Trevor Nunn Helms DESSERT World Premiere, Opening Tonight at Southwark Playhouse

Following on from his success with Daytona at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, Oliver Cotton, has written a new play for our time, Dessert.

Directed by Trevor Nunn and starring Teresa Banham, Alexandra Gilbreath, Stephen Hagan, Stuart Milligan, Michael Simkins and Graham Turner, Dessert is a thought-provoking play about wealth, greed and the lengths to which people will go to claim what's theirs.

A British financier and his wife host a lavish dinner party for their affluent American friends. The food is delicious, the conversation animated and dessert is on its way - when, from one second to another, the evening takes a sinister and alarming turn...

Teresa Banham's stage credits include Hannah in Arcadia (Nottingham Playhouse), Enid Washbrook in A Chorus of Disapproval (West End) and Sebastiana in Heresy of Love (RSC).

Alexandra Gilbreath is an Associate Artist with the RSC, having just finished a highly successful run of The Rover in Stratford. She was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2010 for her performance as Olivia in Twelfth Night and has a featured role in the soon-to-be-released Tulip Fever (The Weinstein Company) with Alicia Vikander.

Stephen Hagan plays Rich Clayton in the Sky 1 series Stan Lee's Lucky Man. His stage credits include the role of Sebastian in Twelfth Night and Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors (both RSC).

Stuart Milligan's television credits include Jonathan Creek (BBC) Benidorm (ITV), Doctor Who (BBC) and Tank Commander (BBC Scotland). Theatre credits include The Red Barn & Evening At The Talkhouse (National Theatre), The Last Confession (Triumph Entertainment), Jersey Boys (Prince Edward Theatre) and All My Sons (Edinburgh Royal Lyceum).

Michael Simkins' work spans television, radio and theatre. On stage he has worked with Alan Ayckbourn, Michael Gambon and Sam Mendes, and his recent theatre credits include Fracked! Or: Please Don't Use the F-Word (Chichester/UK tour), Good Canary (Rose Theatre) and The Argument (Hampstead Theatre). Film credits include The Iron Lady (DJ Films) and V for Vendetta (Warner Brothers).

Graham Turner has worked extensively across stage and screen and has played several seasons at the Royal Shakespeare Company most recently playing the Fool to Anthony Sher's Lear directed by Gregory Doran and Belarius in Melly Still's Cymbeline.

Oliver Cotton's writing credits include Daytona (Park Theatre and Theatre Royal Haymarket), Wet Weather Cover (King's Head & Arts Theatre, London), The Incredible Journey of Sir Francis Younghusband, (Royal Court), The Enoch Show (Royal Court), and Man Falling Down (Shakespeare's Globe).

Trevor Nunn was Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1968 to 1986 where he directed more than 30 productions including most of the Shakespeare canon, Nicholas Nickleby and Les Miserables. From 1997 to 2003, he was Artistic Director of the National Theatre. He has directed the world premieres of many of Tom Stoppard's plays and of Cats, Sunset Boulevard, Starlight Express and Aspects of Love by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Recent theatre includes The Lady From The Sea (Almeida); Hamlet, Richard II, Inherit the Wind (Old Vic); Cyrano de Bergerac, Kiss Me Kate (Chichester); Heartbreak House, Flare Path, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Tempest (Theatre Royal, Haymarket); A Chorus of Disapproval, All That Fall and Relative Values (West End) and A Little Night Music and Love in Idleness (Menier Chocolate Factory).

Set and Costume Design is by Rachel Stone whose design credits include Boy With Beer (King's Head Theatre), Stalking the Bogeyman (Southwark Playhouse), Cabaret (ACT Aberdeen), Upper Cut (Southwark Playhouse), That Face (Landor Theatre) and Short and Stark (Southwark Playhouse).

Lighting Design is by Derek Anderson whose theatre credits include: Hound of the Baskervilles, Handbagged, Spamalot (English Theatre Frankfurt); Our Man In Havana (UK Tour); WhatsOnStage Awards 2014-2017 (Prince Of Wales) and Promises Promises, Allegro and Grand Hotel (Southwark Playhouse).

Sound design is by Sebastian Frost, who has designed for theatre, art installations, exhibitions, large scale public events, awards ceremonies and countless other live events. Amongst his many credits are An Inspector Calls (The Playhouse), Jekyll And Hyde (The Old Vic), Grease and The Witches (The Curve, Leicester and Hong Kong tour), The Olivier Awards (Grovesnor Square), the Queen's Jubilee (Parade and The Mall, London) and Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Edinburgh Military Castle).

Producer David Adkin's credits at Southwark Playhouse include the UK premieres of Stalking The Bogeyman and Next Fall starring Charlie Condou. His other recent credits include: Holmes & Watson: The Farewell Tour (National Tour); Our Friends, The Enemy (Theater Row, New York City); and the critically acclaimed sold out run of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street starring David Bedella - Winner of Best Off West End Production and nominated for Best Musical Revival at the 2015 Whatsonstage Awards (Twickenham Theatre).

IF YOU GO:

DESSERT

Written by Oliver Cotton

Directed by Trevor Nunn

Southwark Playhouse, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD

Dates: Tonight 12 July - 5 August

Time: Monday to Saturday at 19.30; Tuesday and Saturday at 15.00

Previews: Wednesday 12 July, Thursday 13 July, Friday 14 July and Saturday 15 July

Media Night: Monday 17 July at 19.30

Press Night: Tuesday 18 July at 19.30

Running Time 2hrs 15 minutes incl. a 15 minute interval.

020 7407 0234 | southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

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