New St James Theatre Announces First Season Of Work

St. James Theatre, the first newly-built theatre complex in central London in 30 years, will open to the public in early August 2012, rising from the site of the former Westminster Theatre at 12 Palace Street in the heart of Victoria. David Gilmore, Artistic Director, today announced the theatre's first season of work.

BULLY BOY
18 September – 27 October 2012
By Sandi Toksvig | Directed by David Gilmore

A St. James Theatre CO-PRODUCTION with Lee Dean (following on from recent successes with End Of The Rainbow and Ladies In Lavender), Charles Diamond, Daniel Schumann and Royal & Derngate Northampton

Sandi Toksvig tackles the challenging moral issues of contemporary military occupation and its effect on the mental health of serving soldiers. Major Oscar Hadley is investigating allegations of gross misconduct within a self-styled 'Bully Boy' unit of the British army. When young squaddie Eddie Clark from Burnley is interrogated, Oscar begins to discover that 'truth' in a modern insurgency can be a point of view rather than a fact. In this ferociously gripping story, Sandi Toksvig writes with startling insight and tenderness about the minds of soldiers.

Directed by David Gilmore, Bully Boy stars Anthony Andrews. Anthony Andrews received worldwide recognition for his portrayal of the doomed Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisited for which he won the British Academy Award (BAFTA) in the UK, the Golden Globe award in the USA and an Emmy nomination for Best Actor. Anthony's most recently played Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin in 2012's The King's Speech. Anthony co-stars with Joshua Miles who plays squaddie, Eddie Clark

Bully Boy is directed by David Gilmore.

DADDY LONG LEGS
31 October – 8 December 2012

Music & Lyrics by Paul Gordon | Book by John Caird | Based on the Classic Novel by Jean Webster | Directed by John Caird | Set & Costumes by David Farley | Lighting by Paul Toben

Produced by St. James Theatre PRODUCTIONS in association with Rubicon Theatre Company

This new musical romance from the Tony and Olivier Award-winning co-director of Les Miserables has been lauded for its sheer beauty, depth of feeling and magnificent musical score.

Set in the early 1900s in New England, Daddy Long Legs is the vivid account of a young orphan as she blossoms into a beautiful, intelligent and vivacious woman. An anonymous benefactor gives Jerusha Abbott an opportunity to attend college, requiring that she write to him monthly, even though he will not respond. Her letters to him paint a moving portrait of her former life in the orphanage, and the development of her mind and spirit.

Broadway performer Megan McGinnis will recreate her award-winning performance in the role of Jerusha Abbott, alongside Robert Adelman Hancock.

Daddy Long Legs is currently touring the US and won more awards than any other musical at last year's Ovation Awards in Los Angeles.

CINDERELLA
12 December 2012 – 26 January 2013

Directed by SALLY COOKSON | Designed by KATIE SYKES | Music by BENJI BOWER
Lighting by MATT GRAHAM | Scripted by ADAM PECK | Devised by the company

London Producer ST JAMES THEATRE PRODUCTIONS in association with
TOBACCO FACTORY THEATRE and TRAVELLING LIGHT

This production of Cinderella played in Bristol last year, captivating audiences with its modern take on one of the oldest, best loved fairy-tales of all time.

When a rich man's wife dies, his daughter Ella mourns her beloved mother with a grief as deep as the snow on her grave. Before the spring sun has time to melt it, her father takes a second wife and their peaceful life is taken over by a host of new and unpleasant relations. Her only friends are the woodland birds who roost in the tree that grows over the grave, but they are no ordinary birds.

With their quirky visual style, crystal-clear storytelling, original live music and pitch-perfect ensemble acting, director Sally Cookson and team bring this classic tale of fortunes reversed startlingly and imaginatively to life.

A Christmas show to enchant all ages over 6

OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD
30 January 2013 – 9 March 2013

Based on The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally | Directed by Max Stafford-Clark | Set Designer Tim Shortall | Lighting Johanna Town | Sound ANDY SMITH |Casting GEMMA HANCOCK CDG and SAM STEVENSON CDG
Karl Sydow presents the OUT OF JOINT and OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON production

Our Country's Good premiered in 1988 and opened on Broadway in 1991 winning major awards on both sides of the Atlantic, including three Olivier Awards.  Now 25 years after the original Royal Court production, the revival of Wertenbaker's classic play is directed by the original director, Max Stafford Clark.

Australia,1789. A boat full of murderers, thieves and marine officers arrive on a distant shore. There, an ambitious young lieutenant, RalpH Clark, is set the task of directing a cast of convicts in the Restoration comedy 'The Recruiting Officer' to celebrate the King's birthday, the first play ever to be staged in Australia. With only two copies of the script, a cast of convicts, a leading lady facing the gallows and an uncontrollable passion for one of the convict players, Ralph's, and Australia's, first theatre production is in trouble from the start.

Tickets for all productions in the season are on sale from 29 June 2012.

Entirely funded by private investment, and designed and built to the highest standards, St. James Theatre will be one of the most luxurious venues in which to enjoy ambitious, quality theatre programming. The space will include a 312 seat theatre, a studio space, brasserie and bar.

The studio space, which will hold 150 standing or 100 seated, will present one-night and short-run comedy and live music including jazz and cabaret.

St. James Theatre will be a vibrant addition to the London cultural scene offering an unusual location for conferences and special events, with the bar and brasserie open for all-day dining. Additionally, the theatre has been fitted with state-of-the-art multi-media broadcast facilities which will be used to broadcast performances on the venues own BSkyB satellite TV channel.

Foster Wilson Architects have designed the theatre and accompanying public spaces. Artist and designer Mark Humphrey has been commissioned to design a remarkable staircase installation which will form a focal point in the public areas.

The venue's management team includes; Robert Mackintosh as joint CEO and Creative Director, the previously mentioned Artistic Director, David Gilmore, Assistant Artistic Director James Albrecht, Guy Kitchenn as Executive Theatre Director and Lady Lucy French as Director of Development.

For more information visit www.stjamestheatre.co.uk

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