Camp Rock star Meaghan Martin is set to make her professional stage debut in Tony Award-winning playwright Christopher Durang’s dark comedy The Actor’s Nightmare. The piece, especially curated from a selection of Durang’s shorts by 3 hearts canvas into a cohesive, stand-alone piece, explores different areas of the entertainment industry through biting satire and surreal comedy. The production runs from 16th July – 10th August 2019, with the official press night being held on Friday 19th July at 7pm.
The Actor’s Nightmare offers snapshots of the eccentric and absurd, as audiences are offered an insight into the madness of the entertainment industry and all the things that those involved in it love to hate. From Tennessee Williams to Euripides, tossing in a bit of Beckett, no renowned playwright is safe. Classic plays are warped and distorted, with an outcome that is both shocking and hilarious. The World Premiere of this curated piece includes the UK Premiere of some of Durang’s finest works including Mrs Sorken and Desire, Desire, Desire.
The Actor’s Nightmare features an ensemble multi-rolling cast, lead by Meaghan Martin. Meaghan Martin is best known for playing the role of Tess Tyler in Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (Disney Channel Original Movie) and played the lead role in the 10 Things I Hate About You (ABC Family) TV series. Other credits include Mean Girls 2 (ABC Family); Melissa & Joey (ABC Family); The Suite Life Of Zach and Cody (Disney Channel); Geography Club (Breaking Glass Pictures); Dear Lemon Lima (Phase 4 Films); Safelight (ARC Entertainment); The Good Mother (Lifetime Television); House (Fox); Awkward (MTV) and Close To Home (CBS). Meaghan moved to the UK to attend drama school, and recently graduated from LAMDA.
The cast is completed by Layo-Christina Akinlude (The Secret Life Of Baba Segi’s Wives – Arcola Theatre and Taming Of The Shrew – Shakespeare’s Globe); Stefan Menaul (I Loved Lucy – Jermyn St Theatre and Dirty Dancing – UK Tour and West End); Adrian Richards (The Winter’s Tale, Macbeth and The Suicide – National Theatre and Eden – Hampstead Theatre) and Kate Sumpter (The Little Drummer Girl – BBC).
The production is directed by Lydia Parker, artistic director of Over Here Theatre Company which produced ObamAmerica, (Theatre503), Our American Cousin and Dolphins and Sharks (Finborough Theatre) both of which she also directed. Other work includes Our Children Will Be Next (Theatre503), Superman and Me (Canal Café), Something There That’s Missing (Edinburgh Festival) Skinhead (Brockley Jack Studio), A Big Fridge and Other Plays by James Fritz (Hen and Chickens), All I Need Is a F**k Buddy (Canal Café). She frequently directs for Little Pieces of Gold. She has previously written comedy for BBC Radio 4 with Maureen Oakeley and now writes and directs comedy music web series The Band Formerly Known As with her musician daughter Sabrina Parker.
www.parktheatre.co.uk
Box office: 020 7870 6876*
The Actor’s Nightmare
Venue: Park90, Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, N4 3JP
Dates: 16 July – 10 Aug 2019
Press night: Friday 19 July, 19.00
Age guidance: 12+
Access Performances: Dementia Friendly Performance, Mon 22 July 15.15 and Relaxed Performance, Sat 27 July 13.00
Performances: Mon – Sat Evenings 7.45pm, Thu & Sat Matinees 3.15pm
Prices: Previews £14.50, Standard £18, Concessions £16.50, Child (Under 16) £13, Park Up members (16 – 23 July) £10, Groups – buy 10 tickets, get the 11th free.
Booking: www.parktheatre.co.uk / 020 7870 6876
*10% telephone booking fee, capped at £2.50 per ticket.
Park Theatre
Park Theatre is fast becoming recognised as a powerhouse of theatre. In six years, it has enjoyed four West End transfers (including Daytona starring Maureen Lipman, The Boys in the Band starring Mark Gatiss and Pressure starring David Haig), two National Theatre transfers, ten national tours, four Olivier Award nominations, has won Offie Awards for Best New Play and Best Foodie Experience and won a Theatre of the Year award from The Stage.
Actor Biogs:
Layo-Christina Akinlude - Trained at Rose Bruford College.
Theatre Credits Include: The Secret Lives Of Baba Segi’s Wives (Arcola Theatre); As You Like It (Shared Experience); After The Dance (Theatre By The Lake); Taming Of The Shrew (Shakespeare's Globe).
Films include: Girl Untitled and The Last Tree. Television credits: Temple, Baptiste, and The Prince Story
Meaghan Martin - Trained at LAMDA.
Film Includes: Mean Girls 2, Camp Rock, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, Geography Club, Dear Lemon Lima, Safelight, The Good Mother.
Television includes: 10 Things I Hate About You, House, Awkward, Melissa & Joey, Jessie, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Close to Home, Wendy: The Series. This is Meaghan's professional stage debut.
Stefan Menaul - Trained at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Theatre Credits Include: Tuesday’s with Morrie (Vienna’s English Theatre); Think Of England (Vaults Festival); I Loved Lucy (Jermyn St Theatre); Dirty Dancing (UK Tour and West End).
Film Includes: A Quiet Passion. Television Includes: I Live With Models (Comedy Central) Berlin Station (FX).
Adrian Richards - Trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Theatre Includes: Eden (Hampstead Theatre); Der Rosenkavalier (Glyndebourne); The Winter's Tale (National Theatre); Macbeth (National Theatre); Don Juan in Soho (Wyndham's Theatre); Wild Honey (Hampstead Theatre); The Suicide (National Theatre); Die Entfuhrung Aus dem Serail (Glyndebourne); Advice For The Young At Heart (Theatre Centre).
Kate Sumpter - Trained at LAMDA.
Television Includes: The Little Drummer Girl (BBC) Theatre Includes: Henry VI (Upstart Crow Collective), The Satori Group Company Member, Measure For Measure (LAMDA, dir. Rebecca Frecknall).
