Geraldine Alexander (Mrs Wilson in all three series of ‘Bridgerton’), Katie Buchholz (The Jamie Lloyd Company’s ‘The Seagull’, West End), Ned Costello (‘The Clothes They Stood Up In’, Nottingham Playhouse) and Joseph Potter (Philip Ridley‘s one-man ‘Poltegeist, Arcola Theatre/Southwark Playhouse, OFFIE Award Winner Best Solo Performer) are to star in the first major revival of Philip Ridley’s ‘Leaves of Glass’.
Following its critically acclaimed premiere at Soho Theatre in 2007, master storyteller Philip Ridley’s four-hander is a gripping narrative of memory, manipulation, and power - now regarded as a modern classic - returns for the first time in 16 years with a new production by longtime collaborators, Lidless Theatre.
East London. 2023. Steven has always tried to be a good person. He works hard. He looks after his family. But, suddenly, everyone starts accusing him of things. His wife accuses him of being unfaithful. His mother accuses him of being coercive. And his brother, Barry, accuses him of...what exactly? Barry won’t say. Or can’t. Or perhaps...Steven hasn’t done anything at all.
Philip Ridley is one of the country’s greatest living playwrights. His first play,’ The Pitchfork Disney’, changed the course of British drama.
‘Leaves of Glass’, directed by Max Harrison, will run at Park Theatre, London Thursday 11 May -
Saturday 3 June.
Press night: Monday 15 May at 7pm.
‘Leaves of Glass’ will then tour to the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford (15 - 17 June) and
Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre (10 - 16 July) with tickets going on sale soon.
Creative team:
Director Max Harrison
Set & Costume Desinger Kit Hinchcliff
Sound Designer Sam Glossop
Casting Consultant Nadine Rennie CDG
Producer Zoe Weldon / Lidless Theatre
Cast:
Geraldine Alexander (Liz)
Theatre credits include: ‘Sea Creatures’ (Hampstead Theatre), ‘The Contingency Plan’ (Sheffield
Theatres); ‘Five Characters in Search of a Good Night’s Sleep’ (Southwark) ‘Draw Me Close’ (National Theatre for Young Vic), ‘Oslo’, ‘Strange Interlude’, ‘Pillars of the Community’ (all National Theatre); ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ (National Theatre tour); ‘Shakespeare In Love’ (Tour). Television includes: ‘Bridgerton’ (Series 1-3) and ‘The One and Oslo’.
Katie Buchholz (Debbie)
Theatre Credits include: Bernadette understudy in ‘Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons’ (Harold Pinter Theatre), Nina/Masha understudy in the ‘Seagull’ (Jamie Lloyd Company); Rose in ‘Eigengrau’ (Waterloo East); Margaret in ‘Mary Stuart’ (Almeida); Dianne in If We Were Older’ (National); ‘A Little Night Music’ (Garrick); ‘Inherit the Wind’ (Old Vic) and ‘Mary Poppins’ (Prince Edward); TV Credits include: Rachel Nickell in ‘Deceit’ (Channel 4).
Ned Costello (Steven)
Theatre credits include: ‘The Clothes They Stood Up In’ (Nottingham Playhouse, directed by Adam
Penford), ‘Britannicus’ (Lyric Hammersmith, directed by Atri Banerjee). TV credits include: ‘Wreck’ (BBC), ‘The Capture (BBC).
Joseph Potter (Barry)
Theatre credits include: ‘Salt Water Moon’ (Finborough), Philip Ridley’s ‘The Poltergeist’ (Arcola
Theatre/Southwark Playhouse - OFFIE Award Winner Best Solo, New York Times Critics Pick); Pinter’s ‘The Dwarfs’ (White Bear - Offie nomination Lead Performance in a Play), ‘Candida’ (Orange Tree); ‘The Beast of Blue Yonder’ (Southwark Playhouse). Film credits include: Michael Grandage’s ‘My Policeman’ with Harry Styles. TV: Albert ‘Bertie’ Granford in Father Brown (2023), Alex Grady in ‘Casualty’ (2016).
Max Harrision - Director
After training at LAMDA as an actor, Max set up his own theatre company, Lidless Theatre, and has since directed at leading London fringe venues including The Pleasance, Southwark Playhouse and The King’s Head Theatre. He studied under the tutelage of Mike Alfred’s (Shared Experience, National Theatre) and went on to Assist him on ‘Five Characters in Search of a Good Night’s Sleep’ (Southwark Playhouse). He is excited to be working with Philip Ridley for a third time, after a five star production of ‘Moonfleece’ and ’Tender Napalm’.
Philip Ridley - Writer
Philip was born and grew up in the East End of London. He studied painting at St Martin’s School of Art. He has written many highly regarded and hugely influential stage plays: the seminal ‘The Pitchfork Disney’ (now published as a Methuen Modern Classic), ‘The Fastest Clock in the Universe’ (winner of a Time Out Award, the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright, and the Meyer-Whitworth Prize), ‘Ghost from a Perfect Place’, ‘Vincent River’ (nominated for the London Festival Fringe Best Play Award), the highly controversial ‘Mercury Fur’, ‘Leaves of Glass’, ‘Piranha Heights’ (nominated for the WhatsOnStage Mobius Award for Best Off West End Production), ‘Tender Napalm’ (nominated for the London Fringe Best Play Award), ‘Shivered’ (nominated for the OffWestEnd Best New Play Award), ‘Dark Vanilla Jungle’ (winner of an Edinburgh Festival Fringe First Award), ‘Radiant Vermin’ (now published as a Methuen Modern Classic), ‘Tonight With Donny Stixx’, ‘Karagula’ (nominated for the OffWestEnd Best New Play Award), ‘The Beast of Blue Yonder’, ‘The Poltergeist’ (winner of the OffWestEnd OnComm Award for Best Live Streamed Play) and ‘Tarantula’; plus several plays for young people (collectively known as ‘The Storyteller Sequence’): ‘Karamazoo’, ‘Fairytaleheart’ ‘Moonfleece’ (named as one of the 50 Best Works About Cultural Diversity by the National Centre for Children’s Books), the seminal ‘Sparkleshark’ (the first of the Connections Festival plays for young people to be staged professionally by the National Theatre), and ‘Brokenville’; also, ‘Feathers in the Snow’ (shortlisted for the Brian Way Best Play Award).
Lidless Theatre and Zoe Weldon
in association with Park Theatre
and Theatre Deli present
Leaves of Glass
By Philip Ridley
Directed by Max Harrison
PARK90
Park Theatre
Clifton Terrace,
Finsbury Park,
London N4 3JP
Dates
Previews: Thu 11 - Sat 13 May
Plays: Thu 11 May - Sat 3 Jun
Press night: Mon 15 May at 19.00
Performances
Mon – Sat Evening 19.45
Thu & Sat Matinees 15.15
Relaxed performance
Sat 20 May 15.15
Audio Described
Sat 27 May 19.45 with touch tour at 18.45
Prices
Previews: £14.50
Standard: £18
Concessions: £16.50
Access: £9
Running time:
1 hour 40 mins (no interval)
Age guidance: 14+
