Sara Crowe Completes The Cast Of THE CABINET MINISTER At The Menier Chocolate Factory

The Menier Chocolate Factory has announced that Sara Crowe joins the company of Arthur Wing Pinero's The Cabinet Minister – adapted for the stage by Nancy Carroll.

Crowe plays Dowager Countess of Dumdurris, joining George Blagden as Valentine White, Nancy Carroll as Lady Katherine Twombley, Joe Edgar as Brook Twombley, Pheobe Fildes as Fanny Lacklustre, Rosalind Forbes as Imogen Twombley, Dom Hodson as Keith (Lord Drumdurris), Dillie Keane as Lady Macphail, Nicholas Rowe as the Right Honourable Sir Julian Twombley, Laurence Ubong Williams as Mr Bernard Lacklustre and Mr Melting, Romaya Weaver as Lady Effie Vibart and Matthew Woodyatt as Sir Colin Macphail of Ballocheevin.

Paul Foster's production opens on 27 September, with previews from 21 September, and runs until 16 November.

THE CABINET MINISTER

By Arthur Wing Pinero

Adapted by Nancy Carroll 

Director: Paul Foster; Set & Costume Designer: Janet Bird; Sound Designer: George Dennis; Composer & Musical Supervisor: Sarah Travis; Movement: Joanna Goodwin

Sir Julian Twombley is in trouble: his wife and son have run up massive debts and his political reputation is in the balance. The House of Commons is far from a safe space for him and the newspapers are sniffing blood. Can he save face and hang on to his sanity?

Arthur Wing Pinero's breathless farce is given a new life in Nancy Carroll's adaptation. A crack cast tackles this sparkling story of marriage, blackmail and class where all bets are off!

Arthur Wing Pinero (1855 – 1934) was an English playwright and actor. His many plays include Trelawny of the “Wells”, The Magistrate, Dandy Dick, Sweet Lavendar, The Second Mrs Tanqueray, The Magistrate and The Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith.

Nancy Carroll adapts and plays Lady Katherine Twombley. This sees her returns to the Menier following her performance in Marjorie Prime. For theatre, her other credits include Rock ‘n' Roll (Hampstead Theatre),  Manor, The Magistrate, After the Dance – Oliver Award and Evening Standard Award for Best Actress, Man of Mode (National Theatre), Betrayal (Theatre Royal Bath), The Deep Blue Sea (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Moderate Soprano (Hampstead Theatre, Duke of York's Theatre), Young Marx (Bridge Theatre), Woyzeck (The Old Vic), Closer, The Recruiting Officer (Donmar Warehouse), House of Games, King Lear (Almeida Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Sheffield Theatres), Arcadia (Duke of York's Theatre), Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2 (RSC), and Mammals (Bush Theatre). For television, her work includes Father Brown, Murder in Provence, Stephen, The Crown, Agatha Raisin, Queens of Mystery, Will, Prime Suspect 1973, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and Call the Midwife; and for film, The Gathering Storm, Iris, An Ideal Husband and Magic Mike's Last Dance.

George Blagden plays Valentine White. His theatre credits include Company (Gielgud Theatre), Tartuffe (Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Pitchfork Disney (Shoreditch Town Hall) and Platinum (Hampstead Theatre). His television credits include Versailles and Black Mirror: Hang The DJ; and for film, Les Misérables.

Sara Crowe's theatre credits include A Touch of Danger (Theatre Royal Windsor), Sheila's Island, How the Other Half Loves, Fallen Angels, Acorn Antiques the Musical, Calendar Girls the Musical, The Constant Wife (UK tours). Her West End credits include Queers, One Voice: Monologues (The Old Vic), Bedroom Farce (Duke of York's), The Real Inspector Hound and Black Comedy (Comedy Theatre), Calendar Girls (Noel Coward Theatre), Twelfth Night (Playhouse), Plunder (Savoy), Hay Fever (Albery Theatre– Olivier nomination for Best Comedy Performance), Private Lives (Aldwych Theatre – Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress, Critics Circle Most Promising Newcomer Award, and Variety Club Best Actress Award) and The City Madam (RSC). Her television credits include Skins, Big Meg in Big Meg/Little Meg, Born and Bred, The Harry Enfield Show, The Rory Bremner Show, Alas Smith and Jones, and the Christmas ghost story Martin's Close; and for film, Four Weddings & A Funeral, Carry on Columbus, Scarlett and Round Ireland with a Fridge. She has written two novels, Campari For Breakfast and Martini Henry published by Transworld.

Joe Edgar plays Brook Twombley. His theatre credits include Just For One Day (Old Vic Theatre) and Hitchhiker (Teastain Theatre). His television credits include Midsomer Murders – “Claws Out” and The Crown.

Phoebe Fildes plays Miss Fanny Lacklustre. Her theatre credits include Assassins (Nottingham Playhouse and Watermill Theatre), The Mousetrap (St Martin's Theatre), A Woman of No Importance (Vaudeville Theatre), A Little Night Music (Watermill Theatre), Peter Pan (National Theatre) and Once l (Phoenix Theatre).

Rosalind Ford plays Imogen Twombley. Her theatre credits In Clay (Upstairs at the Gatehoue), Once (UK tour), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Southwark Playhouse), Just So (Barn Theatre), These Trees Are Made of Blood (Arcola Theatre), The Drowsy Chaperone (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) and Mother Courage (Southwark Playhouse).

Dom Hodson plays Keith, Lord Drumdurris. His theatre credits include Bleak Expectations (Criterion Theatre and Watermill Theatre), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre), War Horse (Gillian Lynne Theatre), West Side Story (UK Tour) and Words and Music (Sadler's Wells). Television credits include Life After Life; and for film, Matilda.

Dillie Keane plays Lady Macphail. Her theatre credits include A Little Night Music (Watermill Theatre), Dillie Keane Solo Tour (UK Tour), Cowardy Custard (Richmond Theatre), My Brilliant Divorce (UK tour) and The Importance of Being Earnest (Ireland tour). Television credits include Pie in the Sky and Grumpy Old Women; and for film, To Die For and Deadly Advice. She is also the co-writer, performer, composer and lyricist for comedy musical troupe Fascinating Aïda which is currently touring to celebrate its 40th year anniversary.

Known for playing Young Sherlock Holmes, Nicholas Rowe plays Right Hon Sir Julian Twombley. His theatre credits include Minority Report (Lyric Hammersmith Theatre), The Inquiry (Chichester Festival Theatre), Tammy Faye, Albion (Almeida Theatre) and Motown the Musical (US Tour). Television credits include The Outlaws, The Crown, Washington, The Killing Kind, The Importance of Being Oscar, The Fugitives, A Spy Among Friends, Da Vinci's Demons, Riviera; and for film, Young Sherlock Holmes; Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Nicholas Nickleby.

Laurence Ubong Williams plays Mr Bernard Lacklustre and Mr Melting.  He returns to the Menier following his appearance in The Watsons.  His other theatre credits include The Motive and the Cue(National Theatre and Noel Coward Theatre), Word Play (Royal Court), The Welkin (National Theatre), The Deep Blue Sea (Chichester Festival Theatre), Jumpy (Theatre Clwyd) and A Winter's Tale (Orange Tree Theatre). His television credits include The Chelsea Detective, Humans and Doctors.

Romaya Weaver is a recent graduate from Guildhall School of Music and Drama and makes her professional stage debut as Lady Effie Vibart.

Matthew Woodyatt plays Sir Colin Macphail of Ballocheevin. His theatre credits include A Song of Songs (Park Theatre), The Fair Maid of the West (RSC), Moving Stories (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare's Globe), Berlusconi (Southwark Playhouse), Piaf (Nottingham Playhouse and Leeds Playhouse), Moving Stories (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Fiddler on the Roof (Chichester Festival Theatre), One Man, Two Guvnors (UK tour). His television credits include Grandpa In My Pocket, The Passion – It Has Begun and Arrows of Desire; and for film, A Serial Killer's Guide to Life and The Gospel of Us.

Paul Foster directs. For theatre, his work includes White Christmas, Talent, Annie Get Your Gun (Sheffield Theatres), Fascinating Aida (UK tour), Gypsy (Alexandra Palace), Curtains (Wyndham's Theatre and UK tour), The Deep Blue Sea (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Light Princess, Sweet Charity (Cadogan Hall), A Little Night Music, Laurel and Hardy (Watermill Theatre), Tell Me on a Sunday (Watermill Theatre and UK tour), Bette Midler and Me, Flora the Red Menace (Edinburgh Festival), The Confession Room (St James' Theatre); Darling of the Day, Bells are Ringing, Crimes of the Heart (Union Theatre),  Cowardy Custard (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and UK tour), Little One (Royal Court Young Writers Festival), Katherine Jakeways (Soho Theatre) and The Vagina Monologues (UK tour).

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