Sheffield Theatres Announce Casting for The David Hare Season

Full casting is today announced for The David Hare Season at Sheffield Theatres. Patricia Hodge and Isla Blair perform in The Breath of Life and Hattie Morahan, Jack Ryder and Laura Carmichael perform in Plenty. Malcolm Sinclair and Matthew Cottle will perform in Racing Demon. In February and March 2011, Sheffield Theatres will produce their most ambitious project to date where all three performance spaces will be given over to the work of one playwright. The Season runs from Thursday 3 February to Saturday 5 March.

BBC 4's Arts Programme Front Row will broadcast a live interview with David Hare from inside the Crucible Studio Theatre on Thursday 17 February. The theatres have also teamed up with the local independent cinema, the Showroom, to screen some of Hare's work on TV and film work. David Hare will visit the theatres to read his own play Via Dolorosa in the Studio Theatre on Friday 18 February.

Racing Demon will be directed by Sheffield Theatres' Artistic Director Daniel Evans and staged in the Crucible Theatre; Thea Sharrock will direct Plenty in the Studio Theatre and Peter Gill will direct The Breath of Life in the Lyceum Theatre.

Plenty

Spanning three decades, David Hare's play is a powerful comment on post-war England, where ideals collapse and values collide.

Hattie Morahan leads the company as Susan Traherne. She will be joined by Bruce Alexander (Sir Leonard Darwin), Edward Bennett (Raymond Brock), Kirsty Bushell (Alice Park), Laura Carmicheal (Louise/Dorcas), Junix Inocian (Monsieur Aung), Youssef Kerkour (Frenchman), Jack Ryder (Mick/Begley), Lucy Sheen (Madame Aung).

Hattie Morahan plays Susan Traherne. Her theatre credits include The Family Reunion (Donmar Warehouse), Iphigenia At Aulis, Time and The Conways and Three More Sleepless Nights (National Theatre), Twelfth Night (West Yorkshire Playhouse), The City (Royal Court) and most recently, The Real Thing (Old Vic).

Bruce Alexander plays Sir Leonard Darwin. His theatre credits include The History Boys and The Reporter (National Theatre), King Lear (Shakespeare's Globe), The Tempest (Almedia), Perciles (Lyric Hammersmith) and The Company Man (Orange Tree Theatre). For television, Thatcher The Last Days and That Week In Jerusalem.

Edward Bennett plays Raymond Brock. His theatre credits include Love's Labour's Lost and Hamlet (Royal Shakespeare Company), Othello (Donmar Warehouse), Alice In Wonderland (Bristol Old Vic) and The Importance of Being Earnest (York Theatre Royal). For television Silent Witness (BBC) and After You're Gone (BBC).

Kirsty Bushell plays Alice Park. Bushell returns to Sheffield Theatres after previously performing in The Comedy of Errors at the Crucible and The Girl in the Goldfish Bowl at the Studio. Her other credits include Pornography (Tricycle), Serious Money (Birmingham Rep), 2000 Feet Away (The Bush), Twelfth Night (Royal Shakespeare Company), An Inspector Calls and The Voysey Inheritance (National Theatre). And most recently she was seen in Michael Grandage's production of Danton's Death at The National Theatre.

Laura Carmichael plays Louise/Dorcas. Her theatre credits include The Tempest (UK Tour), Stags and Hens, As You Like It, Peace in our Time (Bristol Old Vic) and Reason for Living (BAC Scratch Fesitval). For television, she recently played Lady Edith Crawley in ITV's Downton Abbey.

Jack Ryder plays Mick. His theatre credits include Calendar Girls (UK Tour), Romeo and Juliet (Wales Theatre Group), The Play What I Wrote (UK Tour) and Single Spies (UK Tour). For television, his credits include, Jamie Mitchell in EastEnders.

Thea Sharrock directs. Her recent credits include After the Dance, Happy Now? and Emperor Jones (National Theatre), Equus with Daniel Radcliffe (Gielgud Theatre & Broadway), The Misanthrope with Keira Knightley (Comedy Theatre), Mrs Klein, Cloud Nine (Almeida Theatre), Heroes (Wyndhams Theatre & Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles), Voyage Round My Father (Donmar Warehouse & Wyndhams Theatre). Sharrock was previously the Artistic Director of The Gate Theatre and Southwark Playhouse.

Design is by Lucy Osborne with lighting by James Farncombe, sound designed by Tom Gibbons and music by Adrian Johnston.

The Breath Of Life

When celebrated novelist Frances Beale arrives at Madeleine Palmer's home, she is looking for a story. But not a work of fiction. She wants to hear the true story of how their lives became inextricably linked over forty years ago...

Isla Blair plays Frances. Isla Blair returns to the Crucible after previously performing in Six Degrees of Separation. Her other theatre credits include The History Boys (Wyndhams Theatre), The Company Man (The Orange Tree Theatre), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Stuff Happens and What the Butler Saw (National Theatre). For television, Quatermass, QC Law and Order and The Final Cut (BBC) and The History Man with Anthony Sher.

Patricia Hodge plays Madeleine. Her theatre credits include A Little Light Music, Money/Summerfolk and His Dark Materials (National Theatre), Heart Break House (Almeida), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Strand Theatre and Tour) and Calendar Girls (Tour). For television, Rumpole of the Bailey (Thames Television), The Lives and Loves of a She Devil (BBC), The Falklands Play (BBC). For film, her credits include The Elephant Man with John Hurt and Blake Edwards' Sunset.

Peter Gill directs. Gill has directed over eighty productions in the UK, Europe and North America. His recent credits include Another Door Closed (Theatre Royal Bath), Small Change, Days of Wine and Roses (Donmar Warehouse), The Importance of Being Earnest (Theatre Royal Bath, national tour and West End), Gaslight (Old Vic), The Voysey Inheritance and Scenes From a Big Picture (National Theatre), Epitaph for George Dillon (Comedy Theatre) and Look Back in Anger (Theatre Royal Bath). Gill was responsible for introducing D.H. Lawrence's plays to the Royal Court in the 1960s. He was the founding Director of Riverside Studios from 1976, and of The National Theatre Studios from 1984 - 1990. Also as a playwright, his works include, The Sleeper's Den, Over Gardens Out, Kick for Touch, Cardiff East, Certain Young Men and The York Realist.

Design is by Alex Eales, lighting by Paul Pyant and music will be composed by Christian Mason.

Racing Demon

The cast for Racing Demon, directed by Sheffield Theatres Artistic Director, Daniel Evans, includes; Matthew Cottle (The Rev Donald ‘Streaky' Bacon), Jonathan Coy (The Rt Rev Charlie Allen, Bishop of Southwark), Estella Daniels (Stella Marr), Terry Doe (Head Waiter) Ian Gelder (The Rev Harry Henderson), Emma Hamilton (Frances Parnell) Mark Leadbetter (Tommy Adair), Jamie Parker (The Rev Tony Ferris), Paul Rattray (Ewan Gilmour), Malcolm Sinclair (The Rev Lionel Espy), Mark Tandy (The Rt Rev Gilbert Heffernan, Bishop of Kingston) and Jane Wymark (Heather Espy).

David Hare is an Olivier Award winning playwright and Academy Award nominated screenwriter. As a playwright his work includes Slag (Hampstead Theatre, Royal Court, New York Shakespeare Festival), The Great Exhibition (Hampstead), Brassneck (with Howard Brenton, Nottingham Playhouse), Knuckle (Comedy Theatre), Fanshen (Hampstead & ICA, National Theatre), Teeth 'n 'Smiles (Royal Court, Wyndham's Theatre), Plenty (National Theatre, NYSF & Broadway), A Map Of The World (National Theatre, NYSF), Pravda (with Howard Brenton, National Theatre), The Bay At Nice (National Theatre), The Secret Rapture (National Theatre, NYSF & Broadway), Racing Demon (National Theatre, Broadway), Murmuring Judges (National Theatre), The Absence Of War (National Theatre), Skylight (National Theatre, Wyndhams, Vaudeville & Broadway), Amy's View (National Theatre, Aldwych, Garrick, & Broadway), The Blue Room (Donmar, Broadway and Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Judas Kiss (Playhouse & Broadway), Via Dolorosa (Royal Court, Almeida, Duchess & Broadway), My Zinc Bed (Royal Court), The Breath Of Life (Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Permanent Way (Out of Joint & National Theatre), Stuff Happens (National Theatre & NYSF), The Vertical Hour (Broadway & Royal Court Theatre), Gethsemane (National Theatre), Berlin/Wall (National Theatre, Royal Court & NYSF) and The Power Of Yes (National Theatre).

His adaptations for theatre include The Rules of The Game - Pirandello (National Theatre & Almeida), The Life Of Galileo - Brecht (Almeida & National Theatre), Mother Courage and Her Children - Brecht (National Theatre), Ivanov - Chekhov (Almeida & Broadway), Platonov - Chekhov (Almeida Theatre), The House Of Bernarda Alba - Lorca (National Theatre) and Enemies - Gorky (Almeida Theatre). His screenwriting for television and film include Licking Hitler (1978), Dreams of Leaving (1980),
Plenty (1985) - based on his play, Strapless (1989), Damage (1992), The Hours (2002) - based on the novel by Michael Cunningham, The Corrections (2007) - based on the novel by Jonathan Franzen
My Zinc Bed (2008) - based on his play, Murder in Samarkand (2008) - based on the memoir by Craig Murray and The Reader (2008) - based on the novel by Bernhard Schlink.

 

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