Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson - casting announced
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
NORMAN Pace, of comedy duo Hale and Pace will head the cast of Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson when it opens at the Menier Chocolate Factory on April 27, 2006.
Writer Chris England will also appear in the production, alongside Tony Bell whose previous stage credits include A Man for All Seasons, Propeller’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale and Rose Rage.
Also cast are Beth Cordingly, Abi Tucker, Michael Beckley and Kevin Wathen. Jonathan Lewis will direct.
Previously Posted: A new comedy by Chris England entitled Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson, will run for a limited season – from April 27 to July 2, 2006 (previews from April 19) – at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory.
It was, of course, England – along with comedian Arthur Smith – who wrote the hugely popular An Evening with Gary Linekar which played at the Duchess Theatre back in 1991.
But whereas the earlier play was inspired by the World Cup fever of 1990, Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson draws on the euphoria surrounding England’s victory at the 2003 rugby World Cup in Sydney.
In one of sport’s defining moments, Wilkinson scored a drop goal just 26 seconds from the end of extra time in the championship match against Australia; bringing the final score to 17 – 20.