Lingua Franca by Peter Nichols

The cast include Chris New, Charlotte Randle, Abigail McKern, Ian Gelder, Enzo Cilenti, Rula Lenska and Natalie Walter.

It is directed by Michael Gieleta for Cherub Theatre Company with design by James Macnamara and costumes by Emily Stuart.

Lingua Franca follows innocent abroad, Steven Flowers, as he travels from National Service in South-East Asia to 1950’s Florence. He soon finds himself working for a chaotically-run language school, together with a cosmopolitan muddle of seven foreign misfits killing their post-war nihilism in the cafés of Florence, the cradle of Renaissance high culture.

It was first produced by Michael Gieleta at RADA in 2009. The play will be published by Samuel French in July.

Lingua Franca is inspired by Peter Nichols own experiences. He has won four Evening Standard Awards, a Tony, Olivier and two Ivor Novello Awards for Best Musical. His plays include ‘A Day in the Death of Joe Egg’ revived in the West End 2001/2 and on Broadway in 2003 with Clive Owen, Eddie Izzard and Victoria Hamilton. ‘Passion Play’ and ‘Privates on Parade’ have been revived at the Donmar.

Chris New’s (Steven Flowers) stage credits include as Joe Orton in ‘Prick Up Your Ears’ at the Comedy, as Simon Bliss in ‘Hay Fever’ Royal Exchange, and in Richard Eyre’s production of ‘The Reporter at the National, Charlotte Randle (Peggy) is currently in ‘Love The Sinner’ at the National and she was in the National Theatre Deborah Warner production of ‘Mother Courage’ last year. She played Regan in Rupert Goold’s production of ‘King Lear’ Liverpool and Young Vic 2008/09 and was Bella in Nina Raine’s award winning play ‘Rabbit’ London and New York 2007/08. Rula Lenska is currently to be seen as Claudia in ITV’s ‘Coronation Street’. Recent stage roles include as Elizabeth in ‘Losing Louis’. Ian Gelder has been in many RSC and National Theatre productions. He played Max in ‘The Sound of Music’ London Palladium. Natalie Walter will be seen in Woody Allen’s film ‘You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger’ with Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Naomi Watts. Last year she played ‘Helena’ in Greg Doran’s productions of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and Maria in ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ RSC 2008. Enzo Cilenti was in the film of ‘Nine’ and in Armando Iannuci’s ‘In The Loop’ 2009. Award winning Abigail McKern has recently been in ‘True West’ at Sheffield and in ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ at the Playhouse.

Michael Gieleta directed Tom Stoppard’s ‘Artist Descending A Staircase’ at the Old Red Lion 2009 and Glyn Maxwell’s ‘Mimi and The Stalker’ Theatre 503 in 2008. He has been assistant to Michael Boyd RSC ‘The Tempest’ Francesca Zambello Royal Opera House ‘The Queen of Spades,’ and Franco Zeffirelli’s ‘Absolutely! (perhaps)’ at Wyndham’s Theatre’.

Tickets: £11.00 - £18.00 Concs.
Perfs: Tues to Sat Eves 7.30pm. Sat & Sun Mats 3.00pm
(Running time 2hrs 15mins)

28 August 2010