Ex-Coronation Street star Charlie Condou is to star in the UK premiere of the Tony nominated Broadway comedy drama Next Fall.
Next Fall, by award-winning writer Geoffrey Nauffts, will play at Southwark Playhouse from Wednesday 24 September - Saturday 25 October.
Next Fall is directed by Luke Sheppard, whose critically acclaimed production of In The Heights was a sold-out smash hit at Southwark Playhouse earlier this year.
Next Fall portrays the ups and downs of Adam and Luke’s long term relationship and how they make it work - despite their differences. Luke is devoutly religious, while Adam is an atheist. However, following an unexpected accident which changes everything, Adam must turn to Luke’s family and friends for support…and answers. This timely and compelling new American play goes beyond a typical love story and paints a beautiful and funny portrait of modern romance, questioning commitment, faith and unconditional love.
Next Fall opened in New York in 2009 to huge critical acclaim before transferring to the Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway in 2010, where it was produced by Sir Elton John and David Furnish.
Geoffrey Nauffts won the John Gassner Award at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best New American Play for Next Fall. The play was also nominated for Outstanding Play at the Drama Desk Awards (2010), Outstanding New Broadway Play at the Outer Critics Circle Awards (2010) and Best Play at the Tony Awards (2010).
Charlie Condou (who plays Adam) became a household name playing series regular Marcus Dent in the ITV dramaCoronation Street. His theatre credits include: Dying for It (Almedia Theatre), The Changeling (Southwark Playhouse),Shopping & F***ing (No 1 tour), Cracked (Hampstead Theatre), After The Rain (Gate Theatre). On TV he played Renoir in the BBC drama The Impressionists and had guest roles as Nino in Gimme, Gimme, Gimme and Giles in Dead Babies.
“This artful, thoughtful and very moving story proceeds with the stinging breeziness of a cosmopolitan comedy... but is an intellectual stealth bomb” Ben Brantley, The New York Times
The rest of the cast are:
Nancy Crane (Chimerica, Almedia Theatre & West End; Vieux Carre, King’s Head; The Children’s Hour, West End; Design For Living, Old Vic; Love The Sinner, National Theatre; The Sweetest Swing In Baseball and The Strip, both Royal Court;Angels In America, National Theatre).
Ben Cura (Viva Forever, West End; La Forza Del Destino, Opera de Marseilles. Film credits include: Creditors, Dream On, The Devil’s Violinist, Comes A Bright Day and Trance).
Martin Delaney who plays Luke: (The Ministry Of Pleasure, Latchmere Theatre; Local Boy, Hampstead Theatre; Oliver!, West End; Peter Pan, Cambridge Theatre. On TV he was young Da Vinci in Da Vinci’s
Demons. On film he was in Zero Dark Thirty, directed by Kathryn Bigelow; Flags of our Fathers, directed by Clint Eastwood; and he had the lead the Judas Ghost. He will be seen next as Tony in Amar, Akbar & Tony, a film produced by Victoria Wood.
Mitchell Mullen (A Bunch of Amateurs, Watermill; Superior Donuts, and The Hairy Ape, both Southwark Playhouse; The Shawshank Redemption, West End; August: Osage County, National Theatre; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Apollo Theatre/US national tour).
Sirine Saba (Holy Warriors, Antony & Cleopatra, The Globe; The Keepers Of Infinite Space, Park Theatre; The Winter’s Tale, Regent’s Park; Beauty And The Beast and Pericles, both RSC; Scorched,
Old Vic Tunnels; Nation, National Theatre).
Geoffrey Nauffts (Writer) spent the first half of his career working as an actor both on and off Broadway, regionally, and extensively in film and television. He went on to direct short plays by Kenneth Lonergan, Frank Pugliese, David Marshall Grant, Theresa Rebeck and Suzan-Lori Parks, as well as the critically acclaimed production of Steven Belber’s Tape in New York, Los Angeles and London. As a writer, his credits include: Baby Steps, an award-winning short film starring Kathy Bates; Jenifer, a CBS movie of the week; two seasons on ABC’s Brothers and Sisters; the Golden Globe nominated miniseries, Political Animals; and he’s currently writing for Nashville on ABC. His play Next Fall received the Outer Circle Critics’ John Gasner Award in 2010 for Best New American Play, and was nominated for a Drama League, Outer Circle Critics, Drama Desk, and Tony Award for best play. He is the former artistic director of Naked Angels, the acclaimed off-Broadway theatre company, where he’s been a proud member for over 25 years.
Luke Sheppard (Director) recently directed the European premiere of In The Heights (Southwark Playhouse) and he continues as Associate Director for Matilda in the West End and on Broadway, having been with the RSC production since Stradford-Upon-Avon. Future projects include the new musical adaptation of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4for Leicester Curve.
David Woodhead (Designer) returns to Southwark Playhouse where he was named Best Costume Designer at the 2014 Off West End Theatre Awards and was nominated for Best Set & Costume Design at the 2014 broadwayworld.com Awards forTitanic.
Howard Hudson (Lighting Designer) received the 2011, 2012 & 2014 Off West End Award for Best Lighting Design. His previous showscat Southwark Playhoise include In the Heights, Three Sisters, Titanic, Victor Victoria, Mack & Mabel, Parade, The Illusion, Billy Budd, Four Nights in Knaresborough.
Sound Designer David Gregory
Casting Director Sophie Parrott
James Quaife Productions (Producer)
James Quaife is an independent theatre producer and general manager working in the West End and Off-West-End. Productions include: Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire starring Imelda Staunton (Noel Coward Theatre); Barking In Essex by Clive Exton starring Lee Evans, Sheila Hancock and Keeley Hawes (Wyndham’s Theatre - WhatsOnStage nomination for Best New Comedy and Evening Standard Theatre Awards nomination for Best Night Out); Happy Never Afterby Hannah Rodger (Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013, Pleasance Courtyard), Step 9 (of 12) by Rob Hayes starring Blake Harrison (Trafalgar Studios); the world premiere of Happy Never After by Hannah Rodger and People Like Us by Jake Brunger (Pleasance Theatre, London) and the London premiere of Precious Little Talent by Ella Hickson starring Olivia Hallinan (Trafalgar Studios - 2011 London Theatre Award for Best New Play). In 2013 James was awarded a Stage One Start Up Fund for the West End production Barking In Essex and in 2011 he was awarded a Stage One Producer’s Bursary for his production of Step 9 (of 12).
David Adkin Limited (Co-Producer)
David Adkin Limited is a London based theatrical production and management company.
Current/recent projects include: Arcadia (Stowe); Sweeney Todd (Twickenham); Little Shop of Horrors (Stowe); Our Friends, The Enemy (UK Tour 2014) and That Face (Landor). Previous Producing Credits include: Up4aMeet? starring X Factor’s Lloyd Daniels (UK Tour); The UK premiere of The Agony & The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs (Waterloo East), Our House The Musical – 10th Anniversary Concert starring Suggs, Tameka Empson, Alistair McGowan and Wendi Peters, directed by Matthew Warchus (Savoy Theatre); Up4aMeet? starring Dancing on Ice’s Matt Evers (Waterloo East); Holmes & Watson: The Farewell Tour (Courtyard Theatre, London & Edinburgh Fringe 2012) and searchforatwitterstarLIVE featuring performances from Jon Boydon, Louise Dearman and Kerry Ellis (Lyric Theatre). David Adkin is also the Producer/General Manager for the Arts at Stowe programme at Stowe School.
