One Man, Two Guvnors transfers to the West End
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
FOLLOWING its sell-out run at the National Theatre, a UK tour (see below) and National Theatre Live cinema broadcast (September 15), Nicholas Hytner’s production of One Man, Two Guvnors will transfer to the West End – to the Adelphi Theatre where it runs from November 21, 2011 (previews from November 8) to February 25, 2012.
James Corden, whose performance as Francis Henshall has been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike at the National Theatre, will continue in the role for the West End run.
He will be joined by his ‘two guvnors’, Oliver Chris and Jemima Rooper, along with original cast members David Benson, Tom Edden, Martyn Ellis, Trevor Laird, Claire Lams, Fred Ridgeway, Daniel Rigby and Suzie Toase, as well as Owain Arthur, Polly Conway, Derek Elroy, David Hunter, Paul Lancaster, Gareth Mason and Clare Thomson.
For the West End run of One Man, Two Guvnors there will be 400 tickets available at £15 or £12 for each performance. There will be no booking fees for tickets purchased from the National Theatre Box Office and See Tickets.
One Man, Two Guvnors continues at the National Theatre until September 19, 2011.
Previously Posted: Nicholas Hytner will direct James Corden in Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors, which opens in the National’s Lyttelton Theatre on May 24, 2011 (previews from May 17).
In Bean’s English version of Carlo Goldoni’s classic Italian comedy The Servant of Two Masters, sex, food and money are high on the agenda.
Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hood, now in Brighton to collect £6000 from his fiancee’s dad. But Roscoe is really his sister Rachel posing as her own dead brother, who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers.
Holed up at the Cricketers’ Arms, the permanently ravenous Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a second job with one Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be re-united with Rachel. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart.
James Corden last appeared at the National Theatre in Nicholas Hytner’s original production of The History Boys, which transferred to Broadway, toured internationally and was adapted for the screen. Since then, his TV work includes Gavin and Stacey, Horne and Corden (both of which he co-wrote) and Fat Friends.
Joining Corden in the cast of One Man, Two Guvnors will be Oliver Chris, Martyn Ellis, Trevor Laird, Claire Lams, Fred Ridgeway, Daniel Rigby, Jemima Rooper and Suzie Toase.
Since he became Director of the National in April 2003, Nicholas Hytner has directed Henry V, His Dark Materials, The History Boys, Stuff Happens, Henry IV, Southwark Fair, The Alchemist, The Man of Mode, The Rose Tattoo (with Stephen Pimlott), Rafta, Rafta… , Much Ado About Nothing, Major Barbara, England People Very Nice, Phèdre, The Habit of Art, London Assurance and Hamlet.
Richard Bean‘s plays include England People Very Nice (National Theatre; The Heretic, Harvest (winner of the 2006 Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Play), Honeymoon Suite, Under the Whaleback and Toast (Royal Court Theatre); and The Big Fellah (for Out of Joint at the Lyric Hammersmith and on tour).
The associate director of One Man, Two Guvnors will be Cal McCrystal. The production will be designed by Mark Thompson, with lighting by Mark Henderson, music by Grant Olding and sound design by Paul Arditti.
Following its run at the Lyttelton Theatre, One Man, Two Guvnors will go on tour, visiting Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury (September 27 – October 1); Theatre Royal, Plymouth (October 4 – 8); The Lowry, Salford (October 11 – 15); New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (October 18 – 22); and King’s Theatre, Edinburgh (October 25 – 29).