wadley, supported by the Stage One Bursary Scheme for New Producers. Recent productions include Insignificance (Langham Place, New York) The Armour (The Langham, London), The One Day of the Year, Hard Feelings and Blue Surge (Finborough Theatre) and The Hotel Plays (The Grange Hotel & The Langham, London).

For tickets please visit www.ambassadortickets.com/trafalgarstudios.

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