Bloom Celebrates West End Debut at York’s, 12 JulDate: 25 May 2007
As previously tipped (See The Goss, 9 May 2007), Orlando Bloom (pictured) will make his West End debut in a revival of David Storey’s In Celebration, which will open on 12 July 2007 (previews from 5 July) at the Duke of York’s Theatre (See The Goss, 24 May 2007), where it’s booking until 15 September.
After two seasons with the National Youth Theatre, Bloom trained at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since graduating however, he has worked exclusively on screen in such films as The Lord of the Rings trilogy (in which he played Legolas), Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, Elizabethtown and The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (in which he plays Will Turner), the most recent of which, At World’s End, has just been released.
Storey’s drama, premiered at the Royal Court in 1969, centres on three brothers – Andrew, Colin and Steven – who return home to their Northern roots for a family reunion around their parents’ wedding anniversary. Although they’ve returned to celebrate, the complexities of family life and long-held grievances make a decent party unlikely. The play was also made into a British film featuring Alan Bates, James Bolam and Brian Cox.
Bloom, who plays Steven, is joined in the fraternal trio by Paul Hilton (The Wild Duck, Mourning Becomes Electra, Three Sisters, On the Third Day as Andrew and Gareth Farr (How Many Miles to Basra, Harvest as Colin. Also in the cast are Lynda Baron (TV’s Open All Hours, The Full Monty) and Ciaran McIntyre. Further casting is still to be announced.
In Celebration is directed by Anna Mackmin, whose recent credits include Dying for It and The Lightning Play at the Almeida. It’s designed by Lez Brotherston, with lighting by Mark Henderson, music by Stephen Warbeck and sound by John Leonard. It’s presented in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions.
Currently at the Duke of York’s, the Menier Chocolate Factory revival of sci-fi musical spoof Little Shop of Horrors will finish on 23 June before reopening on 27 June at the West End’s Ambassadors Theatre (See News, 24 May 2007).
- by Terri Paddock
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