Jerry Hall & Harry Ditson
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Hall Opens Tonight in Benchmark World Premiere

Jerry Hall returns to the London stage tonight, 13 September 2002, in the world premiere of Benchmark at north London's New End Theatre, where the play continues to 20 October (previews from 11 September), as part of the theatre's American Exploits season (See News, 12 Jul 02).

On a park bench in Los Angeles, California, two men who once knew each other well meet by chance. One of them has just returned from a Tibetan monastery, the other is operating his business from a laptop. Is this really a chance encounter? Enter a mute young woman, a sandwich salesman and 'Sugar', an ex-wife to them both, played by Hall.

An ex-model and ex-wife of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, Hall's previous stage credits have included The Graduate (in which she starred as Mrs Robinson), The Vagina Monologues and Bus Stop, all in the West End, as well as this year's touring production of Brian McAvera's Picasso's Women.

Hall is joined in the cast of Benchmark by Harry Ditson (Sunset Boulevard, The Prisoner of Second Avenue) and Stephen Greif (Fallen Angels and TV's Shackleton) along with Simon Meacock, Jacqueline Nairn and Tanya McKenzie.

Benchmark is written by Bud Shrake and Michael Rudman, who also directs, and is designed by Paul Farnsworth (Follies). It's produced by Brian Daniels and Pamela Kalms for the New End Theatre.

Following Benchmark, the American Exploits season concludes with the transfer of off-Broadway hit More Lies About Jerzy, running from 22 October to 24 November. Davey Holmes' play, directed by Guy Retallack, is based on the life Polish novelist Jerzy Kosinski. The émigré novelist wrote extensively about the Holocaust, but the authenticity of his memoirs was questionable.

- by Terri Paddock

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