ANNA MACKMIN TO DIRECT DAVID STOREY’S
In Celebration
CAST INCLUDES LYNDA BARON, ORLANDO BLOOM, GARETH FARR, PAUL HILTON AND CIARAN MCINTYRE
Anna Mackmin will direct David Storey’s 1969 drama, In Celebration. Previewing at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 5 July, In Celebration is currently booking until 15 September. Designs are by Lez Brotherson, with lighting by Mark Henderson, music by Stephen Warbeck and sound by John Leonard.
The cast includes Lynda Baron (Mrs Burnett), Orlando Bloom (Steven), Gareth Farr (Colin), Paul Hilton (Andrew) and Ciaran McIntyre (Reardon). Further casting for this production will be announced shortly.
David Storey’s modern classic took audiences by storm at the Royal Court in the 1960’s and established him as one of the country's most powerful playwrights. Three brothers - Andrew, Colin and Steven - return home to the northern roots of their childhood for a family reunion. Although they have returned to celebrate, the explosive complexities of family life and long-held grievances are unlikely to improve the chances of a decent party… Compelling and emotionally thrilling, In Celebration is an exploration of family love and of how the consequences of best intentions can threaten to destroy treasured hopes and dreams.
Lynda Baron is best known for her role as Nurse Gladys in the hugely popular BBC series Open All Hours. Her theatre work includes The Full Monty at the Prince of Wales, I am Yours at the Royal Court, An Inspector Calls for Chichester Festival Theatre, Stepping Out at the Duke of York’s and Follies at the Shaftesbury. Her other television work includes Dinner Ladies, Down to Earth, Fat Friends, Goodnight Sweetheart, Last of the Summer Wine and The Upper Hand. On film she has appeared in Colour Me Kubrick, Yentl and Masquerade.
After two seasons with the National Youth Theatre, Orlando Bloom trained at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since graduating he has worked exclusively on screen in such films as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, in which he played Legolas, Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, The Kelly Gang, The Calcium Kid, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, Elizabethtown and the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (in which he plays Will Turner), the most recent of which At World’s End has just been released.
Gareth Farr’s theatre work includes How Many Miles to Basra for West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Long and the Short and the Tall for Sheffield Theatres, Harvest for the Royal Court, Romeo and Juliet for Derby Playhouse and Hobson’s Choice for the Young Vic. His television credits include A Life Beyond the Box, Turkish Delight and Jonathan Creek.
Paul Hilton’s theatre credits include leading roles in The Wild Duck for the Donmar Warehouse and Mourning Becomes Electra at the National Theatre. His other theatre work includes The President of an Empty Room, Three Sisters and The Oresteia all for the National Theatre, On The Third Day at the New Ambassadors, Terrorism and Mountain Language for the Royal Court and The Daughter-in-Law for the Young Vic. His television work includes True Dare Kiss, The Belsen Redemption, Dalziel and Pascoe, Medieval Heist, Trial and Retribution XIII, The Family Man, The Princes in the Tower, Wire in the Blood and Silent Witness.
Ciaran McIntyre’s theatre work includes The Taming of the Shrew at Wiltons Music Hall, The Shadow of a Gunman for Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Coriolanus for the Globe, Richard II for The Old Vic, The Quare Fellow for the Tricycle, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Seagull for the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Weavers for The Gate, Dublin. His television credits include The Time of Your Life, Gideon’s Daughter, Doctors, Hippies and Absolutely Fabulous.
Multi award-winning novelist and playwright David Storey’s plays include The Restoration of Arnold Middleton (1967), which won the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, In Celebration (1969), The Contractor (1969), Home (1970), The Changing Room (1972), The Farm (1973) and Life Class (1975), all of which were premiered at the Royal Court Theatre where he was Assistant Artistic Director from 1972-74. Early Days (1980), The March on Russia (1989) and Stages (1992) all premiered at the National Theatre. Of his novels, This Sporting Life, published in 1960, won the Macmillan Fiction Award and was adapted as a film starring Richard Harris, Flight into Camden (1960) won the Mail on Sunday/John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, Pasmore won the 1973 Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and Saville won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1976.
Anna Mackmin made her National Theatre directorial debut with Burn, Citizenship and Chatroom. She most recently directed the critically acclaimed production of Dying For It at the Almeida Theatre, where she previously directed Charlotte Jones’ The Lightning Play. Her other theatre work includes Ghosts at the Gate Theatre, Breathing Corpses and Food Chain at the Royal Court, The Dark at the Donmar Warehouse, Auntie and Me at Wyndham’s Theatre, In Flame at the Bush and the New Ambassadors and Cloud Nine, The Crucible and Iphigenia all at Sheffield Crucible.
In Celebration received its world premiere at the Royal Court Theatre in 1969 and subsequently Lindsay Anderson directed a film version with a cast including Alan Bates, James Bolam, Constance Chapman, Brian Cox, Gabrielle Dray and Bill Owen.