Opening Night of PORGY AND BESS at Regents Park Open Air Theatre

Last night, Monday 28 July, was the Opening Night of the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess which runs at Regents Park Open Air Theatre until 23 August. After the show, cast, creative team and invited guests enjoyed a summer drink of Canard Duchêne Champagne on the lawn of Regents Park Open Air Theatre, accompanied by Belly Pork Croquettes with Roasted Corn Cream and Lemon Cone Trees.

Celebrated as a landmark piece of American theatre with iconic songs including ‘Summertime’, ‘I Got Plenty of Nothing’, ‘I Loves You Porgy’ and ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’, Porgy and Bess is directed by Regents Park Open Air Theatre’s Artistic Director Timothy Sheader, with a book adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and a musical score adapted by Diedre L. Murray.

Drawing on talent from both sides of the Atlantic, Rufus Bonds Jr plays Porgy and Nicola Hughes plays Bess, with Phillip Boykin as Crown, Cedric Neal as Sportin’ Life and Olivier Award-winning Sharon D Clarke as Mariah.

FIRST LOOK: Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess at Regents Park Open Air Theatre

Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess runs at Regents Park Open Air Theatre from 17 July to 23 August with Opening Night for press on 28 July. Celebrated as a landmark piece of American theatre with iconic songs including‘Summertime’, ‘I Got Plenty of Nothing’, ‘I Loves You Porgy’ and ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’, Porgy and Bess will be directed by Regents Park Open Air Theatre’s Artistic Director Timothy Sheader, with a book adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and a musical score adapted byDiedre L. Murray.

Drawing on talent from both sides of the Atlantic, Rufus Bonds Jr plays Porgy and Nicola Hughes plays Bess, with Phillip Boykin as Crown, Cedric Neal as Sportin’ Life and Olivier Award-winning Sharon D Clarke as Mariah.

The full cast of Porgy and Bess also includes David Albury, Angela Caesar, Jade Ewen, Alex Giannini, Owain Gwynn, Tyrone Huntley, George Ikediashi, Claudia Kariuki, Arthur Kyeyune, Oliver Lidert, Leon Lopez, Jay Marsh, Tania Mathurin, Ellen O’Grady, Golda Rosheuvel, Yemie Sonuga and Marvin Springer.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre presents Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS

Rehearsals have now started, for  the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess which will run at Regents Park Open Air Theatre from 17 July to 23 August with Opening Night for press on 28 July. Celebrated as a landmark piece of American theatre with iconic songs including‘Summertime’, ‘I Got Plenty of Nothing’, ‘I Loves You Porgy’ and ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’, Porgy and Bess will be directed by Regents Park Open Air Theatre’s Artistic Director Timothy Sheader, with a book adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and a musical score adapted byDiedre L. Murray.

Drawing on talent from both sides of the Atlantic, Rufus Bonds Jr plays Porgy and Nicola Hughes plays Bess, with Phillip Boykin as Crown, Cedric Neal as Sportin’ Life and Olivier Award-winning Sharon D Clarke as Mariah.

The full cast of Porgy and Bess also includes David Albury, Angela Caesar, Jade Ewen, Alex Giannini, Owain Gwynn, Tyrone Huntley, George Ikediashi, Claudia Kariuki, Arthur Kyeyune, Oliver Lidert, Leon Lopez, Jay Marsh, Tania Mathurin, Ellen O’Grady, Golda Rosheuvel, Yemie Sonuga and Marvin Springer.

Lead cast announced for Regents Park PORGY AND BESS and HOBSON'S CHOICE

Nicola Hughes 

Today, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has confirmed lead casting for Hobson’s Choice and the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. Mark Benton will play Henry Hobson in Hobson’s Choice, with Jodie McNee as his daughter Maggie. Rufus Bonds Jr and Nicola Hughes play the title roles in Porgy and Bess with Phillip Boykin re-creating his Tony Award nominated performance as Crown, and Sharon D Clarke as Mariah.

Mark Benton is best known for his television roles in Early Doors, Northern Lights and Waterloo Road. His stage credits include Richard III (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Front Page (Donmar Warehouse), A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Nottingham Playhouse) and the 2013 UK tour of Hairspray. In September 2013 Mark was a popular contestant on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Jodie McNee has previously appeared in King Lear (Shakespeare’s Globe), Twelfth Night (Liverpool Everyman), The Empty Quarter (Hampstead Theatre) and A Life of Galileo, Written on the Heart and Measure for Measure (Royal Shakespeare Company).

Hobson’s Choice will run from 12 June to 12 July and will be directed by Nadia Fall whose credits include The Doctor’s Dilemma and Home (National Theatre) and Disgraced (Bush Theatre). The set and costumes will be designed by Ben Stones whose credits include Creditors (Donmar Warehouse), The Kitchen Sink (Bush Theatre), and Doctor Faustus (Royal Exchange) for which he won the MEN Best Design Award 2011.

Rufus Bonds Jr is an American actor who has appeared in The Color Purple (US National Tour), Disney’s The Lion King (US National Tour) and the original Broadway production of Parade for which he was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.

Nicola Hughes revisits the role of Bess following her Olivier Award nominated performance in Trevor Nunn’s 2006 production at the Savoy Theatre. Her stage credits also include The Color Purple (Menier Chocolate Factory), Fosse (Prince of Wales Theatre / Olivier Award nomination), and Velma Kelly inChicago (Adelphi Theatre).

Porgy and Bess will also star Phillip Boykin who will reprise the role of Crown, for which he received Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for the 2012 Broadway production (Tony Award, Best Revival of a Musical). Double-Laurence Olivier Award nominee Sharon D Clarke, whose credits include We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre), Ghost (Piccadilly Theatre) and The Amen Corner (National Theatre), will play the role of Mariah.

Rufus Bonds Jr and Phillip Boykin are appearing with the permission of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes’ Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity.

Celebrated as a landmark piece of American theatre, the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess will run from 17 July to 23 August, directed by Timothy Sheader, with a book adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and a musical score adapted by Diedre L. Murray. The set and costume will be designed by Katrina Lindsaywhose credits include Table and London Road (both National Theatre), Cabaret (West End and UK Tour), and Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Broadway) for which she won the 2008 Tony, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award for Best Costume Design. Choreography will be by Liam Steel whose credits include the musical staging and choreography for the film of Les Misérables and at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, co-directed and choreographed Into the Woods which was remounted at the Delacorte Theatre in New York’s Central Park in 2012.

Further casting for the season will be announced shortly. 

Hannah Levane | Interview

Hannah Levane trained at the BRIT School of Performing Arts before going on to train at Arts Educational. Her credits include Keisha in Flashdance, Teacher and Alternate Killer Queen in We Will Rock You, Taylor in Disney's Tour of High School Musical and Annie and covering the roles of Bess and Clara in Porgy and Bess. She is currently about to embark on a UK Tour playing Michelle and covering the lead role of Deloris Van Carter. I was lucky enough to catch up with her before the Tour starts for a chat...

You've been performing for a few years now, but what age did you realise that you wanted to perform?
I was taken to all different types of shows as a kid back in the days when kids went free a lot of the time it was a great way of my mum and I enjoying something together, I saw operas and plays, ballets, concerts and big west end shows as well, I remember being about 6 or 7 and asking my mum after seeing a show once "do people earn money doing that" she said yes, and told me that some people make a great life from doing it and are actors all their lives. I remember thinking yes please that's the life for me and I told her so straight away. "mummy I'm going to do that, I'm going to be an actor".