The Red Lion - National Theatre (Dorfman)
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
PATRICK Marber returns to premiere a fifth play at the National Theatre. Directed by Ian Rickson, The Red Lion opens in the Dorfman Theatre on June 10, 2015, following preview performances from June 3.
Small time semi-pro football, the non-league – a world away from the wealth and the television cameras. A young player touched with brilliance arrives from nowhere. An ambitious manager determines to make him his own. And the old soul of the club still has dreams of glory.
The Red Lion is a new play about the dying romance of the great English game – and the tender, savage love that powers it.
The cast comprises Calvin Demba, Daniel Mays and Peter Wight.
Calvin Demba’s television credits include Youngers, Babylon and Sherlock; on stage, The Wolf from the Door at the Royal Court; and the forthcoming film of London Road.
Daniel Mays’ theatre work includes Mojo (West End), The Same Deep Water as Me, Trelawny of the Wells and Moonlight (Donmar Warehouse), and Scarborough, Motortown and The Winterling (Royal Court). His screen credits include Ashes to Ashes, Outcasts, Public Enemies, Mrs Biggs, The Great Fire, Red Riding, Vera Drake, Made in Dagenham and Dad’s Army.
Peter Wight’s film and television credits include Mr Turner, Hot Fuzz, Vera Drake, Pride and Prejudice, The Paradise, Case Sensitive and Public Enemies. On stage, he has appeared in Ivanov (NT), In the Republic of Happiness (Royal Court), Trelawny of the Wells (Donmar Warehouse) and Electra (Young Vic).
Patrick Marber’s previous plays for the National Theatre are Dealer’s Choice (Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy); Closer (Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy, Laurence Olivier and Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Play), for which he also wrote the screenplay; Howard Katz; and The Musicians for Connections. Three Days in the Country, his new version of Turgenev’s A Month in the Country, will open in the Lyttelton in July.
His other plays include Don Juan in Soho, After Miss Julie and an adaptation of Trelawny of the Wells, all premiered at the Donmar Warehouse; and the screenplay Notes on a Scandal.
Ian Rickson has previously directed The Hothouse and The Day I Stood Still for the National. He was Artistic Director of the Royal Court from 1998 – 2006. His recent productions include Electra and The Cherry Orchard (Old Vic), The River (Royal Court and Broadway), Old Times and Mojo (West End), Hamlet (Young Vic) and Jerusalem (Royal Court, West End and Broadway).
The Red Lion will be designed by Anthony Ward, with lighting by Hugh Vanstone, music by Stephen Warbeck and sound by Ian Dickinson.
Also in the Dorfman: The Hard Problem, a new play by Tom Stoppard (until May 27); and Sam Holcroft’s new play, Rules for Living (previewing from March 13, 2015).