Stephen Campbell Moore, Claudie Blakley and More Lead CHIMERICA - Full Cast Announced!

In an Almeida Theatre and Headlong co-production, Lyndsey Turner will direct the World Premiere of Lucy Kirkwood's Chimerica. The new dates for this production are 20 May - 6 July 2013, with press night on 28 May. Set designs are by Es Devlin with costumes by Christina Cunningham, lighting by Tim Lutkin, sound by Carolyn Downing and video design by Finn Ross.

The cast is Claudie Blakley, Stephen Campbell Moore, Elizabeth Chan, Vera Chok, Karl Collins, Trevor Cooper, Nancy Crane, Sean Gilder, Sarah Lam, Andrew Leung, David K. S. Tse and Benedict Wong.

Tiananmen Square, 1989. As tanks roll through Beijing and soldiers hammer on his hotel door, Joe - a young American photojournalist - captures a piece of history. When a cryptic message is left in a Beijing newspaper more than 20 years later, Joe is driven to discover the truth behind the unknown hero he captured on film. Who was he? What happened to him? And could he still be alive?

Claudie Blakley (Tessa) was last at the Almeida in The Lady from the Sea. She recently played Lady Macbeth at Sheffield Crucible where she was also seen in Lear. Her other theatre credits include The Comedy of Errors, The Cherry Orchard and Attempts on Her Life for The National Theatre, Di and Viv and Rose for Hampstead Theatre, Love and Money for the Young Vic and Kosher Harry and A Girl In A Car with a Man for the Royal Court. Her television credits include New Tricks, The Night Watch, Nativity, Lark Rise to Candleford and Cranford Chronicles. Her film credits include Lennon Naked, Bright Star, Pride and Prejudice and Gosford Park.

Stephen Campbell Moore (Joe) was recently seen on stage at the Donmar Warehouse in Berenice. His previous theatre credits include Clybourne Park for the Royal Court, All My Sons at the Apollo Theatre, Much Ado About Nothing and Antony and Cleopatra for the Royal Shakespeare Company and The History Boys for The National Theatre. Amongst his television credits are The Wrong Mans, Hunted, Just Henry, The Titanic, Lark Rise to Candleford, Ashes to Ashes and Hustle. His film work includes Complicit, Johnny English Reborn, Season of the Witch, A Short Stay in Switzerland, Sea Wolf, The Day, The History Boys and Bright Young Things.

Elizabeth Chan's (Zhang Shen) theatre credits include Inside Out and Monkey for Polka Theatre, The Wheel for The National Theatre of Scotland, Greenland for The National Theatre, The Script Factor and Soho Slam for Soho Theatre and Nicholas Nickleby for the Lyric Hammersmith. Her television credits include Black Mirror: Going Dark, Coronation Street and Silent Witness.
Vera Chok's (Michelle Cheuk/Mary Wang) theatre credits include Tonseisha - The Man Who Abandoned the World at the Barbican PitLab, The Firework Maker's Daughter for Theatre by the Lake, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight for New Perspectives UK tour, The Death of Tintagell for saltpeter, Uncle Vanya for Sturdy Beggars, Mansfield Park and Ride for Eastern Angles and When The Lights Went Out for Tara Arts UK tour. Her screen credits include Coronation Street, Panic and Random 11.
Karl Collins (David/Peter/Paul/Officer) was most recently on stage at the Tricycle Theatre in One Monkey Don't Stop No Show. His other theatre credits include Category B, Seize the Day, Detaining Justice and Fabulation also for the Tricycle Theatre and Riff Raff for the Arcola Theatre. Amongst his television credits are Black Mirror, Death in Paradise, Doctor Who, Silent Witness, Grease Monkeys, Metrosexuality and The Bill. His film credits include The Unloved, Life and Lyrics and Greenwich Mean Time.
Trevor Cooper (Frank) has previously been seen at the Almeida in the title role in The Late Henry Moss, as well as roles in Awake and Sing, Measure for Measure and House of Games. His other theatre credits include Heartbreak House for Chichester Festival Theatre, King Lear for the Tobacco Factory, Bristol, The Tempest for the Royal Exchange Theatre, Arcadia at the Duke of York's and The Lieutenant of Innishmore and The Prisoner's Dilemma both for the Royal Shakespeare Company. His television credits include Vikings, Spooks, Inspector George Gently, Outnumbered, Tess of The D'Urbevilles, The History of Mr Polly, Trial and Retribution, The Ruby in the Smoke, Eroica and two series of Frank Stubbs Promotes. On film his credits include Somerstown, Happy-Go-Lucky, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Gangs of New York, Vanity Fair and Until Death.
Nancy Crane's (Martha/Doreen/Senator/Maria Dubieki/Mrs Krupke/Susannah Schofield) more recent theatre credits include Vieux Carre for the King's Head, The Children's Hour at the Comedy Theatre, Design for Living at the Old Vic, Love the Sinner for The National Theatre and Now or Later for the Royal Court. Her television credits include Nixon's The One, Upstairs, Downstairs, Law and Order and Cambridge Spies. On film her credits include The Special Relationship, Batman and The Road to Guantanamo.

Sean Gilder (Mel Stanwyck) has previously been seen in Enemies and The Earthly Paradise at the Almeida. His other theatre credits include Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs for Hampstead Theatre, All's Well That Ends Well for the Royal Exchange Theatre and Our Boys for the Donmar Warehouse. His extensive television credits include Kidnap and Ransom, Inspector George Gently, The Shadow Line, Shameless, Life on Mars, State of Play and New Tricks. On film his credits include Selfish Giant, Rabbit on the Moon, King Arthur and Gangs of New York.

Sarah Lam's (Feng Meihui/Old Ming Sheng) more recent theatre credits include Factors Unforeseen for the Orange Tree and Mail Order Bride for the Theatre Royal Northampton. She has previously been seen in productions at The National Theatre and the Royal Court. On television she was regularly seen in No Problem!, Angels, Howard's Way and Brookside. She has also been seen in Holby City, Casualty, Two Thousand Acres of Sky and Frank Stubbs. On film her credits include Hamlet and China Connection.

Andrew Leung's (Young Lin/Benny) theatre credits include Minaturists 33 and A Leap of Faith for the Arcola Theatre, Man in the Middle for Theatre 503 and The Beggar's Opera, Romeo and Juliet, Uncle Vanya and All My Sons for East 15. His television credits include Phone Shop and Ahead of the Class. On film his credits include Comes a Bright Day and The List.

Actor David K.S. Tse's (Zhang Xhao/Pengfei) theatre credits include The National Theatre tour of The Tempest, The Changeling at the Finborough, M. Butterfly in the West End, Madman of the Balconies for The Gate, Blue Remembered Hills at Jacksons Lane, Rashomon at Riverside Studios for Yellow Earth, Magic Paintbrush and Travels of Yoshi and Tea-Kettle for Polka, Cellarworks for Theatre-Rites, Magic Fundoshi at Lyric Hammersmith and King Rollo for the Watermill. His film credits include Spy Game, Tombraider, Foreign Moon, Soursweet, Annie 2, Bhaji on the Beach, Just like a Woman, Snapshots and Cut Sleeve Boys. His television credits include Spooks, Holby City, Wolfblood, Spirit Warriors, Down to Earth, Hearts and Bones, Brittas Empire, Whistleblowers, Cracker, The Knock, The Grid, London's Burning, Frontiers and The Bill. Tse is also a writer, director and filmmaker. He was founder and Artistic Director of yellowearth.org and is now Creative Director of chinatownartspace.com. After directing a bilingual production of King Lear in Shanghai for the Royal Shakespeare Company's Complete Works festival, Tse was awarded a Fellowship of Rose Bruford College.

Salford born actor Benedict Wong (Zhang Lin) can be seen from 11 April 2013 playing the title role at Hampstead Theatre in James MacDonald's production of #aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. Previously he played Laertes in the critically acclaimed Hamlet at the Young Vic opposite Michael Sheen. His many film credits include Ridley Scott's Prometheus, The Lady, Dirty Pretty Things, Moon, Grow Your Own and Danny Boyle's Sunshine. The Counselor directed by Ridley Scott, Hummingbird written and directed by Steven Knight and Kick Ass 2 will be released later this year. Also Wong is soon to be seen in the Channel 4 drama Run, the RTS award winning drama Top Boy and Mathew Baynton and James Corden's BBC comedy The Wrong Mans.

Lucy Kirkwood's plays are The Small Hours, co-written with Ed Hime for Hampstead Theatre, Beauty and The Beast for The National Theatre, Bloody Wimmin for the Tricycle's Women, Power and Politics season, It Felt Empty When the Heart Went at First But It is Alright Now for Clean Break Theatre Company at the Arcola, Guns or Butter for The Union Theatre Terror Festival, Psychogeography and Tinderbox for the Bush Theatre an Grady Hot Potato for Bedlam Theatre. Kirkwood adapted Hedda Gabler for the Gate Theatre and has written for C4's Skins. Her play NSFW opened at the Royal Court in 2012, directed by Simon Godwin.

Lyndsey Turner's Royal Court production of Posh completed its run in the West End in August 2012 and her production of Philadelphia, Here I Come! ran at the Donmar Warehouse last year. Turner's other productions for the Royal Court includes Contractions, A Miracle and Our Private Life. She is Associate Director at Sheffield Theatres where her work includes Alice and The Way of the World. Her other theatre credits include Edgar And Annabel and There Is A War for The National Theatre, Joseph K and Nocturnal for the Gate, My Romantic History for Traverse, Bush, Sheffield Theatres and The Lesson for the Arcola.

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

The Almeida Theatre is grateful to its Principal Partner Aspen whose three year sponsorship started in July 2011, building on the long-term relationship between the two companies. Aspen's support of The Almeida Theatre ensures continued bold programming and artistic endeavour. Aspen was established in 2002 and is a leading global insurance and reinsurance company. www.aspen.co

The Almeida Theatre is supported by Arts Council England.