Park Theatre Artistic Director Jez Bond today announces its new season of work, all in association with a host of exciting and diverse producers, including four world premieres, three UK premieres, two European premieres and a London premiere.
Bond says, “As well as welcoming back names who have proven hugely popular with our audiences, we are thrilled to announce brilliant new talent who will be making their Park Theatre debuts, including Mark Gatiss and Hollywood star Anne Archer. With a mixture of plays plus two musicals – a first for Park90 – I’m delighted to announce what I am sure will be a scintillating and varied programme. The first professional show I directed was a J B Priestley play and I consider him one of the master storytellers, so on a personal note, I’m absolutely thrilled we’re presenting his lost gem as part of our season!”
A new production of The Trial of Jane Fonda by Terry Jastrow, starring Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner, Anne Archer and directed by Joe Harmston, opens the season, marking the show’s London premiere in PARK200. The first major revival of beloved British playwright JB Priestley’s early comedy The Roundabout takes a look at an England in the 1930s, when it seemed, just possibly, as if the social order might be changing. Mark Gatiss, winner of the 2016 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor, and his husband Ian Hallard star together in The Boys in the Band, an eagerly anticipated revival of Mart Crowley’s seminal piece, which premiered just months before the Stonewall riots, and became a cult film in 1970. Following huge critical acclaim and controversy with Dead Sheep and An Audience with Jimmy Saville, journalist and playwright Jonathan Maitland returns to Park Theatre with the world premiere of Deny, Deny Deny, which tackles the topical subject of doping in sport. The UK premiere of the New York hit show The Screwtape Letters – a stage adaptation of the C. S. Lewis classic novel - makes for a subversive and alternative Christmas show to round off the year.
The PARK90 season opens with the black comedy Some Girl(s), written by multi Tony Award nominee Neil LaBute, following the story of a man who visits his ex-girlfriends in his ‘little black book’ to try and ‘right’ his ‘wrongs’, and closes with the Tony Award winning physical comedy LUV by Murray Schisgal; both are directed by Gary Condes and produced by Buckland Theatre Company.
Following his Park200 debut in January with 4000 Days starring Alistair McGowan, Olivier Award nominated playwright Peter Quilter (End of The Rainbow and Glorious!) returns to Park Theatre with the world premiere of Saving Jason, a comedy set in 90s suburbia. American writers Stephen Fife and Ralph Pezzullo will also present the world premiere of The American Wife, about a woman trying to clear her husband’s name when he’s accused of acts of terrorism.
For the first time, PARK90 will play home to two musicals: the European Premiere of acclaimed musical The Burnt Part Boys, with music by Chris Miller, and the world premiere of brand new British musical set in London, This Little Life of Mine written and directed by Michael Yale.
PARK200
13 July – 20 August 2016
Acute Theatre Limited in association with Park Theatre presents
THE TRIAL OF JANE FONDA
Written by Terry Jastrow
Directed by Joe Harmston
Cast includes: Anne Archer
Press Night: Thursday 14 July
Times: Evenings Tue – Sat 19:30, Matinees Thu & Sat 15:00
1972. North Vietnam: Driven to halt the slaughter of young lives, iconic movie star Jane Fonda travels to Vietnam where she is photographed laughing and clapping, astride an anti-aircraft gun, designed to shoot down American planes. Overnight the soldiers’ sexy pin-up becomes ‘Hanoi Jane’; traitor to her country and betrayer of those very young men. 1988. Waterbury, Connecticut: Bitter demonstrations by veterans halt filming on a movie co-starring Fonda and Robert De Niro. Determined to stop her past dictating her future, Jane requests a meeting and enters a room full of angry men for whom the war still rages. The content of the meeting is never divulged.
Having retraced Fonda’s steps, interviewed her guides, dozens of veterans and Fonda herself, Terry Jastrow’s powerful drama conjectures the battles which were fought in that encounter; battles which are as much to do with the ability of recorded images to dictate our memories as they are to do with truth. Cast includes Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner, Anne Archer (Fatal Attraction; Patriot Games; Clear and Present Danger) as Jane Fonda.
24 August – 24 September 2016
Cahoots Theatre Company in association with The Other Cheek and Park Theatre present the First Major Revival of
THE ROUNDABOUT
Written by JB Priestley
Directed by Hugh Ross
Press Night: 25 August
Times: Evenings Tue – Sat 19:30, Matinees Thu & Sat 15:00
"Communism's all right for a gentleman like yourself, but you'll get over it."
The Roundabout is a delightful comedy by one of Britain’s most prolific playwrights JB Priestley, beloved for such classics as An Inspector Calls and Time and the Conways. Described by The Spectator as "remarkably good entertainment," it has subsequently disappeared from view.
The Kettlewells are a dysfunctional family. Richard is a charming old Etonian whose business ventures are failing. Over a crowded weekend, his daughter Pamela, whom he hardly knows, returns from Russia, a passionate communist; his ex-wife and mistress both unexpectedly arrive; and his butler has a big win at the races.
The Roundabout is a funny, touching, highly perceptive look at an England in the 1930s, when it seemed, just possibly, as if the social order might be changing.
28 September – 30 October 2016
Tom O’Connell and James Seabright, King’s Head Theatre in association with Park Theatre present
THE BOYS IN THE BAND
Written by Mart Crowley
Directed by Adam Penford
Cast includes: Mark Gatiss and Ian Hallard
Press Night: Tuesday 4 October
Times: Evenings Tues – Sun 19:30, Matinees Sat & Sun 15:00
"Life’s a goddam laugh riot!”
There’s a party tonight.
Nine men gather in a New York apartment for a birthday celebration. Harold (Mark Gatiss), a self-avowed ‘pock-marked, Jew fairy’, receives a surprise gift: a beautiful male hustler, and party host Michael (Ian Hallard) gets an unwanted surprise of his own in the shape of a figure from his past. As the booze is drunk and the dope smoked, the mood swings from hilarity to heart-break.
From the producers of the critically acclaimed revivals of Beautiful Thing and Another Country and the forthcoming stage adaptation of Brokeback Mountain, comes this eagerly anticipated revival of Mart Crowley’s seminal piece, which premiered just months before the Stonewall riots, and became a cult film in 1970.
2 November – 3 December 2016
Cahoots Theatre Company in association with Park Theatre presents the World Premiere of
DENY, DENY, DENY
Written by Jonathan Maitland
Directed by Sarah Esdaile
Press Night: Thursday 3 November
Times: Evenings Tue – Sat 19:30, Matinees Thu & Sat 15:00
It is 2026 and Eve, a promising young athlete, is offered a cutting edge new 'therapy' by her mysterious, charismatic coach.
He says it will make her the fastest woman in the world: but is it as safe, legal and ethical as he claims? The play, which takes its title from the first rule of the doper's handbook - ‘deny everything, until you can't’ - is a gripping, extraordinary and revealing exposé of what it takes to be a champion. A tale of ambition, love, revenge, jealousy and 21st century science, based on two years of research by journalist turned playwright Jonathan Maitland.
Maitland, is author of previous Park Theatre hits Dead Sheep and An Audience with Jimmy Saville - the most talked about play of 2015.
8 December 2016 – 7 January 2017
Fellowship for Performing Arts Max McLean, Founder & Artistic Director with The Screwtape Letters UK Ltd in association with Park Theatre present the UK Premiere of
C.S. LEWIS
THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS
Adapted for the Stage by Max McLean and Jeffrey Fiske
Press Night: Friday 9 December
Times: Evenings Tue – Sat 19:30, Matinees Thu & Sat 15:00
Set in an eerily stylish office in Hell, one of Satan’s senior tempters, Screwtape, schemes meticulously to capture the soul of an unsuspecting human on earth. In the London premiere of the smash New York hit, this stage adaptation of the C. S. Lewis classic novel creates a morally inverted universe that reveals unseen spiritual powers and principalities in humorous, vivid and surprising ways.
PARK90
13 July – 6 August 2016
Buckland Theatre Company in association with Park Theatre present
SOME GIRL(S)
Written by Neil LaBute
Directed by Gary Condes
Press Night: Tuesday 19 July, 7pm
Times: Evenings Tue – Sat 19:45, Matinees Thu & Sat 15:15
Follow Guy on a journey across America and through his black book as he encounters previous times and attempts right a number of wrongs. With the perfect blend of humour and heart this black comedy is a modern twist on the relationship fairy tale.
Written by multi Tony Award nominated Neil LaBute, Some Girl(s) has been performed both in London, New York and was adapted into a film in 2013.
10 August – 2 September 2016
SDWC Productions in association with Park Theatre present the European Premiere of
THE BURNT PART BOYS
Book by Mariana Elder
Music by Chris Miller
Lyrics by Nathan Tysen
Press Night: Thursday 11 August
Times: Evenings Tue – Sat 19:45, Matinees Thu & Sat 15:15
Hailed among critics as an innovative and gripping musical The Burnt Part Boys is an unforgettable coming of age story, following a group of teenagers living under the shadow of tragic mining accident, which claimed the lives of their fathers ten years prior. With a masterfully orchestrated and arranged score that will engross and mesmerize. This heart-warming musical of youthful adventure and redemption finally gets its European premiere in London.
Performed by arrangement with JOSEF WEINBERGER LIMITED on behalf of MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL of New York.
7 September – 1 October 2016
Room one in association with Park Theatre presents the World Premiere of
THE AMERICAN WIFE
Written by Stephen Fife and Ralph Pezzullo
Directed by James Kemp
Cast includes: Julia Eringer
Press Night: Friday 9 September
Times: Evenings Tue – Sat 19:45, Matinees Thu & Sat 15:15
What if everything you’re ever known was thrown into question? And everything you ever trusted was subjected to doubt? When Karen Ruiz’s husband is accused of being a terrorist, she endeavours to clear his name. Can she maintain her faith in her husband, her marriage and her government? Or will she find that the only person she can believe in is herself?
“All we care about is saving people from a very serious and imminent terrorist attack. Are you going to help your country, or not?”
4 – 29 October 2016
Stage Traffic Productions Ltd in association with Park Theatre the World Premiere of
THIS LITTLE LIFE OF MINE
Written and Directed by Michael Yale
Press night: Wednesday 5 October
Times: Evenings Tue – Sat 19:45, Matinees Thu & Sat 15:15
Take a bitingly funny and deeply touching tour of modern London life with Izzy and Jonesy. With exciting jobs, great friends and even a tiny overpriced flat in Zone 2 – they’ve got it all. Or do they? Maybe having a baby is the one last thing that would make everything perfect. Or maybe life has other ideas…
We’re all busy people chasing our dreams and looking for instant gratification from the things we do – our online posts, our careers, our loves and our lovers. We’re told we can anything we like, and that we have more choices than any other generation in history.
Set against an instantly recognisable backdrop of eye-watering house prices, unreliable dating apps and over-friendly coffee baristas, This Little Life of Mine looks at what happens when we can’t have everything that we want.
Be at the birth of a brand new British musical drama!
2 November – 3 December 2016
Daniel Krupnik Productions in association with Park Theatre present the World Premiere of
SAVING JASON
Written by Peter Quilter
Directed by Steven Dexter
Press Night: Tuesday 8 November
Times: Evenings Tue – Sat 19:45, Matinees Thu & Sat 15:15
In 90s suburbia, a family takes extraordinary measures to confront the behavior of their rebellious teenage son. But when the plan descends into chaos, it becomes clear that Jason is far from being the only one with secrets to hide.
An hysterical new comedy about your typical dysfunctional family.
An addictive new comedy by Olivier nominated playwright Peter Quilter (End of The Rainbow and Glorious!)
7 December 2016 – 7 January 2017
Buckland Theatre Company in association with Park Theatre presents
LUV
Written by Murray Schisgal
Directed by Gary Condes
Press Night: Tuesday 13 December
Times: Evenings Tue – Sat 19:45, Matinees Thu & Sat 15:15
LUV is a humourous celebration of the absurd lengths humans go to when struck down with the terrible affliction known as ‘love’. Milt and Harry are college friends and meet one night on a bridge and uncover each other’s miserable life stories before hatching a plan to find their happily-ever-afters.
Come and indulge in this delightful comedy this Christmas, with its laugh out loud dialogue, physical comedy, and its infectious energy.
Written by Murray Schisgal the play first premiered on Broadway in 1964, where it won a number of Tony awards and nominations, among them Best Play and Best Author of a Play.
