Sean Foley to direct West End productions of The Dresser & The Miser

It has been announced that Sean Foley will direct two plays in the West End.

First will be a revival of Ronald Harwood’s The Dresser. Starring Ken Stott and Reece Shearsmith, the play tells the heart-breaking story of an ageing actor-manager and his long-suffering dresser as they struggle to keep the show on the road against the backdrop of a down-at-heel regional theatre in wartime. 

First performed in 1980 in the West End and on Broadway, the play was in 1983 made into a film starring Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay. The Dresser will open at the Duke of York’s Theatre on 12th October 2016 (previews from 5th October) and run until 14th January 2017, following engagements in Richmond, Brighton and Cheltenham.

Interview: Joe Bannister, starring in A Mad World My Masters

Joe Bannister is starring as Dick Follywit in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of A Mad World My Masters by Thomas Middleton. 

Presented by English Touring Theatre and directed by Sean Foley (I Can’t Sing/Jeeves and Wooster), A Mad World My Masters tours the country between 26th February and 9th May 2015. 

Joe plays Dick Follywit, having understudied the part in the production’s 2013 run in Stratford-upon-Avon. His other RSC credits include: The Witch of Edmonton, Arden of Faversham, The Roaring Girl and Titus Andronicus. 

Joe also played Colin and Frank in Chariots of Fire (Hampstead/Gielgud), Percy Bysshe Shelley in Bloody Poetry (Jermyn Street) and understudied the roles of Phillip and John in Trevor Nunn’s production of The Lion in Winter (Theatre Royal Haymarket). 

I recently spoke to Joe during a break from rehearsals about why he’s excited to be taking on such an gruelling role, Sean Foley’s amazing brain and why he feels like Gene Kelly… 

When you were approached to play Dick Follywit full time was it an easy ‘yes’? 

Yes – it was an easy yes. It’s just such a good part! When I understudied the part we did an understudy run – a one off performance – which is unlike anything else you get to do because it’s one off and people are playing about seven parts. You don’t really know what you’re doing and are just thrown into it, but I enjoyed the understudy run so much because the play is bonkers! The only danger is it not being as good as my memory is of that day! But yes, it was a very easy decision because it’s such a brilliant and hilarious part. It is all singing and all dancing, which is also terrifying, but it’s an exciting thing to get to do. 

Full casting announced for A Mad World My Masters 2015 UK Tour directed by Sean Foley

Full casting has been announced for the Royal Shakespeare Company and English Touring Theatre’s production of Thomas Middleton’s A Mad World My Masters. The show returns in 2015 for an eight venue national tour 

Sean Foley (who has edited the script with Phil Porter) directs with design by Alice Power, lighting by Johanna Town, sound and music by Ben and Max Ringham and choreography by Polly Bennett. Marieke Audsley is the Associate Director, Hannah Miller is the Casting Director and Alison de Burgh  is the Fight Choreographer.

A Mad World My Masters visits: Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (26 – 28 February), Grand Theatre Blackpool (5 – 7 March), Theatre Royal Brighton (10 – 14 March), Malvern Theatres (24 – 28 March),Hall for Cornwall (31 March – 4 April), Theatre Royal Bath (7 – 11 April), Darlington Civic Theatre (14 – 18 April) and Cambridge Arts Theatre (21 – 25 April) before playing a limited run at the Barbican (29 April – 9 May).