Cast Announced for Circle Mirror Transformation

Tuesday 14 May 2013

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION

The full cast has been announced for Annie Baker’s play Circle Mirror Transformation, which runs from 5 July – 3 Aug (press night: 11 July) at the Rose Lipman Building in Haggerston as part of the Royal Court’s Theatre Local project. The full cast will be Toby Jones, Imelda Staunton, Shannon Tarbet, Danny Webb and Fenella Woolgar.

Launched in 2010 at Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre in an empty shop unit before transferring to Peckham, Theatre Local aims to take plays to alternative spaces and in her first summer at the helm of the Royal Court Theatre, new Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone continues the project with two new plays outside the building. As well as Circle Mirror Transformation, the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart will take place at the London Welsh Centre and at the Bussey Building in Peckham.

The Rose Lipman Building is a creative project space programmed by Create London in association with the Barbican and The Mill Co. Project. A former library and community centre, the venue is fitting for this site specific piece of theatre, in which the action all takes place in a drama therapy class in a community centre outside the US state of Vermont.

“Thanks guys. I think this was a really, really great start.”

Five lost people come together at a community centre class to try and find some meaning in their lives. Counting to ten can be harder than you think.

Over six tangled weeks their lives become knotted together in this tender and funny play.

The production will be directed by James Macdonald, designed by Chloe Lamford with lighting by Peter Mumford and sound by Carolyn Downing.

Circle Mirror Transformation premiered at Peter Jay Sharp Theater, New York by Playwrights Horizon in 2009. Described in the New York Times as ‘absorbing, unblinking and sharply funny” and as an ‘unheralded gem that sends people into the streets babbling and bright-eyed with the desire to spread the word”, it won an Obie Award for Best New American Play. This will be the play’s UK premiere.

Toby Jones plays Schultz. His theatre credits include The Painter at the Arcola Theatre, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour at the National Theatre and Parlour Song at the Almeida. Screen credits include The Girl, Titanic and Doctor Who, and on film Berberian Sound Studio, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and the Harry Potter series.

Imelda Staunton plays Marty, the workshop leader. Her most recent theatre credits include Sweeney Todd at Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End, A Delicate Balance and There Came a Gypsy Riding at the Almeida and Entertaining Mr Sloane at Trafalgar Studios. Her varied screen career includes Mike Leigh’s Another Year and the Oscar-nominated lead in Vera Drake.

Shannon Tarbet plays Lauren. She made her stage debut at the Royal Court in 2010 with Spur of the Moment by Anya Reiss. Her most recent credits include To Kill A Mockingbird at the Royal Exchange, Mary Shelley for Shared Experience and Mogadishu at the Royal Exchange and Lyric Hammersmith.

Danny Webb plays James, Marty’s husband. He most recently appeared at the Royal Court in The Witness and Chicken Soup with Barley. His other most recent credits include Troilus and Cressida at the RSC and Blasted at the Lyric Hammersmith.

Fenella Woolgar plays Theresa . She last appeared at the Royal Court in Motortown. Her most recent credits include Hedda Gabler and The Real Thing at the Old Vic, The Veil at the National Theatre.

Annie Baker’s credits include The Aliens, at the Bush, which won an Obie Award for Best New American Play at its premiere at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Body Awareness at Atlantic Theater Company, The End Of The Middle Ages and Nocturama. Her latest play The Flick has recently finished a run at Playwrights Horizons in New York.

James Macdonald directs. His previous credits at the Royal Court include Love and Information, Cock, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You, Dying City, Fewer Emergencies, Lucky Dog, Blood, Blasted, 4.48 Psychosis (including European/US tours). He last directed Imelda Staunton in A Delicate Balance at the Almeida. His production of Love and Information will be produced by the New York Theater Workshop in 2014.

While Theatre Local takes plays outside the building, in Sloane Square the Royal Court will present Open Court, a six week festival of plays, ideas and events chosen and suggested by a group of over 140 writers.

Circle Mirror Transformation will be at the Rose Lipman Building from Fri 5 July – Sat 3 August at 8pm. Tickets £20 available from www.royalcourtheatre.com or 0207 565 5000 in advance or daily from 6.30pm in person at the Rose Lipman Building. Matinee performances and concession rates available. Call the Box Office for more details.

For more information, please contact Anna Evans on 0207 565 5063 annaevans@royalcourttheatre.com

Notes to Editors:
Cast:
Toby Jones – Schultz
Imelda Staunton – Marty
Shannon Tarbet – Lauren
Danny Webb – James
Fenella Woolgar – Theresa

Creative Team:
Director – James Macdonald
Designer – Chloe Lamford
Lighting Designer – Peter Mumford
Sound Designer – Carolyn Downing

THEATRE LOCAL: Circle Mirror Transformation
Fri 5 July – Sat 3 Aug 2013
The Rose Lipman Building, 43 De Beauvoir Rd, London, N1 5SQ Overground: Haggerston
Monday-Saturday 8pm
Press Night: Thursday 11 July 7pm
Saturday Matinee from 13 July 4pm
Wednesday Matinee from 17 July 4pm
Captioned Performance Friday 2 August 8pm
Touch Tour: Tuesday 30 July 6.30pm
Age Guidance 14+
Tickets £20 Mondays all seats £10 (available online at 9am on day of performance)
Concessions £15 (available until Saturday 13 July and all matinees. For all other performances, available on a standby basis on the day)
School and HE Groups of 8+ £10 Tue-Fri and matinees
Access £12 (plus a companion at the same rate)
*ID required. All discounts are subject to availability.

Theatre Local is supported by

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Through our philanthropy programme, we help charities and non-profit organisations around the world with education and literacy programmes, health and medical research, social work, arts and culture, public parks and the environment.

Circle Mirror Transformation is supported by

Royal Court Flight Partner

Create London commissions and produces multi-disciplinary art projects in east London, which extend the barriers of socially engaged practice. Their conviction is in the power of art to make a positive contribution to our daily lives, encouraging debate, constructive change and social progress. The Rose Lipman Building is a creative project space programmed by Create London in association with the Barbican and The Mill Co. Project.

Create London’s 2013 activities at the Rose Lipman Building include: Open School East, Theatre Rite’s production Bank on It and a series of Create London talks. Details of further events, exhibitions, and open days will be announced soon. The Rose Lipman Building is supported by Create London, The Mill Co. Project and the Barbican.

The Mill Co. Project is a social enterprise scheme providing affordable creative work space for the local independent creative community, workshops and events.