Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn’s light-hearted, fun musical BY JEEVES will be the highlight of the Old Laundry Theatre’s 25th Anniversary Season 2017, opening on Friday 6 October – Saturday 4 November 2017. A rare opportunity to see Alan Ayckbourn’s first revival in over 20 years of this jocular musical – from Broadway to Bowness!
BY JEEVES will bring back together the original creative team from 1996 including: Olivier and Tony winning Alan Ayckbourn who will direct; set designer Roger Glossop (also owner of the Old Laundry Theatre), designs a new set for the intimate 200 seat theatre and choreographer Sheila Carter. Joining the production team is musical director Steven Edis, costumes Caroline Hughes and lighting Jason Taylor.
The Old Laundry Theatre’s Directors, Roger and his theatre producer wife Charlotte Scott say:
“We are really delighted to be putting on this revival of By Jeeves to be directed by Alan Ayckbourn. The original show, which re-opened the Stephen Joseph Theatre in 1996, transferred to the West End and moved across the waters to Washington, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Broadway was such a fulfilling theatrical enterprise for all the creative team, cast and crew that the idea we can re-visit this piece, with its wit, pace and beautiful songs and present a large scale production at the Old Laundry Theatre (10 in the cast + a six-piece live band) is a fitting celebration for our 25th.”
Set in the 1920s and keeping the dottiness of the original PJ Wodehouse stories, BY JEEVES brings to life a cast of colourful characters, who continually and hilariously swap identities as they battle to salvage love and cover up embarrassing errors, causing confusion and mayhem galore! The iconic Wodehouse characters include loveable chump Bertie Wooster with his unquenchable optimism and his wonderfully supercilious butler Jeeves, renowned for his deadpan digs.
Alan Ayckbourn, a man of, literally, many words with 81 plays and musicals to his name says:
“By Jeeves is a party. It’s a celebration of theatre, so is perfect for the Old Laundry’s 25th. I was always attracted by the innocence in Wodehouse and love the simplicity and characters, which I still find so refreshing.”
FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE WEST END DEBUT OF BILL ROSENFIELD’S
46 BEACON
DIRECTED BY ALEXANDER LASS
AT TRAFALGAR STUDIOS 2
FROM 5th to 29th APRIL 2017
Oliver Coopersmith (Netflix’s I-Boy and the lead in forthcoming Sky Atlantic series Tin Star opposite Tim Roth and Christina Hendricks) and Jay Taylor (Donkey Punch, Nell Gwynn and Wolf Hall/Bring up the Bodies) will star in the West End debut of 46 Beacon, playing the roles of Alan and Robert respectively in this coming-of-age and coming-out play set in 1970’s America.
46 Beacon arrives at Trafalgar Studios 2 for a limited season, running from 5 – 29 April 2017, with press night on 10 April, following a short run in 2015 at The Hope Theatre.
Written by Drama Desk and Richard Rodgers Award winner Bill Rosenfield, this memory play is directed by Alexander Lass, with set and costume design by Ruth Hall and produced by Oli Sones and Ed Sinke.
The address is 46 Beacon. The place is 1970s Boston. Alan and Robert spend a balmy July evening hoping for a connection, emotional or physical? 46 Beacon charts their quest in Bill Rosenfield’s fresh, funny and moving script.
Set within a theatrical hotel, Robert has invited Alan back to his room and although they are at different stages of their lives, they each have something the other yearns for. But are they willing to give it?
46 Beacon is the story of that night your life was forever changed.
WARNING: Contains strong sexual content, brief nudity and musical theatre references.
Oliver Coopersmith’s (Alan) stage credits include The Mikvah Project at the Yard Theatre, Dealer’s Choice at the Royal & Derngate Theatre, Once A Catholic at the Tricycle Theatre, Purple Heart at the Gate Theatre, The History Boys at Sheffield Crucible, The Physicists and The Cryptogram both at the Donmar Warehouse, Cause Celebre at the Old Vic, Henry IV Part 2 and The Merry Wives Of Windsor both at Shakespeare’s Globe, The Ones That Flutter at Theatre 503, 2000 Feet Away at the Bush Theatre and Macbeth at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Oliver’s screen credits include Netflix’s I-Boy, released last month, the forthcoming Tin Star on Sky Atlantic and Strangeways Here We Come, It’s Alive, Dickensian, The Tracey Ullman Show, Galavant, Hoff The Record, Scrotal Recall, Case Histories & Grandma’s House.
Jay Taylor’s (Robert) stage credits include Accolade at the St. James Theatre, Nell Gwynn at the Apollo Theatre & Shakespeare’s Globe, Wolf Hall & Bringing Up The Bodies for the RSC at the Swan Theatre and Aldwych Theatre, I Heart Peterborough at Soho Theatre, Joe/Boy at The Last Refuge, A Clockwork Orange at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Troilus & Cressida and Titus Andronicus both at Shakespeare’s Globe, SH*TM*X at Trafalgar Studios and The Police at the White Bear Theatre. Jay’s screen credits include A Fantastic Fear of Everything, Donkey Punch, Red Tails, The Rise of the Footsoldier, Britannia, Tennison, Silk, Tea Boys, Midsomer Murders, Misfits, Sirens, Consuming Passion, The Bill, The Fixer, Daphne, Holby City, Mr Wroe’s Virgins & EastEnders.
