by Joe DiPietro
Directed by Phil Willmott
Presented by The Steam Industry in association with the Finborough Theatre

Cast in order of appearance
John, the Escort – Shai Metuki
Steve, the Soldier – Nick Keith
Marco, the Graduate Student – Chris Polick
Kyle, the College Kid – Jamie Di Spirito
Leo, the Married Guy – Timothy Lone
Jack, the other Married Guy – Morgan James
Ryan, the Porn Star – Adam Unze
Sammy, the Playwright – Ashley Cook
Brandon, the Actor – Stephen Billington
Donald, the Journalist – Stephen Bayly

The world premiere of a new play

Sundays and Mondays, 10, 11, 17 and 18 February 2008

Having dissected heterosexual relationships in his international hit show I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, award winning writer Joe DiPietro at last turns his attention to homosexual coupling in his free-wheeling, contemporary take on Schnitzler's La Ronde. Set in today’s America, this insightful drama looks at a succession of couples and strangers as they negotiate the before and after of lust, love and betrayal and the pursuit of gay sex. Some stories are poignant, some hilarious, but collectively they provide a fascinating snap shot of the American male in pursuit of man-on-man action. A fearless dissection and shameless celebration of homosexuality that will fascinate male and female audiences of every persuasion.

Playwright Joe DiPietro wrote the book and lyrics to the musical comedy hit I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, the longest running musical revue in off-Broadway history, with productions staged in over 150 cities around the world. He wrote the book to the "new" Gershwin musical Heaven On Earth, a new adaptation of Rodgers and Hart's Babes in Arms, a new adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Allegro, and the book for All Shook Up, a new musical which opened on Broadway in 2005, and the book and lyrics to the recent off-Broadway musical The Thing About Men. Joe is the recipient of the William Inge Theater Festival New Voices In American Theater Award, and has won the O'Neill National Playwright's Conference MacArthur Award for comic writing.

Director Phil Willmott returns to the Finborough Theatre following his acclaimed productions of Loyalties, The Lower Depths and Trelawny of the ‘Wells’. In 2006, he was awarded a Peter Brook Empty Space award for his productions of Euripides, Brecht, Sophocles and Shaw at The Scoop open-air amphitheatre on the South Bank. Other recent productions include Billy Liar and Much Ado About Nothing at Liverpool Playhouse, A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Dubai, The London Nativity and the tenth anniversary year of Fame at the Aldwych Theatre

Press Acclaim for Phil Willmott’s productions at the Finborough Theatre
“Phil Willmott's excellent revival” Michael Billington, The Guardian on Loyalties
“Phil Willmott’s graceful and impeccably detailed production” Lucy Powell, Time Out on Loyalties
“Willmott’s production is gripping and pacey” Sam Marlowe, The Times on Loyalties
“Phil Willmott proves why he is one of the most versatile, best and amazingly prolific directors around… “ The Guardian
"It's hard to top a Phil Willmott show" The Daily Mail
“This triumphant revival…a production bursting with theatrical atmosphere” Carole Woddis, What’s on in London onTrelawny
“An exuberant celebration of the irrepressible urge to make theatre” Michael Portillo, The New Statesman on Trelawny
“This is a serious, stimulating and timely revival.” Paul Taylor, The Independent on The Lower Depths
“An accomplished, intelligent staging” Sam Marlowe, The Times on The Lower Depths
“This incisive production” Sarah Hemming, Financial Times on The Lower Depths
“Willmott’s production offers an abundance of pungent detail.” Sam Marlowe, The Times on The Lower Depths