Journey Transfers to Third West End House, 5 OctDate: 24 September 2004
Journey's End is on the move again. The production is currently at the West End’s Playhouse Theatre, where it will now finish on Saturday 2 October 2004, before transferring to the more centrally located Duke of York’s Theatre on St Martin’s Lane, where its first performance will be the matinee on Tuesday 5 October.
David Grindley’s anniversary revival of RC Sheriff’s First World War drama first opened at the West End’s Comedy Theatre on 21 January 2004 (previews from 15 January), 75 years (to the day) since its first West End season at the Savoy Theatre (See News, 12 Dec 2003). It transferred to the Playhouse on 3 May.
Based on Sherriff’s own experience in the trenches of the First World War, Journey's End follows a group of officers, positioned behind British lines at St Quentin, France, and awaiting their fate.
The current cast, the West End production’s third, are Malcolm Sinclair (as Osborne), Brendan Patricks (Stanhope), Rufus Wright (Hibbert), Paul Brightwell (Mason), Ian Burfield (Trotter), Peter Sandys-Clarke (Raleigh), John Elmes (Colonel), Charles Daish, Ralph Gassmann, Rob Heaney and Paul Benzing. A separate three-month tour launched on 7 September 2004.
Journey's End is presented by Background Productions, the company also behind the Bollywood-style West End production of Twelfth Night, which is also playing on St Martin’s Lane, at the Albery Theatre.
The Duke of York’s has been dark since the off-Broadway transfer of Dirty Blonde finished its three-month run there on 28 August 2004.
- by Terri Paddock
