Theatre News

Cast: Gay Soper in McAuliffe’s Jubilee, Arcola Mare Rider, 503 Heaven

Editorial Staff
London's West End Off-West End

Gay Soper (Pippin, Lend Me a Tenor) will take over from Sheila Reid as Helena for the latter part of the forthcoming national tour of Nichola McAuliffe’s new play Maurice’s Jubilee. 

Soper will join previously announced cast members McAuliffe (Katie) and Julian Glover (Maurice) playing at Bromley Churchill Theatre (26-30 March), Cambridge Arts Theatre (2-6 April) Theatre Royal, Windsor (8-13 April) and Oxford Playhouse (15-20 April).

Maurice’s Jubilee is directed by multiple Fringe First winner Hannah Eidinow.

Maurice is determined to reach his 90th birthday, which is the day
before the diamond jubilee. The Queen, having made him a promise 60
years before, is coming to tea.  His wife is convinced he’s never met
the Queen. His nurse thinks it’s time he did.

Sheila Reid (Helena), Julian Glover (Maurice) and Nichola McAuliffe
(Katie) are the cast for the following venues; Manchester Opera House
(24-26 January), Aylesbury Waterside Theatre (29 January – 2 February),
Bath Theatre Royal (4-9 February), Woking New Victoria Theatre (12 – 16
February), Richmond Theatre (19-23 February), Brighton Theatre Royal (26
February – 2 March), Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre (5-9 March) and
Malvern (11 – 16 March).

In other casting news:

  • Matthew Flynn, Anna Francolini and Hara Yanas will join Kathryn Hunter in the cast of Leyla Nazli’s new play Mare Rider, which runs at the Arcola from 25 January to 16 February 2013 (previews from 22 January). Directed by artistic director Mehmet Ergen, the play is set in the maternity ward of a London Hospital and centres on a “subversive and vengeful baby-stealer, a timeless creature of myth, who inhabits our dreams”.

  • Paul Robinson has announced the full cast for his first production as sole artistic director of Battersea’s Theatre503. As previously announced, Tony Award-winning actress Brid Brennan will star in Desolate Heaven, the world premiere by Irish writer Ailís Ní Ríain. She is joined by Evelyn Lockley and Carla Langley, who both make their professional debuts in the love story between two young girls who, burdened with unnatural responsibilities, run away together. It runs at Theatre503, above the Latchmere Pub in Battersea, from 5 February to 2 March 2013.