Theatre News

Cast: Gillan Joins Hodge at Donmar, Full Luke, Othello

Doctor Who assistant Karen Gillan will join the previously announced Douglas Hodge in the cast of the Donmar Warehouse’s upcoming production of Inadmissible Evidence.

Gillan makes her professional stage debut in John Osborne‘s 1964 play, alongside Esther Hall, Amy Morgan, Daniel Ryan and Al Weaver.

Donmar associate Jamie Lloyd directs Osborne’s poignant, witty and intensely compelling portrait of loss, betrayal and defeat which tells the story of Bill Maitland (Hodge), a middle aged lawyer, struggling to avoid the harsh truths of his life and keep a hold on reality.

Karen Gillan stars as Amy Pond alongside Matt Smith in the BBC’s iconic sci-fi series Doctor Who. An Italia Conti graduate, Gillan’s other television credits include ITV’s Rebus and Stacked and The Kevin Bishop Show for Channel 4. On screen she has been seen in Outcast, starring James Nesbitt, and appear in the forthcoming drama We’ll Take Manhattan about the affair between 1960s supermodel Jean Shrimpton and photographer David Bailey.

Lloyd’s recent credits at the Donmar include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Passion, Polar Bears and Piaf – which also transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre and Buenos Aires. His other credits include Salome, The Little Dog Laughed, Three Days of Rain, Eric’s, The Pride, The Lover and The Collection and The Caretaker.

John Osborne‘s works for the stage include Look Back in Anger, The Entertainer, Epitaph for George Dillon, Luther, A Patriot for Me and The Hotel in Amsterdam, which was revived by the Donmar under artistic director Michael Grandage in 2003.


Full casting has been announced for the Emma Reeves‘s stage adaptation of Cool Hand Luke with Coronation Street’s Lee Boardman and American screen actress Lisa Eichhorn joining previously announced Marc Warren in the title role.

Cool Hand Luke tells the story of Luke Jackson (Warren), a decorated World War II veteran who refuses to conform to life in a Florida prison camp and frequently tries to escape. Based on Donn Pearce’s acclaimed novel, the story adapted into a 1967 film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Paul Newman.

Two-time Golden Globe nominee Lisa Eichhorn takes on the role of Luke’s mother. Eichhorn’s screen credits include John Schlesinger’s 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.

Warren’s fellow convicts 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).

The company also includes Sandra Marvin, Tania Mathurin, Bret Jones, Michael Cuckson and Julie Rogers.

Emma Reeves‘ previous adaptations include Carrie’s War which was originally produced at the Lilian Baylis Theatre, Sadler’s Wells and subsequently the West End’s Apollo Theatre.

Cool Hand Luke is directed by Andrew Loudon, the artistic director and co-founder of Novel Theatre. His recent credits include Carrie’s War, Gertrude’s Secret, Open Ground and a series of monologues starring Prunella Scales and Angela Griffin.

Cool Hand Luke opens at the West End’s Aldwych Theatre on 3 October 2011 (previews from 23 September) where it is booking until 7 January 2012.


Full casting has also been announced for Daniel Evans‘ Crucible production of Othello starring The Wire‘s Clarke Peters and Dominic West as Othello and Iago. The production will also feature the previously announced Colin George, founding artistic director of the theatre, who returns to play Brabantio and Gratiano

They will be joined in the cast by Ian Barritt (Duke/Clown), Alexandra Gilbreath (Emilia), Lily James (Desdemona), Gwilym Lee (Cassio), Leigh McDonald (Bianca), Rhodri Miles (Lodovico) and Brodie Ross (Roderigo). Andrew Thompson, Ben Lee, Luciano Dodero and Josh Hart complete the cast.

Alexandra Gilbreath has recently been seen in the Royal Court’s The Village Bike, Hayfever at the The Rose, Kingston and extensive work for the RSC.

Lily James makes her Sheffield Theatres’ debut as Desdemona. Her theatre work includes Vernon God Little at the Young Vic.

Gwilym Lee plays Cassio. Lee most recently played Edgar in King Lear at the Donmar for which he won the Ian Charleson Award. His other theatre credits include Danton’s Death and Oedipus for the National, Hamlet for the Donmar in the West End and on Broadway and About Tommy at Southwark Playhouse.

Brodie Ross returns to Sheffield Theatres to play Roderigo. He previously appeared in An Enemy of the People, also directed by Daniel Evans. His other theatre credits include Charley’s Aunt at Manchester Royal Exchange.


Finally in play casting news, Sean Campion will join Andrew Frame, Edward Franklin and Sophie Brittain in the cast of David Davalos’s Wittenberg at Notting Hill’s Gate Theatre from 1 September (previews from 24 August) to 1 October 2011.

The production is helmed by Christopher Haydon who will succeed Natalie Abrahami and Carrie Cracknell as the Gate’s artistic director in January 2012.

Philosophy and religion collide in Davalos’s play, which pits the wit of the radical Doctor Faustus against the faith of the conservative Martin Luther, while their student is a troubled Prince Hamlet, who is having difficulty deciding what’s best to do.

Sean Campion (Faustus) was recently seen in Greyscale’s Theatre Brothel at the Almeida. His stage credits include Death and the Maiden at Salisbury Playhouse, Gambling at the Soho Theatre, The Dead School for the Tricycle, Much Ado About Nothing at the Open Air Theatre, Regents Park and Berlin Hanover Express at the Hampstead. He returns to the Gate, where he appeared in Anna Ledwich’s Lulu.

Edward Franklin‘s (Hamlet) stage credits include Punk Rock at the Lyric Hammersmith, Notes for the First Time Astronauts at Theatre 503 and Nettles at the Contact Theatre.

Andrew Frame (Martin Luther) has appeared in Voyage Round My Father, The Winslow Boy, Six Characters in Search of An Author, The English Game, Rough Crossings, Market Boy, Royal Hunt of the Sun, Festen and The Crucible. Sophie Brittain makes her professional debut in Wittenberg.