Lisa Dillon and Stephen Mangan in Birthday by Joe Penhall

PRESS RELEASE

LISA DILLON AND STEPHEN MANGAN TO APPEAR IN BIRTHDAY AT ROYAL COURT THEATRE

Stephen Mangan is joined by Lisa Dillon, to play a couple in the final tense hours as they await the arrival of their new baby in Joe Penhall’s new play Birthday at the Royal Court Theatre from 22 June to 4 August (Press night 28 June). Further casting to be announced.

‘- Men can take the pain
– No you can’t, that’s just the myth they sell you.’
Lisa and Ed are having another baby. Determined to do things differently this time, it’s proving a bumpy ride. This is a whole new birth plan.
Joe Penhall’s audacious new play arrives at the Royal Court kicking and screaming.

The production will be directed by Roger Michell, designed by Mark Thompson, with lighting by Hugh Vanstone and sound by John Leonard.

Lisa Dillon plays Lisa. Her recent credits include The Taming of the Shrew at the RSC, Knot of the Heart at the Almeida, A Flea in her Ear and Design for Living at the Old Vic and Private Lives in the West End. On television, she played Miss Mary Smith in the BBC series Cranford.

Stephen Mangan plays Lisa’s husband, Ed. He last appeared at the Royal Court in The People are Friendly by Michael Wynne. His previous stage credits include The Norman Conquests at the Old Vic and on Broadway and The Magic Carpet at the Lyric Hammersmith. On television, his credits include Dirk Gently, The Hunt for Tony Blair, Episodes, Green Wing and I’m Alan Partridge.

Joe Penhall’s credits at the Royal Court include Haunted Child, Dumb Show, Pale Horse and his debut play Some Voices, which won him the John Whiting Award and which he later adapted for film, premiering at Cannes in 2000. His other credits include Blue/Orange at the National Theatre, which transferred to the West End and for which he received Olivier, Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle Awards and Landscape with Weapon at the National Theatre. For film, he adapted The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Enduring Love by Ian McEwan and on television he wrote the BBC 2 detective series Moses Jones.

Roger Michell directs. He directed Nina Raine’s Tribes at the Royal Court, where he started his career in 1978 as Assistant Director to John Osborne and Samuel Beckett. Other recent credits include Rope at the Almeida, Female of the Species in the West End, Betrayal and Old Times at the Donmar Warehouse, Landscape with Weapon, Honour, Blue/Orange, The Homecoming, Under Milk Wood and The Coup at the National Theatre and My Night With Reg at the Royal Court. His television credits include Omnibus, Persuasion, The Buddha of Suburbia, Downtown Lagos and his films include Morning Glory, Venus, Enduring Love, Changing Lanes and Notting Hill. His film Hyde Park on Hudson starring Bill Murray is out at the end of 2012..

Birthday is at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre from 22 June – 4 Aug. Tickets £10 – £28 www.royalcourttheatre.com or 0207 565 5000.

ends

(25/04/12)

For further information, images or interviews, please contact Anna Evans on 020 7565 5063 annaevans@royalcourttheatre.com

Notes to Editors:

Cast:
Lisa Dillon Lisa
Stephen Mangan Ed

Creative Team:
Director Roger Michell
Designer Mark Thompson
Lighting Designer Hugh Vanstone
Sound Designer John Leonard

Listings Information:

Birthday
By Joe Penhall
Directed by Roger Michell
Friday 22 June – Saturday 4 August 2012
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs Royal Court Theatre Sloane Square SW1W 8AS
Monday-Saturday 7.30pm
Saturday Matinees 2.30pm (from 30 June)
Thursday Matinees 2.30pm (from 26 July)
There will be no performance Friday 27 July
Press Night Thursday 28 June 7pm
Fundraiser Performance Thursday 5 July
Post-show Talk Tuesday 17 July
Captioned performance Wednesday 25 July
Audio Described Performance Saturday 28 July 2.30pm
Age Guidance 14+
Tickets £28, £20, £12
Mondays all seats £10 (available in advance to Friends and Supporters and on the day of the performance from 9am online, 10am in person)
Concessions £5 off top two prices* (available in advance for all performances until Saturday 30 June inclusive and all matinees. For all other performances, available on a standby basis on the day)
25s and under £8* (available on £20 and £12 tickets)
School and HE Groups of 8+ 50% off top two prices (available Tuesday-Friday)
Groups of 6+ £5 off top price (available Tuesday-Friday)
Access £12 (plus a companion at the same rate)
*ID required. All discounts are subject to availability

Coutts is the Principal Sponsor of the Royal Court Theatre

Coutts is the UK private banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Coutts has a long history of supporting the arts going back 200 years, having looked after the financial affairs of many famous clients connected with the arts such as Bram Stoker, Charles Dickens and Chopin. In 1816, Thomas Coutts married Harriot Mellon, a popular actress of her day, and together they became partners of a number of London Theatres, including the Drury Lane and the Royal Opera House. Coutts has even featured in a number of artistic works including The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. In the new millennium, this tradition has continued not only through managing the finances of many of today’s top writers, actors and musicians, but also through our arts sponsorship programme and we are delighted to support The Royal Court and its diverse range of ground-breaking performances.