Theatre News

Fox, Barry & Darvill star in Our Boys‘ West End premiere

Jonathan Lewis’ award-winning play Our Boys is to receive its West End premiere at the Duchess Theatre later this year. Running from 3 October 2012 (previews from 26 September), it will star Cian Barry, Arthur Darvill and Laurence Fox in the lead roles.

Written from Lewis’ own experience, Our Boys gives a funny yet candid account of the tedium, terror and tribulations suffered by five young soldiers recovering from injuries incurred in the line of duty. But when their daily routine of TV, lonely hearts ads and banter is interrupted by the arrival of an unwelcome authority figure, their unlikely camaraderie gives way to betrayal, accusations and all out war.

Our Boys won the Best New Play award in the 1993 Writers’ Guild Fringe Awards, and this first West End production will be directed by David Grindley. Grindley’s theatre credits include the Tony award winning Journey’s End (Comedy/Broadway), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stratford, Ontario), and The Philanthropist (Broadway), amongst numerous others.

Cian Barry’s stage credits include One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (UK tour), The Member Of The Wedding, (Young Vic) and The Rivals (Southwark Playhouse). His film and TV credits include leading roles in RPG, Holy Water, Titanic and Shameless.

Arthur Darvill plays Rory Williams in Doctor Who. His other television credits include Ladies Paradise and Little Dorritt.  Recent theatre credits include Doctor Faustus (Shakespeare’s Globe)  and Terre Haute (Trafalgar Studios and on tour), for which he was nominated for the Outstanding Newcomer Evening Standard Award 2007.

Laurence Fox is best known for his leading role as Detective Sergeant James Hathaway in the ITV prime-time drama series Lewis. His London stage credits include Peter Hall’s production of Mrs Warren’s Profession (Novello) and Tis a Pity She’s a Whore (Southwark Playhouse). Film work includes Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Gosford Park, and WE.

– by Stephanie Soh