Gastronauts at Royal Court

PRESS RELEASE

GASTRONAUTS AT ROYAL COURT THEATRE

Gastronauts, the Royal Court Theatre’s theatrical dining experience created by writer April De Angelis, Nessah Muthy and director Wils Wilson begins rehearsal this week and opens on 21 November in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs.

“Brave diners and passengers, you who have agreed to come on a journey of the senses, and taste tomorrow, don’t be afraid, nothing here will harm you in the normal sense of the word. The future is flavoursome. Trust us”

Succulent and sustaining, dirty and dangerous, food glorious food.

You are invited to the Gastronauts Restaurant for a theatre adventure with food and music.

If you’re intrepid your appetite will be sated. During the performance a variety of tastings will be served, you can choose not to eat and will be able to make an informed decision.

The idea of creating a theatrical dining experience, exploring the current obsession with food, eating and gastronomy in this country and the illusion built up around it was first dreamt up at Open Court – the six week summer writers’ festival of plays, ideas and events in Vicky Featherstone’s first summer at the Royal Court.

Writer April De Angelis (Jumpy, Playhouse Creatures), first time playwright and part time usher at the Royal Court Nessah Muthy and director Wils Wilson (The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart) came together to collaborate on the project and during the rehearsal process, they will create a culinary journey, with live music, all taking place in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, once home to a private members dining club in the early days of the Royal Court.

Created by writers April De Angelis, Nessah Muthy and director Wils Wilson, the production is designed by Lizzie Clachan, with lighting by Natasha Chivers, music by Alasdair Macrae and sound by Emily Legg. The cast includes Andy Clark, Imogen Doel, Alasdair Macrae, Nathaniel Martello-White and Justine Mitchell.

April De Angelis’ credits at the Royal Court include Jumpy (also transferred to the Duke of York’s as part of the Royal Court’s West End season), PIIGS (part of Open Court) Catch and Wild East. Credits elsewhere include A Gloriously Mucky Business (Lyric Hammersmith); Calais (Paines Plough/Oran Mor); Country (Southwark Playhouse); an adaptation of Wuthering Heights (Birmingham Rep Theatre); A Laughing Matter (Out of Joint, National Theatre); The Warwickshire Testimony (RSC, The Other Place); The Positive Hour (Out of Joint /National Tour) and Playhouse Creatures (Sphinx Theatre Company, later revived by Old Vic Theatre).

Nessah Muthy’s play Hungry was performed as part of Lost in Theatre in Open Court and will be making her Jerwood Theatre Upstairs debut with Gastronauts.

Wils Wilson’s directing work includes The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, which recently played in London as part of the Royal Court’s Theatre Local. Other credits include Gobbo – The Adventure of Gobbo and The Watchmaker devised and created with David Greig and Home Shetland created with Jackie Kay and Ignition a site-specific production for the National Theatre of Scotland. Wils was co-founder and Co-Artistic director of Wilson+Wilson creating site-specific art, installation and theatre. Her other work includes productions with Manchester Royal Exchange, Live Theatre, Bolton Octagon, Gate Theatre, Midsommer Actors and BBC Radio Drama and The Manchester Lines, a site-specific play for the Library Theatre Manchester, written by Jackie Kay.

Listings Information:

Gastronauts
Created by April de Angelis, Nessah Muthy & Wils Wilson
Written by April de Angelis & Nessah Muthy
Directed by Wils Wilson
Thurs 21 Nov – Sat 21 Dec 2013
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS
Monday-Saturday 7pm
Saturday matinees (from 30 November) 1.30pm
Thursday matinee (from 5 December) 1.30pm
BSL Interpreted Performance Thursday 19 December 7pm
Press Night Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 November, 7pm
Age Guidance 14+
Tickets £30
Access £22 (plus a companion at the same rate)

ends

For more information, please contact Anna Evans on 020 7565 5063 annaevans@royalcourttheatre.com

Notes to Editors:

Coutts is the Royal Court Theatre Innovation Partner

Coutts is the wealth division of the 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 Coutts managing the finances of many of today’s top writers, actors and musicians, but also through our arts sponsorship programme. We are delighted to support The Royal Court and its diverse range of ground-breaking performances.

The Royal Court Theatre’s Flight Partner is American Airlines

American Airlines supports the Royal Court by providing transatlantic flights. For more information on American Airlines or our support of theatre, contact our press office at polly.tracey@aa.com.