One Man, Two Guvnors Transfers to Haymarket, Arthur Replaces Corden

Following its current run at the Adelphi Theatre, the National Theatre production of One Man, Two Guvnors will transfer to a new West End home, the Theatre Royal Haymarket, with a new cast led by Owain Arthur who takes over from James Corden in the title role of Francis Henshall. The production will run at the Haymarket from 2 March to 15 September 2012, with booking open from tomorrow, Friday 16 December 2011.

Arthur has already been understudying the role in the West End, marking the second time he’s followed in Corden’s footsteps: he also previously played Timms in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, the role Corden originated on stage and screen. Arthur’s other stage credits include Romeo and Juliet, The Comedy of Errors and Birdsong.

As Arthur leads One Man, Two Guvnors into the Haymarket, Corden and other members of the original cast will be preparing for the Broadway transfer, which opens at New York’s Music Box Theatre on 18 April 2012.

Richard Bean‘s adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s classic 18th-century Italian comedy The Servant of Two Masters, relocated to Brighton in the 1960s, premiered  on 25 May 2011 (previews from 17 May) at the NT Lyttelton, where it ran in rep until 19 September before touring to Aylesbury, Plymouth, Salford, Birmingham and Edinburgh and transferring to the West End.

It opened on 21 November 2011  (previews from 8 November) at the West End’s Adelphi Theatre, where it continues until 25 February 2012. The production, directed by NT artistic director Nicholas Hytner, currently co-stars Oliver Chris and Jemima Rooper as the two masters. Further casting for the West End dates at the Haymarket has yet to be announced.

Publicity shot of Owain Arthur in One Man, Two Guvnors. Photo credit: Hugo Glendinning

One Man, Two Guvnors has been nominated for five Whatsonstage.com Awards, including Best New Comedy for James Corden, Best Supporting Actor for Oliver Chris and Best Supporting Actress for Jemima Rooper. Bean has already won this year’s Best Play prize in the Evening Standard Awards, jointly for One Man, Two Guvnors and The Heretic.

Currently playing at the Haymarket, Trevor Nunn‘s production of James Goldman’s 1966 Broadway play The Lion in Winter continues its limited season to 28 January 2012. The final production in Nunn’s year-long residency as artistic director of the theatre, it stars Robert Lindsay and Joanna Lumley.