Elizabeth McGovern, Nigel Lindsay to Reprise Roles in UK Tour of GOD OF CARNAGE

Following an acclaimed run as part of its Summer Season 2018, Theatre Royal Bath Productions is delighted to announced the return of its hit comedy production of Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage for a UK tour starting in January 2020. Elizabeth McGovern, fresh from starring in the celebrated Downton Abbey film, reprises her dazzling performance as Veronica with Nigel Lindsay back as her bluff husband Michael. Directed by Lindsay Posner, the production welcomes two-time Olivier Award-winning actress Samantha Spiro who will play Annette and Simon Paisley Day, recently seen in Ralegh: The Treason Trial at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, in the role of husband, Alan.

God of Carnage will run at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre (14 - 18 January 2020), Theatre Royal Bath (20 - 25 January and with opening night for press on 21 January), Theatre Royal Glasgow (27 January - 1 February), Cambridge Arts Theatre (3 - 8 February) and Rose Theatre Kingston (10 - 15 February).

When 11-year-old Ferdinand hits 11-year-old Bruno with a stick in a playground punch-up and knocks out two of his teeth, the combatants' enlightened parents decide to meet to talk things over civilly. But once the niceties are done with and the drink starts flowing, it is the parents who turn into spoiled brats.

God of Carnage is a ruthlessly comic study of middle-class parenting. Originally written in French, the play was translated by Christopher Hampton in 2008. The production went on to win the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and the Tony Award for Best New Play.

Elizabeth McGovern is well known for her Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominated role as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey. She has also played Evelyn Nesbit in Ragtime for which she received an Academy Award nomination. Her theatre credits include Broadway productions of Time and the Conways, Hamlet and Love Letters. Other film and television credits include Ordinary People, Once Upon a Time in America, The Handmaid's Tale and The Wings of the Dove.

Nigel Lindsay is an Olivier Award nominated actor. His numerous television credits include the ITV series Victoria, Spooks, White Gold and The Capture. For film he has appeared in Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa and Four Lions, for which he was nominated for Best British Comedy Performance in Film at the British Comedy Awards. His many stage credits include the title role in Shrek the Musical for which he was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, Guys and Dolls (West End), Harrogate (Royal Court), A Small Family Business (National Theatre), Broken Glass (Tricycle Theatre) and Awake and Sing (Almeida).

Samantha Spiro is a two-time Oliver Award-winning actress. Her numerous television credits include her British Comedy Award-winning role in Grandma's House, Game of Thrones and Cold Feet. She recently appeared on stage in Lady Windermere's Fan (West End). Previous credits include Guys and Dolls (West End), Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare's Globe), her Olivier Award winning title role in Hello, Dolly! and Mary Flynn in Merrily We Roll Along which also saw her receive the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Simon Paisley Day's recent screen credits include Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Born A King, The Crown, Brexit: The Uncivil War and Victoria & Abdul. He previously appeared at Bath in Richard Eyre's Private Lives. Further stage credits include Twelfth Night (National Theatre), The Lorax (Old Vic), West End productions of Anything Goes, The Philanthropist, The 39 Steps and Private Lives, the title role in Timon of Athens (Shakespeare's Globe), The Low Road and The Ugly One (Royal Court).

Yasmina Reza has written numerous plays including Olivier and Tony Award winning God of Carnage, Art, The Unexpected Man and The Passage of Winter. She has also written novels Hammerklavier, Desolation, Adam Haberberg, Happy are The Happy and Babylone and the screenplay for Carnage.

Lindsay Posner's career includes positions as Associate Director of Royal Court Theatre, Artistic Director of Royal Court Theatre Upstairs and Deputy Director for main house. Additional credits include Olivier nominated productions of A View from the Bridge (Duke of York's Theatre) and Carousel (Churchill Theatre, UK Tour and Savoy Theatre) as well as The Lie (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Truth (Menier Chocolate Factory, Wyndham's), Hayfever (Theatre Royal Bath/West End) and The Winslow Boy (Roundabout Theatre, New York; Old Vic Theatre). Television credits include Two Oranges and a Mango and The Maitlands.

The 10th anniversary production of God of Carnage was staged last year in Artistic Director Jonathan Church's 2018 Summer Season at Theatre Royal Bath. It will mark the third revival from the season following the critically acclaimed West End transfer of The Price at the Wyndham's Theatre and Switzerland at the Ambassadors Theatre. The 2019 Summer Season has also proved hugely successful and will soon see the return of Blithe Spirit starring Jennifer Saunders in a UK tour from 22 January 2020 and a strictly limited West End run at the Duke of York's Theatre from 5 March - 11 April 2020.

Photo Credit: Nobby Clark

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