Cast Announced for The Low Road by Bruce Norris

PRESS RELEASE

*CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE LOW ROAD BY BRUCE NORRIS
AT ROYAL COURT THEATRE*

The cast of Bruce Norris’ new play The Low Road has been confirmed, with a company of 19, opening at the Royal Court on Friday 22 March until Saturday 11 May in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs (press night 27 March).

The full cast is Jared Ashe, Jack Benjamin, Kit Benjamin, Elizabeth Berrington, Helen Cripps, Johnny Flynn, Ian Gelder, Raj Ghatak, Natasha Gordon, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Ellie Kendrick, Edward Killingback, Fredrick Neilson, Simon Paisley Day, Bill Paterson, Harry Peacock, Leigh Quinn, John Ramm and Will Thompson.

With an original live music score by Gary Yershon, played by different members of the company, The Low Road is a fable of free market economics and cut-throat capitalism.

“Tis one thing to admit the inescapable cruelty of nature, friend, but quite a different one to encourage it.”

A young entrepreneur (Johnny Flynn) sets out on a quest for wealth with priceless ambition and a purse of gold.

The Low Road will be the final production Dominic Cooke will direct at the Royal Court before he steps down as Artistic Director in April 2013. Bruce Norris’s The Pain and the Itch was the first play directed by Dominic in his inaugural season and they also collaborated on Clybourne Park, which opened in September 2010 at the Royal Court to critical acclaim before transferring to the West End.

Bruce Norris’ previous credits include Clybourne Park, for which he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and received the Tony Award for Best Play. His other credits include The Pain and the Itch, The Infidel, Purple Heart and The Unmentionables. The Low Road is Bruce’s first commission at the Royal Court.

Dominic Cooke directs. His recent credits at the Court include In the Republic of the Happiness, Ding Dong The Wicked, Choir Boy, In Basildon, Chicken Soup with Barley, for which he was nominated for an Evening Standard Award, and the multi award-winning production of Clybourne Park for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award. Credits elsewhere include The Comedy of Errors at the National Theatre, as well as adapting and directing Arabian Nights and Noughts and Crosses at the RSC.

The production will be designed by Tom Pye with lighting by Jean Kalman, sound by Carolyn Downing and music by Gary Yershon.

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

Notes to Editors:

Cast Biographies:

Jared Ashe’s recent credits include Radio Times at the Watermill, Black Coffee at Chichester Festival Theatre and Privates on Parade at the West Yorkshire Playhouse & Birmingham Rep.

Jack Benjamin’s credits include Treasure Island and Tiger Tail at the Nuffield Theatre. He is a recent graduate from Drama Studio London.

Kit Benjamin’s recent credits include Floyd Collins at the Southwark Playhouse, Singin’ in the Rain with UK Productions and Imagine This at the Plymouth Theatre Royal.

Elizabeth Berrington’s credits include Absent Friends and Abigail’s Party in the West End. On television, she is currently appearing in Being Eileen on BBC1. Other credits include Sky One’s Stella, Waterloo Road on BBC1, Psychoville on BBC2 and on film, Vera Drake.

Helen Cripps has recently appeared in Julius Caesar at the Donmar Warehouse and Earthquakes in London at the National Theatre. On film, her credits include Black Pond

Johnny Flynn has recently appeared at the Royal Court in Jerusalem and The Heretic. His other credits include Richard III and Twelfth Night at Shakespeare’s Globe has also toured with the Propeller project and is also a singer/songwriter, who fronts a folk rock band.

Ian Gelder last appeared at the Royal Court in Mouth to Mouth and Fireface. Other credits include King Lear at the Almeida, Definitely the Bahamas at the Orange Tree and The Crucible at the RSC, directed by Dominic Cooke.

Raj Ghatak’s credits at the Royal Court include Free Outgoing and Shades. Other credits include Soho Cinders at the Soho, The Great Extension at Theatre Royal Stratford East and Bombay Dreams.

Natasha Gordon’s recent credits include Red Velvet at the Tricycle, Mules at the Young Vic and As You Like It at the RSC.

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is currently appearing in the Royal Court co-production of Feast at the Young Vic for World Stages London. Other credits include Antigone and Death and the King’s Horseman at the National and The Changeling at the Young Vic.

Ellie Kendrick was last at the Royal Court in In the Republic of Happiness. Her theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe and on screen in Game of Thrones, Being Human and Upstairs Downstairs.

Edward Killingback recently appeared in the West End transfer of Posh with the Royal Court where he made his professional stage debut.

Frederick Neilson is a young actor who recently appeared in the UK Tour of A Christmas Carol.

Simon Paisley Day last appeared at the Royal Court in The Ugly One. Other recent credits include Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare’s Globe, Twelfth Night at the National and Private Lives at the Vaudeville Theatre.

Bill Paterson last appeared with the Royal Court in Death and the Maiden at the Duke of Yorks. Other credits include No More Shall We Part at Hampstead Theatre and Earthquakes in London at the National Theatre His television credits include Law and Order and Sea of Souls.

Harry Peacock’s was last at the Royal Court in Chicken Soup with Barley. Other credits include The Ladykillers in the West End and The Cherry Orchard at Birmingham Rep.

Leigh Quinn has recently appeared in Best of Men on BBC2. Her recent credits include Dancing at Lughnasa at the Tobacco Factory.

John Ramm’s recent credits include Merry Wives of Windsor at the RSC, The Physicists at the Donmar Warehouse and Much Ado About Nothing in the West End.

Will Thompson is a young actor who will be making his stage debut at the Royal Court.

Listings Information:

The Low Road
By Bruce Norris
Directed by Dominic Cooke
Fri 22 March – Sat 11 May
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square SW1W 8AS
Monday-Saturday 7.30pm
Saturday Matinees 2.30pm (from 30 Mar)
Thursday Matinees 2.30pm (from 18 March)
No performances Friday 29 March, Monday 1 April or Monday 6 May
Press Night Wednesday 27 March, 7pm
Post-Show Talks Tuesday 9 April and Thursday 25 April
Captioned Performance Wednesday 24 April, 7.30pm
Audio Described Performance* Saturday 20 April, 2.30pm
Age Guidance 14+
Tickets £28, £20, £12
Mondays all seats £10 (available in advance to Friends and Supporters subject to availability and on the day of the performance from 9am online)
Concessions £5 off top two prices* (available in advance for all performances until Saturday 30 March 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-Fridays and all matinees)
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

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Coutts is the wealth division of Royal Bank of Scotland Group. 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 Coutts’ arts sponsorship programme. Coutts is delighted to support The Royal Court and its diverse range of ground-breaking performances.