The acclaimed Chichester Festival Theatre production Goodnight Mr Tom comes to the West End for a 9 week season from 22 November – 26 January before embarking on a 9 week UK Tour with Oliver Ford Davies reprising his role as Mister Tom. This marks the first new production in the Phoenix Theatre for over 20 years after Blood Brothers recently announced it's closure.
The tour will begin on 28 January 2013 at Manchester Opera House. The production will then tour to Sunderland Empire, Milton Keynes Theatre, Brighton Theatre Royal, York Grand Opera House, Woking New Victoria Theatre, Southend Palace Theatre, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Glasgow King’s Theatre and Birmingham Alexandra. You can find all the tour information at the end of this article.
Set during the dark and dangerous build up to the Second World War, Goodnight Mister Tom follows sad William Beech, who is evacuated to the idyllic English countryside and builds a remarkable and moving friendship with the elderly recluse Tom Oakley. All seems perfect until William is devastatingly summoned by his mother back to London.
Goodnight Mister Tom won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and was commended for the Carnegie Medal. Now a world-wide literary favourite and BAFTA award-winning TV film (starring John Thaw), it continues to inspire audiences and bring generations together.
Oliver Ford Davies will reprise his role as Mister Tom. He is one of the UK’s best known and most highly respected actors, having appeared in numerous stage, television and film productions. He recently appeared in the film The Deep Blue Sea alongside Rachel Weiss, and has appeared in three of the Star Wars films. On television as well as appearing in popular favourites like Rosemary and Thyme, Midsomer Murders and Spooks, he also played the role of Maester Cressen in the award winning HBO series Game of Thrones. On stage he has appeared numerous times at the National Theatre and in 26 productions for the RSC. He has been nominated for Olivier Awards three times, winning The Best Actor Award for his role in Racing Demon at the National Theatre.
Author Michelle Magorian was inspired to write Goodnight Mister Tom after hearing her mother’s tales about her time as a nurse in the war. Published in 1981, it has been translated into 11 languages and won awards in the UK, America and Australia. Her latest novel Just Henry won the Costa Award for children’s fiction in 2008 and in 2011 was adapted into a TV film starring Sheila Hancock.
Goodnight Mister Tom is adapted for the stage by David Wood OBE, the country’s leading writer and director of plays and musicals for children. David’s other productions in the UK this Christmas include his Olivier nominated production of The Tiger Who Came For Tea (currently playing in the West End and to tour in November), James and the Giant Peach (at The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham from November), Tom’s Midnight Garden (at The Bloomsbury Theatre, London in December) and George’s Marvelous Medicine (at The Corn Exchange, Cambridge in December).
The production is directed by Angus Jackson, who is an associate director at Chichester Festival Theatre. His production of The Browning Version recently won great critical acclaim in its double bill with South Downs in the West End. His other productions for Chichester Festival Theatre include Bingo which starred Patrick Stewart, Wallenstein, Funny Girl, Carousel and most recently Canvas. He has worked at the National Theatre (The Power of Yes and Elmina’s Kitchen) and Sheffield Crucible (Promises Promises, Sexual Perversity in Chicago and The Shawl).
28 January – 2 February 2013
Manchester Opera House
www.manchesteroperahouse.org.uk/
4 February – 9 February 2013
Sunderland Empire
www.sunderlandempire.org.uk/
11 February – 16 February 2013
Milton Keynes Theatre
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/
18 February – 23 February 2013
Brighton Theatre Royal
www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton/
25 February – 2 March 2013
York Grand Opera House
www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york/
4 March – 9 March 2013
Woking New Victoria Theatre
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre/
11 March – 16 March 2013
Southend Palace Theatre
www.palacetheatresouthend.co.uk/
25 March – 30 March 2013
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
www.atgtickets.com/venues/aylesbury-waterside-theatre/
1 April – 6 April 2013
Glasgow Kings Theatre
www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre/ Tickets on sale 6 September 2012
8 April – 13 April 2013
Birmingham Alexandra
www.alexandratheatre.org.uk/
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