The National Theatre of Scotland and Royal Lyceum Theatre present
SCOTTISH PREMIÈRE
A Doll’s House
By Henrik Ibsen, in a version by Zinnie Harris
Directed by Graham McLaren
Set design by Robert Innes Hopkins, lighting design by Tim Mitchell, sound design by Nick Sagar
Cast includes Robert Cavanah, Amy Manson, Brian McCardie, Lucianne McEvoy, Kevin McMonagle, Sharon Young
At the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh from 16 April to 4 May 2013
Press Performance: Wednesday 17 April at 7.45pm
FOLLOWING the success of the critically-acclaimed production The Guid Sisters in 2012, the National Theatre of Scotland is delighted to be working in partnership again with the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh to bring this new version of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House to the Scottish stage for the first time.
A stellar cast of Scottish performers have been assembled with the lead role of Nora being played by Amy Manson.
This will mark Amy’s return to the Lyceum where she won Best Performance (Female) in 2008 for her role in Six Characters in Search of an Author at the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland. Since then she has gone on to enjoy success in British film and television.
A Doll’s House caused outrage both in its style and content when first staged in 1879. Zinnie Harris has transposed her version from late 19th-century Norway to Edwardian London and shifted the tale of intrigue, fraud and betrayal from the world of finance to that of politics.
Her version has strong contemporary resonances, revealing a world where duty, power and hypocrisy rule and brings modern sensibilities to bear on Nora’s marriage, at the heart of the play.
This version premiered at the Donmar Warehouse in 2009, opening in the same week as the MP’s expenses scandal hit the headlines reflecting the play’s topical relevance.
Zinnie is a leading a playwright, screenwriter and theatre director.
For the National Theatre of Scotland she wrote The Wheel, presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2011, winning a Fringe First and Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Theatre Award.
The Wheel is also set to the open the 2013/14 season at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago this September.
She also adapted and directed Julie for the Company, a new version of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie, which toured Scotland in 2006. Other plays include The Panel, The Garden, Fall, Solstice, Midwinter, Nightingale and Chase , Further than the Furthest Thing, winner of the Peggy Ramsay Foundation Award (1999), a Fringe First and a John Whiting Award (2000) and By Many Wounds.
Directing work includes While You Lie, The Garden (Traverse), Solstice, Midwinter (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Dealer’s Choice (Tron).
Television credits include Born with Two Mothers, Richard is my Boyfriend and Spooks.
She is currently an Associate Artist at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and is currently working on a Children’s novel and a new play for the Royal Court Theatre, London.
Graham McLaren is an associate director at the National Theatre of Scotland.
His production of Great Expectations is currently enjoying a successful run at the Vaudeville Theatre in London’s West End. Graham’s award-winning production of A Christmas Carol has sold-out successively in Scotland over the last two years, delighting audiences at The Old Kirk, Kirkcaldy in December 2012 and at Film City, Govan in December 2011.
The production won Best Production and Best Ensemble at the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland last year.
His acclaimed production of Men Should Weep enjoyed a sell-out run at the Citizens Theatre and a successful Scottish tour in 2011.
Amy Manson’s forthcoming and recent film credits include Not Another Happy Ending (2013) with Karen Gillan; playing the lead role in January (2013) and Harrigan (2012) with Stephen Tompkinson. Recent and forthcoming television credits include Raw, an Irish drama television series (2013); Young James Herriot (2011); Misfits (2011); Being Human (2010); Outcasts (2010); Desperate Romantics (2009) and Casualty (2008/09).
She has also featured in the highly successful spin-off Doctor Who series, Torchwood (2007).
Brian McCardie will take the role of Nora’s adversary, Neil Kelman (Krogstad). Brian has had an extensive career in film, stage and television.
He is well known for his role in Rob Roy (1994) and recent/forthcoming productions he has appeared in include The Damned United (2009) directed by Tom Hooper and Filth (2013) adapted from the Irvine Welsh novel.
Recent and forthcoming television credits include M.I. High (2013); Doors Open (2012) a TV movie adapted from the Ian Rankin novel; Titanic (2012).
Lucianne McEvoy will play the role of Christine (Mrs. Linde), Nora’s old friend and confidant. She recently appeared in the National Theatre of Scotland’s The Making of Us, (part of the Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art, 2012) and Instructions for a Butterfly Collector with Òran Mór, Traverse and National Theatre.
She has also previously worked with Graham McLaren and the Royal Lyceum on Blood and Ice (2003).
Robert Cavanah will play Thomas (Torvald), Nora’s husband and member of the British Government’s Cabinet. Robert is a prolific actor, director, writer and producer and has an extensive career in film, stage and television.
He is well known for playing the role of Tommy Grant in EastEnders (2004) and Heathcliff in a television British television production of Wuthering Heights with Orla Brady and Peter Davison (1998).
Recent television credits include the TV series The Borgias (2011) and the TV mini-series Hatfields & McCoys (2012). Recent theatre credits include Men Should Weep by the Royal National Theatre, London (2010/2011) and MacBeth at Octagon Theatre, Bolton (2012).
Sharon Young will play the role of Annie (Anne-Marie), Thomas and Nora Vaughan’s maid. Sharon’s theatre credits include New Year, New Futures (2008) by Traverse Theatre Company and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Peer Gynt by the National Theatre of Scotland and Dundee Rep Theatre (2007).
Lastly, Kevin McMonagle will play the role of Dr Rank, a close friend of the Vaughan family. Recent theatre credits for Kevin include Twelfth Night by Royal Shakespeare Company (2012) and Kin by the Royal Court (2010).
He has worked previously with Graham McLaren on Educating Agnes (L’ecolle des Femme) by Theatre Babel (2008) and has also performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Anna Karenina (2005) and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (2003).
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Venue: Royal Lyceum Theatre, 30b Grindlay Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9AX
Dates and times: Tuesday – Saturday, 7.45pm/ Matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays, 2.30pm
Preview: Tuesday 16 April, 7.45pm
Press performance: Wednesday 17 April, 7.45pm
Tickets: www.lyceum.org.uk/dolls / Box Office: 0131 248 4848
Ticket prices: £14.50-£29
Accessible performances:
Captioned performance on Saturday on 4 May at 2.30pm
Audio-described performance on Thursday 25 April at 7.45pm and Saturday 27 April at 2.30pm
BSL interpreted on Wednesday 1 May 7.45pm
Post show discussion: Tuesday 23 April, 745pm
For further information contact:
Emma Schad, Press Manager
Tel: +44 (0)141 227 9016 / +44 (0)7930 308018 E: emma.schad@nationaltheatrescotland.com
Clare McCormack – Press Officer
Tel: +44 (0)141 227 9497/ +44 (0)7989 950871 E: clare.mccormack@nationaltheatrescotland.com
For press tickets please contact:
Michelle Mangan on 0131 248 4822/mmangan@lyceum.org.uk
You can follow the National Theatre of Scotland’s press office on Twitter @NTS_press
Join in the conversation with #NTSDollsHouse
Press images
There is a selection of images for current productions available for download from www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/press – please contact the press office for a password
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- Since its launch in February 2006, the National Theatre of Scotland has been involved in creating 189 productions in 162 different locations. With no building of its own, the company takes theatre all over Scotland and beyond, working with existing and new venues and companies to create and tour theatre of the highest quality. It takes place in the great buildings of Scotland, but also in site-specific locations, airports and tower blocks, community halls and drill halls, ferries and forests. The company has performed to over 830,000 people across four continents. The company is funded by the Scottish Government. www.nationaltheatrescotland.com
- The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company, or the Lyceum as it is fondly known, is one of Scotland’s leading producing drama companies. Established in 1965 it has gained a reputation for excellence in both classical and contemporary work. It is committed to developing the country’s considerable indigenous talents while presenting the best of international drama to the public. The Lyceum aims to reach a wide audience, whatever their age or experience of theatre going, and to enable them to access the richly imaginative world of drama. The Lyceum Theatre Company has worked with co-producers across the country including The Bush, London, the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, National Theatre of Scotland, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Nottingham Playhouse, Horsecross Arts, Vanishing Point Theatre Company, Stellar Quines, Dundee Rep Theatre and Vox Motus. http://www.lyceum.org.uk/
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