Frank McGuinness' OBSERVE THE SONS OF ULSTER Plays 6/18-7/18 In London

OBSERVE THE SONS OF ULSTER MARCHING TOWARDS THE SOMME by Frank McGuinness plays 18 June - 18 July (Press night Tuesday 23 June at 7pm)

Directed by John Dove, Designer Michael Taylor, Composer Claire van Kampen, Lighting Designer Mick Hughes, Sound Designer Simon Baker, Fight Director Terry King

Cast: Billy Carter, Richard Dormer, Chris Garner, James Hayes, Mark Holgate, John Hollingworth, Michael Legge, Eugene O'Hare, Owen Sharpe.

From 18 June Hampstead Theatre continues its 50th Anniversary celebrations with a revival of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, the play that earned Frank McGuinness' the London Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright and launched his long and prolific career. First staged in 1985, McGuinness' touching story set against the backdrop of the infamous Word War One battle, is one of Hampstead Theatre's greatest successes and a definitive milestone in its 50 year history. The new production, directed by John Dove, features Billy Carter, Richard Dormer, Chris Garner, James Hayes, Mark Holgate, John Hollingworth, Michael Legge, Eugene O'Hare and Owen Sharpe, and runs until 18 July.

Eight men volunteer to serve in the 36th Ulster Division at the beginning of the First World War. Whilst their bonds of friendship grow amidst the horror and despair of the trenches, the march towards their seemingly inevitable sacrifice continues apace. Ahead of them lies the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916.

Frank McGuinness' numerous plays include The Carthaginians and Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, both of which made their debut at Hampstead Theatre. In 2008 McGuinness completed a 20 year project to translate the large catalogue of Ibsen works, a task that earned him a Tony Award for his interpretation of A Doll's House. However, it was undoubtedly Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching towards the Somme that set him on the path to becoming the remarkable and prolific playwright he is today.

John Dove was Associate Director at Hampstead Theatre for thirteen years under Michael Attenborough and Jenny Topper. He is now an Artistic Associate at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh.

The many productions he directed at Hampstead include: A Little Like Drowning (Anthony Minghella), Bold Girls (Rona Munro, Evening Standard Award), My Boy Jack (David Haig, filmed for ITV in 2007), The Good Samaritan (David Haig), The Daughter In Law (D.H. Lawrence, Cheryl Campbell Evening Standard Award), Flight into Egypt (Julian Garner), Ask for the Moon (Shirley Gee), Morning and Evening (Astrid Saalbach), and Falling (David Eldridge).

He recently directed: The Man Who Had All The Luck (Arthur Miller), Living Quarters (Brian Friel), All My Sons (Arthur Miller) for Mark Thomson (Scottish Critics Award), and Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller) at the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh; and for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre The Winter's Tale and Measure for Measure with Mark Rylance as the Duke, televised for BBC2, which toured to Minneapolis, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York.

The cast of soldiers includes James Hayes (Saint Joan, Richard II, As You Like It, The White Devil, The Misanthrope, Amadeus, Coriolanus, The Fawn, A Chorus of Disapproval, A View From the Bridge, Othello - National Theatre; Antony and Cleopatra, The Tempest, Thomas More, Sejanus, Richard III, Measure for Measure, The Winter's Tale, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - RSC); Richard Dormer (Beautiful Thing -West End; Una Pooka - Tricycle; In the Heart of America - Bush) and Eugene O'Hare (Active Resistance - RSC & Vivienne Westwood; 10 Days to War; Waking the Dead); Billy Carter (Wigout - Royal Court; The Revenger's Tragedy - National Theatre; I'll Be The Devil -RSC/Tricycle Theatre); Michael Legge (Angela's Ashes; Shameless; His Dark Materials - National Theatre), Chris Garner (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - New Vic Theatre, Stoke; Henry VI Part III: The Battle for the Throne - RSC World Tour); Owen Sharpe (Lord of The Rings - Princess of Wales, Toronto/Drury Lane, London); Mark Holgate (Romeo and Juliet - RSC; Troilus and Cressida, Cymbeline - Cheek by Jowl; Women of Troy - National Theatre; Atonement); and John Hollingworth (For King and Country - National Tour).

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