Casting announced for The Big Meal

Casting has been announced for The Big Meal, directed by former RSC artistic director Michael Boyd in his first production since leaving the company, and which is the first production of the Ustinov Studios 2014 American season.

Somewhere in America, in a typical suburban restaurant on a typical night, Sam and Nicole first meet. Sparks fly. And so begins an exhilarating story that takes five generations of a modern family on a rollercoaster ride through life, from first kiss to final goodbye. A stunning, big-hearted play that whizzes through nearly eighty years, this is the extraordinary story of an ordinary family.

The cast, who all play multiple roles, includes Diana Quick (The American Plan, Ustinov Studio and St James Theatre; Aristos; Single Spies; the title role in Mother Courage and Her Children; and Sir Peter Hall’s West End production of You Never Can Tell); Keith Bartlett (Romeo and Juliet, Headlong; New World, The Globe Theatre) and Jo Stone-Fewings (The Winter’s Tale, RSC; Heartbreak House, Chichester Festival Theatre; King James Bible Reading, The National Theatre). They will be joined by Kirsty Bushell, Lindsey Campbell and James Corrigan.

The Big Meal, by Dan Le Franc, received its premiere in Chicago in 2011 where it was declared the ‘Number One Play of 2011′ by Time Out Chicago. It received a host of award nominations when it later played Off-Broadway. It plays from the 6 March – 5 April, before transferring to the High-Tide Festival Theatre, the co-producers, from 10 -19 April.

It has designs by Tom Piper, lighting by Oliver Fenwick and sound design by Andrea J Cox. This production will be followed later on by productions of A Steady Rain and Intimate Apparel.

– Kris Hallett