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Court's Hitchcock Blonde Transfers to Lyric, 25 Jun

As previously tipped (See The Goss, 24 Apr 2003), Terry Johnson's new play, Hitchcock Blonde, will transfer to the West End once it finishes its extended, world premiere season at the Royal Court. It continues in Sloane Square until 24 May 2003 and will then reopen at the West End's Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, on 25 June 2003, following previews from 16 June.

In Hitchcock Blonde, a media lecturer and his female protégé find some deteriorated Hitchcock footage in the basement of a Greek villa. It would appear they've discovered some early rushes, but what film were they for and who is the mysterious blonde?

The original cast - including David Haig (Two Weeks Notice, Four Weddings & a Funeral, Thin Blue Line on screen, House/Garden, Life x 3 on stage) and Bond girl Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day, Love in a Cold Climate), who famously derobes in one scene - will reprise their roles. The company also features William Hootkins (giving an uncanny Hitchcock impersonation), Fiona Glascott and Owen McDonnell.

Johnson, who also directs, was most recently represented in the West End with The Graduate, which he adapted and directed. His other award-winning plays include Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick, Dead Funny and, at the Royal Court, Hysteria and Cries from the Mammal House. His other directing credits include The Memory of Water (Hampstead/West End) and The Libertine (with John Malkovich in Chicago).

Hitchcock Blonde is designed by William Dudley, who won this year's Critics Circle Best Designer Award for his multimedia designs of Tom Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia at the National Theatre, with lighting by Simon Corder and sound by Ian Dickinson.

Following technical difficulties, the play had its postponed premiere at the Royal Court - with our own Whatsonstage.com Outing theatregoers in attendance - on 4 April 2003 (previews from 28 March). Currently at the Lyric Theatre, Sean Mathias' revival of Strindberg's Dance of Death - starring Ian McKellen, Frances de la Tour and Owen Teale - will close on 7 June 2003 (See Today's Other News).

- by Terri Paddock

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