Other Productions in 2005
MOLNAR SHORTS
Three short plays by Ferenc Molnar
Translated by Benjamin Glazer
Directed by Kate Wasserberg
Presented by Molweni Productions
Cast: Rhoda Ofori-Attah. Bridget Stacey. David Tate.
16 and 17 January 2005
The Kiss – An awkward first kiss that destroys a potential relationship.
A Railroad Adventure – During a long train journey, a woman shares a story about a love that almost was with her cynical male companion
A Matter of Husbands – An earnest young woman accuses a famous actress of having an affair with her husband
A trilogy of the Hungarian playwright’s short dialogues from his Husbands and Lovers series – three short works from the Belle-Epoque before the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the First World War where “nothing was quite as important as knowing what brand of champagne to order.” A witty and satirical look at life during a glamorous age which bred passion, pride, lust and deceit.
Ferenc Molnar (1878-1952) is arguably Hungary’s greatest playwright where his works are now being revived after being banned during the Communist regime. The author of many plays, his early works include The Devil, his first international success, and Liliom, later transformed into the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Carousel. His other plays include The Guardsman (seen at the National Theatre with Diana Rigg, and adapted into the new musical at the Donmar Warehouse last year), The Wolf (seen in the West End in 1973 with Judi Dench, Leo McKern and Edward Woodward), and The Swan, filmed in 1956 with Grace Kelly and Alec Guinness. He has also been adapted by English speaking authors including Tom Stoppard - Rough Crossing, a huge success for the National Theatre, was an adaptation of Molnar’s Play at the Castle – and P.G. Wodehouse with The Play’s the Thing.
When asked how he became a writer, Molnar replied:
“In the same way that a woman becomes a prostitute. First I did it to please myself, then I did it to please my friends, and finally I did it for money.”
Director Kate Wasserberg was recently Assistant Director on the Time Out Critics’ Choice UK premiere production of Frank McGuinness’ Gates of Gold at the Finborough Theatre. At the Edinburgh Festival this year, she directed Blue Velvet, adapted from David Lynch's film at the Gilded Balloon. The exciting young cast includes Rhoda Ofori-Attah, Bridget Stacey and David Tate.
FEARING
A rehearsed reading of a new play by Mike Bartlett
Directed by John Terry
Presented by Shapeshifter
Cast: David Dobson. Lesley Cook. Philip Desmeules.
8 and 9 May 2005
“Okay, close your eyes. I’m going to do something intrinsically wrong. . .”
Paul dreams of terrorists in the sports hall and bombs left by the school gate, but that’s normal for a teenage boy . . .
Katie has a crush on her English teacher, but so does every sixth former. . .
Andy borrowed a CD from a pupil, and chatted with her after class, but there is nothing wrong with that. . .
Playwright Mike Bartlett is a member of the Royal Court Young Writer’s Scheme, has been shortlisted for Paines Plough’s Future Perfect scheme and has been commended for writing by the National Student Drama Festival.
Fearing is directed by up-and-coming young director John Terry, and marks Shapeshifter’s return to the Finborough after last summer’s hugely successful revival of Rolf Hochhuth’s Soldiers, which was Time Out Critic’s Choice and which lead to the company winning the Peter Brook Empty Space Mark Marvin Award for a future production of Keith Dewhurst’s Lark Rise to Candleford, which will be produced at the Finborough Theatre in October. Both productions were commissioned from Shapeshifter by the Finborough Theatre’s Artistic Director, Neil McPherson.
SILENT CHARITIES
Two short plays - Leaving and Falling - by Mike Bartlett
Directed by John Terry
Presented by Response Community Services, the Finborough Theatre and Shapeshifter
Cast: Karl Frisby. Martin Green. Barbara Cmunt. Tim Wesley. Lynda Gregory. John Hill. Halina Nikolin.
3 July 2005
As part of the Finborough Theatre's continuing commitment and involvement in the local community, a number of local residents have spent the Summer devising and performing a new play, written by Mike Bartlett and directed by John Terry.
RINGDOVE WITH A DARK RED SUITCASE AND SCENTED SONGS FOR AZALEA
by Mahmood Kavir
Performed by Afsaneh Daghestani and Mahmood Kavir
Performed in Farsi
18 September 2005
'TIS I
Sir Henry Irving and Total Theatre at the Lyceum
Written, Designed and Performed by Robert Poulter
Presented by Robert Poulter's New Model Theatre
19 December 2005
Other productions also included a rehearsed reading of The Amazing Adventures of Ruffian Dick, directed by Michael Gieleta and presented by The Cherub Company. Cast included Rebecca Aswani and Anthony Plowman.
Awards 2005
THE FINBOROUGH THEATRE WINS THREE AWARDS TO COMPLETE ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR
We are pleased to announce that James Graham has just won one of five Pearson Award bursaries for new writing. The award will allow him to continue as Playwright-in-Residence at the Finborough Theatre, following the success of his play, Albert’s Boy which won great acclaim earlier this year and starred Victor Spinetti as Albert Einstein.
Judges of the Pearson Award include Sir John Mortimer CBE QC, Dame Beryl Bainbridge, Catherine Johnson (previous bursary winner and writer of Mamma Mia), Sue Summers, Thelma Holt CBE, Michael Billington, John Tydeman OBE and Jack Andrews MBE. This year’s other winners of this prestigious award were Jack Thorne (Bush Theatre), Katie Douglas (Paines Plough), Sean Buckley (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Linda Marshall Griffiths (Royal Exchange, Manchester). Once again, the Finborough Theatre is the only unfunded theatre to win a Pearson bursary.
This is the third award to be won by the Finborough Theatre in the past month –
Laura Wade (also winner of the Pearson bursary as Finborough Theatre Playwright-in-Residence in 2004/05) has won the Pearson Best Play Award for Breathing Corpses. The Pearson Best Play award is awarded for the best play written by a Pearson bursary holder for the previous year.
The Empty Space Peter Brook Award’s newly created Dan Crawford Pub Theatre Award was won by the Finborough Theatre in November.
23 year old James Graham was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. His first play Coal not Dole! played at the Edinburgh Festival in 2002 and subsequently toured the North of England. He was recently appointed Playwright-in-Residence at the Finborough Theatre after developing Albert’s Boy with the Finborough Theatre over the past two years.
Laura Wade’s plays include Colder Than Here (Soho Theatre and New York) and Breathing Corpses (Royal Court). She is also joint winner of the prestigious George Devine Award. She made her London debut at the Finborough Theatre (and remains as Playwright-in-Residence) in 2003 after being commissioned by Artistic Director Neil McPherson to adapt W.H. Davies’ Young Emma which won a Time Out Critics’ Choice in a production directed by Tamara Harvey.
