Theatre News

Cast: Barber in Terribles, Titmuss Finds Paradise

8 October 2010

Les Parents Terribles, which runs from 25 November to 18 December 2010 at Trafalgar Studios 2, will feature a stellar cast of Frances Barber, Anthony Calf, Elaine Cassidy, Sylvestra Le Touzel and Tom Byam Shaw.

Directed by Chris Rolls from Jeremy Sams‘ translation of Jean Cocteau’s 1938 original, the production is part of the Donmar’s three-month residency showcasing the work of graduates from the venue’s Resident Assistant Director Scheme (RAD).

When Michael (Byam Shaw) declares his love for a girl, his devoted mother burns with jealousy while his father is shocked to discover that his son’s lover is someone he knows only too well.

Frances Barber has previously appeared for the Donmar in Madame de Sade and Insignificance, while her other myriad stage credits include King Lear & The Seagull (RSC), Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare’s Globe) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Edinburgh Festival & Gielgud Theatre).

Glamour model-turned-actress Abi Titmuss will lead the cast of Paradise Lost, a new play by Vicki McKellar which premieres at the Leicester Square Theatre from 19 to 23 October 2010.

The play focuses on six individuals, bound together through partnerships, secrets and scandal. It revolves around the complex relationships that people develop – sisterly rivalry, unrequited love, troubled marriages and infidelity. Destruction strikes when all is revealed as the group gather around an Ouija board.

Titmuss – who starred in John Godber‘s revival of Up ‘n’ Under at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe – plays Suzie, a lesbian who enters into an adulterous relationship with a married woman.

McKellar, who plays her lesbian lover, said: “I’m thrilled to put on my first show at the West End, with an accomplished actress like Abi Titmuss performing on stage alongside me. Paradise Lost has been a labour of love for me and I hope the audience will find it a thoroughly riveting and enjoyable production.”