Cool Hand Luke

Synopsis

Marc Warren stars in a new adaption of Cool Hand Luke at the West End's Aldwych Theatre this autumn. 

Cool Hand Luke, Donn Pearce's 1965 novel, was famously adapted into a 1967 film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Paul Newman, for which he received an Oscar nomination, whilst his co-star George Kennedy picked up the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Focussing on Luke Jackson, Cool Hand Luke is the story of a decorated World War II veteran who refuses to conform to life in a Florida prison camp and frequently tries to escape. It’s the hard-hitting story of a true original. He'll play it real cool in the face of brutality. He'll always get back up after a beating. He'll eat fifty eggs in an hour, to win a bet. A man who won't conform no matter what it costs.

In a powerful new adaptation for the stage by Emma Reeves, based on acclaimed novel, and directed by Andrew Loudon, Cool Hand Luke is the raw, uncompromising tale of sticking it to 'The Man'.

Marc Warren is best known as Danny Blue in BBC TV's Hustle and his other television credits include The Vice, Band of Brothers, Accused, State of Play and most recently Sky One’s Mad Dogs. On stage Marc Warren has appeared most recently in the West End production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and was nominated for a TMA Award for his part in Leicester Curve's 2009 production of The Pillowman.

Two-time Golden Globe nominee Lisa Eichhorn takes on the role of Luke’s mother. Lisa Eichhorn's screen credits include Yanks, a BAFTA nominated performance in James Ivory’s The European’s and a Best Actress Award at the Deauville Film Festival for Cutter’s Way. She was most recently seen on the London stage in The Exhonerated at the Charing Cross Theatre. 

Marc Warren's fellow convicts in Cool Hand Luke will be played by Coronation Street’s Lee Boardman (Dragline), Rob Falconer (Bull Bill), Joshua McCord (Rabbit), Nathan Osgood (Carr), Tom Silburn (Curly) and David Sturzaker (Society Red).

Cool Hand Luke director Andrew Loudon's recent West End directing credits include the 2004 production of Little Women at the Duchess - a project he also brought to the stage with writer Emma Reeves.

Whatsonstage.com has great cheap Cool Hand Luke tickets so follow the buy tickets link to book today!

Our Review:

Theo Bosanquet - 4 October 2011

Cool Hand Luke has been adapted by Emma Reeves and director Andrew Loudon from Donn Pearce’s 1965 novel - the same source that became the popular 1967 Oscar-winner starring Paul Newman.

Filling the Newman role on stage is Marc Warren, who has a good go at turning the eponymous con into a sort of secular Messiah-figure, but finds his toughest battle is not against the prison guards but rather the cliché-riddled script.

The centrepiece scene is of course the egg-eating – in which Luke downs 50 of the things to win another bet (white Russian roulette, if you like). Warren does well with this daunting piece of stage business, gurning and flatulating his way through a series of neat vignettes, even if the sleight of hand he employs would hardly qualify him for membership of the Magic Circle.

Scenes are interspersed with familiar black spirituals beautifully sung by a quartet led by Sandra Marvin and [Tania Mathur...

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