The Hairy Ape - Bertie Carvel leads cast
Casting news
BERTIE Carvel will lead the cast in Richard Jones’ new production of The Hairy Ape at The Old Vic.
The second production in Matthew Warchus’ tenure as Artistic Director, The Hairy Ape opens on October 29, 2015 (previews from October 17) and will see The Old Vic theatre transform back to its original proscenium arch layout.
A classic expressionist masterpiece by Nobel prize-winner Eugene O’Neill, The Hairy Ape tells the story of Yank (Bertie Carvel), a labourer who revels in his status as the strongest stoker on a transatlantic ocean liner.
But when Yank is called a ‘filthy beast’ by the overbred daughter of a steel merchant, he experiences an awakening of consciousness that leads him on a journey through the wealthy neighbourhoods and disenfranchised underbelly of New York society. Searching for a way to belong, Yank is forced to confront primal questions about his true place in the world.
Directed by the acclaimed, multi-award-winning director Richard Jones, The Hairy Ape is an iconic piece of American drama brought to the stage by a visionary of British theatre.
Bertie Carvel has recently been seen starring in the BBC television drama Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. On stage, he is best known for creating the role of Miss Trunchbull in Matilda The Musical (RSC, West End, Broadway) for which he won an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, a Drama Desk Award, a Theatre World Award and was nominated for a Tony Award.
His other theatre credits include Revelations (Hampstead Theatre), The Life of Galileo and The Man of Mode (National Theatre) and Parade (Donmar Warehouse). He will soon be seen on stage at The Almeida in Bakkhai playing Pentheus opposite Ben Whishaw as Dionysus.
Carvel’s recent television work includes the role of Nick Clegg in Coalition, Babylon and The Wrong Mans. He recently finished work on a five part BBC One drama Doctor Foster written by Mike Bartlett, which comes out later in 2015.
Richard Jones is a theatre and opera director. His theatre credits include Too Clever By Half (Olivier Award), The Illusion and A Flea in Her Ear (The Old Vic), Six Characters Looking for an Author, Hobson’s Choice, The Good Soul of Szechuan, Annie Get Your Gun, The Government Inspector and Public Enemy – a version of The Enemy of the People (all Young Vic), Into the Woods (Phoenix Theatre, Oliver Award), Tales from the Vienna Woods (National Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Royal Shakespeare Company, Yale and Salamanca Festival) and Holy Mothers (Ambassadors Theatre/ Royal Court).
He has won Olivier Awards for The Trojans, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Hansel and Gretel. In 2015, he was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and also won two Olivier Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Opera and best New Opera production for The Mastersingers at ENO.
Captioned Performance: Thursday, November 12 at 7.30pm.
Audio Described Performance: Tuesday, November 10 at 7.30pm, touch tour at 6pm.
The Hairy Ape continues until November 21, 2015.
Read more about Matthew Warchus’ inaugural season as Artistic Director.
High Society continues at The Old Vic until August 22, 2015.