The full cast and creative team is announced for Sean Foley’s hotly anticipated stage adaptation of classic Ealing Studios comedy The Man in the White Suit, which will have a three week engagement at Theatre Royal Bath from 5th September as part of its 2019 summer season before its world premiere at the Wyndham’s Theatre, London with performances from 27th September 2019 until 11th January 2020 and opening night on 8th October 2019.
Leading the cast of The Man in the White Suit will be the previously announced Stephen Mangan as Sidney Stratton, Kara Tointon as Daphne Birnley and Sue Johnston* as Mrs Watson.
They will be joined by Richard Cordery as Birnley, Richard Durden as Sir John, with Delroy Atkinson, Katie Bernstein, Ben Deery, Matthew Durkan, Rina Fatania, Oliver Kaderbhai, Eugene McCoy, Elliott Rennie and Katherine Toy.
The Man in the White Suit is adapted for the stage and directed by double Olivier Award-winning writer, actor and director Sean Foley and has set and costume design by award-winning designer Michael Taylor.
Brand new songs have been written for this world premiere production by Charlie Fink, known for fronting indie-folk band ‘Noah and the Whale’ as well as being a composer for theatre and film including The Lorax (Old Vic) and A Street Cat Named Bob.
Choreography will be by Lizzi Gee, lighting by the Tony Award-winning Mark Henderson, sound by brothers Ben Ringham and Max Ringham, fights directed by Alison De Burgh and songs arranged by Phil Bateman.
When Sidney Stratton develops a fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out, manufacturers and trades unions are terrified by the threat it poses to their industry and their jobs. Only Daphne, the mill owner’s daughter, shows Stratton any sympathy as his world gradually falls apart before he finally finds love and a new idea.
The 1951 iconic Ealing Studios comedy film starred Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker. It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing (Screenplay).
Stephen Mangan’s theatre credits include a Tony Award-nominated performance in The Norman Conquests (The Old Vic / Broadway), Birthday and The People Are Friendly (Royal Court), Jeeves and Wooster (Duke of York’s), Hayfever (Savoy), Midsummer Night’s Dream (RSC) and Rules For Living (National Theatre). Stephen has an extensive list of television credits including Sean Lincoln in Episodes, and new comedy series Bliss. Previous TV credits include the BAFTA-winning British sitcom Green Wing, Free Agents, Dirk Gently. Film credits include Billy Elliot, Birthday, Postman Pat: The Movie (Voice), Rush, Beyond The Pole, Confetti and Festival.
Kara Tointon’s theatre credits include: Twelfth Night (RSC), Gaslight (UK Tour), Relatively Speaking (Wyndham’s), Absent Friends (Harold Pinter Theatre) and Pygmalion (Garrick). Her film work includes appearances in Let’s Be Evil, The Last Passenger, The Sweeney, Warrior Queen, Never Play With The Dead, The Football Factory and Just My Luck. On television Kara has appeared in The Keith and Paddy Picture Show, Henry IX, The Halcyon, The Sound of Music Live, Mr Selfridge, Suntrap, Lewis, Bedlam, The Bill, Dream Team, Keen Eddie, Harry and Cosh and EastEnders.
BAFTA nominated and British Comedy Award-winning actress Sue Johnston’s theatre credits include Small Change (Donmar Warehouse), The Master Builder (Albery Theatre) and The Play What I Wrote (Wyndham’s). Sue has also played seasons at Manchester Royal Exchange, Bolton Octagon and the Bush Theatre. Best known for her television roles in The Royle Family and Brookside, other screen credits include The Cockfields, Hold the Sunset, Death on the Tyne, Murder on the Blackpool Express, Age Before Beauty, Walk Like a Panther, Good Karma Hospital, Moving On, Waking the Dead, Downton Abbey, Coronation Street, Rovers, Sex, Chips & Rock N’ Roll, Goodbye Cruel World, My Uncle Silas, Brassed Off, Little Dorrit, A Passionate Woman, Sugartown and Jam & Jerusalem amongst others. Sue was appointed OBE in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to Drama and to Charity.
Richard Cordery’s many theatre credits include Network, Power of Yes and ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (National Theatre), Richard III, Henry VI, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Merry Wives of Windsor, Volpone, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and Henry IV part II (RSC), Sweet Bird of Youth and The Front Page (Chichester Festival Theatre), Waste (Almeida), Spring Awakening (Novello), Love Story (Duchess) and Waiting For Godot (Crucible Theatre Sheffield). Television credits include Marcella, Dickensian, Esio Trot, Inside No 9, Backup and Love Hurts. Film credits include About Time, The Wife, Les Miserables and Social Suicide.
Richard Durden’s career spans 50 years with recent theatre credits including Ben Hur (Tricycle), Titus Andronicus and A Mad World My Masters (RSC), The Emperor and Gallilean (National Theatre), Shadowlands (Wyndham’s and UK Tour), Once Bitten and The Madras House (Orange Tree), Richard III and High Society (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield), and Orpheus Descending (Donmar Warehouse). Television credits include Back To Life, Ghosts, The Child in Time, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Last Days of Lehman Brothers, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard, and Fingersmith. Film credits include Churchill, Star Wars: Episode IX, Oliver Twist, The Awakening, The Jacket and Batman.
Delroy Atkinson’s theatre credits include Sylvia (Old Vic), Present Laughter (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Firm (Hampstead), The Amen Corner (National Theatre), The Book of Mormon (The Prince of Wales), Avenue Q (Gielgud) and Five Guys Named Moe (UK Tour).
Katie Bernstein’s theatre credits include The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess and International Tour), Allegro (Southwark Playhouse), Mrs Henderson Presents (Noel Coward and Theatre Royal Bath), Urinetown (Apollo and St. James Theatre), Rent (UK Tour), Run (Polka) and Goodbye Barcelona (Arcola)
Ben Deery’s theatre credits include King Lear, Titus Andronicus, A Mad World My Masters (RSC), The Art Of Success, The Taste Of The Town (Rose Theatre Kingston), Death of a Salesman (UK Tour) and Insignificance (Theatre Clwyd). Screen credits include Father Brown, Call the Midwife and A Street Cat Named Bob.
Matthew Durkan’s theatre credits include Rosencrantz & Gildenstern Are Dead and Housed (Old Vic), The Secret Garden (York Theatre Royal), Kiki’s Delivery Service (Southwark Playhouse), Oxy & The Morons (New Wolsey Theatre), Nell Gwynn (Apollo) and The Cherry Orchard and Doctor Selavy’s Magic Theatre (New Wimbledon Studio).
Rina Fatania’s most recent theatre credits include Dead Dog in a Suitcase (UK Tour), Approaching Empty (Kiln), The Village (Theatre Royal Stratford East), The Tin Drum (Kneehigh, UK Tour), Oliver Twist (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Roller Disco (Soho) and Anita & Me (UK Tour). Screen credits include Wanderlust, People Just Do Nothing, Raabta and Mumbai Charlie.
Oliver Kaderbhai’s theatre credits include Margot, Dame, The Most Famous Ballerina in the World (Kings Head), The Best Man (Playhouse), Jumping on my Shadow (Lakeside Arts Centre), Hatch (Polka Theatre), One Minute (The Vaults), The Provoked Wife (UK Tour) and Go to Your God Like a Soldier (Old Vic Tunnels/The Underbelly).
Eugene McCoy’s theatre credits include La Mancha (ENO), A Christmas Carol and Groundhog Day (Old Vic), The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury/Chichester Festival Theatre), American Psycho (Almeida Theatre), Jersey Boys (Prince Edward), Little Shop of Horrors (UK Tour), They’re Playing Our Song (Menier Chocolate Factory), Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Guys and Dolls (Piccadilly and Donmar Warehouse). Screen credits include Paddington 2 and Little Crackers.
Elliott Rennie’s theatre credits include Alice in Wonderland, Thumbelina and A Scarborough Christmas Carol (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Shakespeare in Love (Duke of York’s), The Jungle Book and The B.F.G. (Derby Theatre).
Katherine Toy’s theatre credits include Coriolanus, Vice Versa and Salome (RSC), Much Ado About Nothing (Rose Theatre Kingston), As You Like It, Two Gentlemen of Verona and Stig of the Dump (Storyhouse Chester), Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Cyrano de Bergerac (Grosvenor Park, Chester) and Life of Galileo, Cyrano de Bergerac and The False Servant (National Theatre). As a musician, her credits include Comedy of Errors (RSC) and Wild Orchids (Chichester Festival Theatre).
This world premiere production will reunite Stephen Mangan and Sean Foley who created the Olivier Award winning comedy Jeeves and Wooster together. Foley also teams up again with Michael Taylor with whom he created the five times Olivier Award nominated The Ladykillers. Foley’s production will feature a cast of fourteen including actor musicians and a specially written score.
Based on the play The Flower Within the Bud by Roger MacDougall and screenplay by Roger MacDougall, John Dighton and Alexander Mackendrick, this world premiere production of The Man in the White Suit is presented by Jenny King, Jonathan Church, Matthew Gale and Mark Goucher, by special arrangement with Studiocanal.
*Sue Johnston will play the role of Mrs Watson for a strictly limited engagement until the end of November, with further casting to be announced.
THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT
Theatre Royal Bath
Saw Cl, Bath BA1 1ET
5th – 21st September
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Wednesday and Saturday matinees 2.30pm
www.theatreroyal.org.uk/
01225 448844
Wyndham’s Theatre
Charing Cross Rd, Covent Garden, London WC2H 0DA
First preview: 27th September at 7.30pm
Opening night: 8th October at 7pm
Final performance 11th January at 7.30pm
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Wednesday and Saturday matinees 2.30pm
www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk/theatres/wyndhams-theatre/
@whitesuitcomedy
maninthewhitesuit.co.uk
