Friedman & Wilmot Star in Menier’s Invisible Man

Casting has been announced for Ian Talbot’s production of The Invisible Man which will play the Menier Chocolate Factory from 24 November (previews from 13 November 2010) until 13 February 2011. The cast will include triple Olivier award winner Maria Friedman, John Gordon Sinclair, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps star Natalie Casey and Gary Wilmot.

A retelling of HG Wells’ classic tale, adapted by Ken Hill, The Invisible Man will include comedy music hall performance with magic and illusions by Paul Kieve. Kieve’s previous stage credits include The Lord of the Rings and The Witches of Eastwick at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Theatre of Blood for the National Theatre as well as consulting to performers such as Derren Brown.

The Invisible Man is set in the rustic village of Iping, where the local inhabitants recount the mysterious happenings of the week that the sinister Griffin (John Gordon Sinclair) arrived wrapped in bandages and with a distinctly unsociable manner. Billed as a “comedy music hall spectacular, packed with magical entertainment”, the show received its world premiere at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in 1991.

Maria Friedman, who has won three Olivier Awards and been nominated for seven others, was most recently been seen on stage in The King and I and the Sondheim Prom, both at the Royal Albert Hall. Amongst her musical theatre stage credits are Sweeney Todd at the Royal Festival Hall, the West End and Broadway productions of The Woman in White and the West End production of Chicago. She most recently appeared at the Menier in Maria Friedman Re-Arranged.

John Gordon Sinclair‘s, has stage credits include Absurd Person Singular at the Garrick Theatre, The Producers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Sweet Panic at the Duke of York’s Theatre. He is perhaps best known for his appearance in the 1981 film Gregory’s Girl. Gary Wilmot’s musical theatre career include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Bang at the London Palladium and Me and My Girl at the Adelphi Theatre.

Natalie Casey is best known on television for playing Donna in the BBC’s Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. On stage her credits include Oklahoma! for Chichester Festival Theatre and Hobson’s Choice at the Watermill Theatre.

Also in the cast are Teddy Kempner (A Month in the Country), Michael Beckley’s (Cabaret), Geraldine Fitzgerald (Life After Scandal) and Jo Stone-Fewings (Twelfth Night for the RSC).

The Invisible Man is directed by Ian Talbot, who was formerally Artistic Director of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre where he produced over 75 productions. He is currently directing Lend Me a Tenor which opened at the Theatre Royal Plymouth earlier this month and will to followed by a West End run.

The show has set designs by Paul Farnsworth, costumes by Matthew Wright, lighting by Jason Taylor, music by Steve Edis, sound by Gareth Owen and choreography by Sam Spencer-Lane.