PRESS RELEASE – 25 July, 2019

IMAGES CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

HEDDA TESMAN

• FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF HEDDA TESMAN WRITTEN BY CORDELIA LYNN, AFTER HENRIK IBSEN AND DIRCTED BY HOLLY RACE ROUGHAN

• A CO-PRODUCTION WITH CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE AND THE LOWRY

• THE PRODUCTION WILL RUN AT CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE FROM 30 AUGUST – 28 SEPTEMBER AND AT THE LOWRY FROM 3 – 19 OCTOBER

• TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW

Headlong today announce the full cast for Hedda Tesman which will receive its world premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre before playing at The Lowry, Salford.

Leading the cast is the previously announced Haydn Gwynne in the title role of Hedda. She is joined by Anthony Calf as George Tesman, Jonathan Hyde as Brack, Jacqueline Clarke as Julie Tesman, Natalie Simpson as Thea Tesman, Irfan Shamji as Elijah and Rebecca Oldfield as Bertha.

Hedda Tesman, by Cordelia Lynn, breathes new life into Ibsen’s classic, asking what we inherit, what we endure and how we carry our history. Headlong’s Associate Director Holly Race Roughan directs this vital exploration of motherhood, power and sabotage. Completing the creative team are designer Anna Fleischle, lighting designer Zoe Spurr, composer Ruth Chan and sound designer George Dennis.

A doting husband. A troubled writer. A loaded gun. It’s 2019 and Hedda Tesman returns to a life she can’t seem to escape. After thirty years of playing wife, Hedda is bitter and bored. When her estranged daughter, Thea, suddenly reappears asking for help, the present begins to echo the past and Hedda embarks on a path of destruction.

Cordelia Lynn was the recipient of the 2017 Harold Pinter Commission. Her writing credits include Three Sisters (), One for Sorrow and Lela and Co (Royal Court) and the libretto for Miranda (Opéra Comique, Paris). Her plays Best Served Cold (Vaults Festival) and Believers Anonymous (Rosemary Branch) were both directed by Holly Race Roughan.

Haydn Gwynne’s stage credits include The Way of The World (Donmar Warehouse), (RSC), (National Theatre), A Little Night Music (Huntington Theatre Boston), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Playhouse Theatre, West End), (Gielgud Theatre, West End), The Memory of Water (Hampstead), Richard III (Old Vic/BAM New York), Becky Shaw (Almeida Theatre), Billy Elliot: The Musical (West End, Broadway). Television credits include (NOHO/), The Midnight Gang (BBC) Urban Myths: The Trial of Joan Collins (Sky Arts), (BBC/Amazon), The C Word (BBC), Sherlock (BBC), Rome (BBC), Peak Practise (BBC), Mersey Beat (BBC), (Channel 4), Lewis (ITV), Midsomer Murders (BBC), Silent Witness (BBC), Uncle (Baby Cow Productions). Haydn’s film credits include Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney Pictures), Hunky Dory (Working Title) and Remember Me?

Anthony Calf’s stage credits include Plenty, For Services Rendered, Private Lives, The Deep Blue Sea (Chichester Festival Theatre), Racing Demon (Theatre Royal Bath), (Manchester Royal Exchange), King Charles III (Broadway), The Hard Problem, The White Guard, The Power Of Yes (National Theatre), Fathers and Sons (Donmar Warehouse), Stephen Ward (West End), My Fair Lady (Sheffield Theatres), Death and Maiden (, West End). Television credits include Poldark (BBC), Anne (ITV), Power Monkeys (Channel 4), Call the Midwife (Neal Street/BBC), Dracula (Carnival Productions), Home Fires (ITV), Restless (Romer Films/Endor Productions), Upstairs Downstairs (BBC), New Tricks (Wall to Wall), Lewis (ITV), Identity (ITV), Doc Martin (Buffalo Pictures/ITV) Fashion (Carnival), New Tricks (Wall to Wall), Trinity (BBC), Mistresses (Ecosse Films for BBC). Anthony’s film credits include (Amazon Studios/BBC2), The Children Act (BBC Films), The Man Who Knew Infinity (Animus Films), Anna Karenina (Icon Entertainment), Dead Cool (Psychology News Ltd), Fairytale (Icon Entertainment), Oxford Blues (Winkast Film Productions), Straightheads (Straightheads Ltd), The Madness of King George (The Samuel Goldwyn Company).

Jonathan Hyde’s Theatre credits include Gently Down the Stream (Park Theatre – Olivier Award Nominated) Frost/Nixon, (Crucible Theatre Sheffield) Travels With My Aunt (Menier Chocolate Factory) The King’s Speech (West End/UKTour) Rattigan’s Nijinsky (Chichester Festival Theatre) Peter Pan (, San Francisco, L.A.) King Lear, (RSC Stratford, World Tour, London), , , Richard 11, Richard 111, , The Roaring Girl, The Swan Down Gloves (RSC) Sleep With Me, Jumpers, , The Real Inspector Hound/ The Critic, The Cherry Orchard (National Theatre) (Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh) Antigone (Old Vic) The Importance of Being Earnest, Mirandolina (Edinburgh Festival – Olivier Nominated) The Good-Humoured Ladies, The Country Wife, Figaro, What the Butler Saw, Masquerade, The Seven Deadly Sins, Woyzeck, The Government Inspector, Sailor Beware, , Romeo & Juliet, Coriolanus, Indians, St. Joan of the Stockyards (Glasgow Citizens Theatre) The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward ( SF Theatre of Liverpool). TV credits include A Very English Scandal (BBC), (FX) Tokyo Trial (Netflix) Trollhunters (Netflix), Shadow of the Noose (BBC), Spooks (BBC), Endeavour (ITV), . Film credits include Titanic, Jumanji, Richie Rich, The Mummy, Caravaggio, Anaconda, The Contract, Breathe, Firstborn, Deadly Advice, and Breathe. Jonathan’s directing credits include In and Out of Love (Almeida Theatre) and In Flanders Fields (Bath International Music Festival, St Magnus Festival).

Jacqueline Clarke’s stage credits include Allelujah! (Bridge Theatre), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (West End), Singin’ In The Rain (UK Tour), Sister Act (UK Tour), Dinnerladies (UK Tour), Marrying the Mistress, The Full Monty, The Shell Seekers, Pool’s Paradise (Mill at Sonning), Harvey; Oliver! (Cameron Mackintosh), Don’t Dress for Dinner, It Runs In The Family (UK Tour), Out of Order, Run for your Wife (Theatre of Comedy), Woman In Mind. Television credits include Doc Martin (ITV), Most Mysterious Murders, Last of the Summer Wine, Murder in Mind, Heartbeat, The Dreamstone, Chish ’n’ Fips, The Young Ones, A Sharp Intake of Breath, Dave Allen at Large, Second Time Around.

Rebecca Oldfield’s stage credits include Phoenix Rising (The Big House), Poppy and George (Watford Palace Theatre), Love Girl & The Innocent (Southwark Playhouse), Worst Wedding Ever (Salisbury Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Faith, Hope and Charity (Southwark Playhouse), Taken and That Almost Unbearable Lust (Soho Theatre), Labour Pains (Bush Theatre). Television credits include Silent Witness, Witless, Doctors, The Silence, III, Afterlife II, Holby City (BBC). Rebecca’s film credits include Edge of Tomorrow, Gecko, Powder Room, Beautality.

Natalie Simpson’s stage credits include The Cardinal winner of the Ian Charleson Award (Southwark Playhouse), Boudica (Shakespeare’s Globe), Honour (Park Theatre), Hamlet, King Lear, Cymbeline (RSC), Measure for Measure (Young Vic), God (Edinburgh Fringe), The Vagina Monologues (Bloomsbury Theatre). Television credits include Mallorca Files (Cosmopolitan Pictures), Outlander (Starz!), Les Miserables (Lookout Point for BBC). Natalie’s film credits include 23 Walks and Tula: The Revolt.

Irfan Shamji’s stage credits include Mayfly (Orange Tree Theatre), One for Sorrow (Royal Court), Dance Nation (Almeida). Television credits include Urban Myths (Sky Arts), Informer (BBC), Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix). Irfan’s film credits include Red Joan and Murder on the Orient Express.

Holly Race Roughan’s directing credits include Prurience (Southbank Centre, co- director), Clickbait (Theatre 503), The Low Road (Central School of Speech and Drama), Animal (Gate Theatre/Royal Welsh College of Speech and Drama), Eye of a Needle (Southwark Playhouse), A First World Problem (Theatre503), Pages from my Songbook (Royal Exchange Studio, Manchester), Waiting For Alice (Pleasance Courtyard), After the War (Cambridge ADC Theatre). Associate/Assistant Director credits include Headlong’s People, Places & Things (National Theatre/West End) Status Update (Lyric , Education dept.), Stuff Happens (National Theatre - rehearsed reading), The Cane (National Theatre Studio - R&D), The Shoemaker's Holiday (RSC), Hotel (National Theatre), The Pass (Royal Court), The Birthday Party, A Doll's House, Rats Tales, The Country Wife (Royal Exchange), Three Birds (Bush Theatre/Royal Exchange).

Hedda Tesman is a co-production between Headlong, Chichester Festival Theatre and The Lowry (Week 53).

-ENDS-

For further information please contact The Corner Shop PR on 020 7831 7657 | [email protected] | [email protected]

For press tickets at Chichester, please contact Lucinda Morrison on 01243 812917 | [email protected]

LISTINGS

HEDDA TESMAN

Minerva Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre Oaklands Park, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6AP 30 August – 28 September www.cft.org.uk

The Lowry Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ 03 – 19 October thelowry.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

Headlong Headlong is one of the most ambitious and exciting theatre companies in the UK, creating exhilarating contemporary theatre: a provocative mix of innovative new writing, reimagined classics and influential 20th century plays that illuminate our world. Headlong make bold, ground-breaking productions with some of the UK’s finest artists. We take these industry-leading, award-winning shows around the country and beyond, in theatres and online, attracting new audiences of all ages and backgrounds. We engage as deeply as we can with these communities and this helps us become better at what we do. In 2019 Headlong’s revealing new production of Richard III toured the UK with Tom Mothersdale playing the iconic villain, while Cordelia Lynn’s vital exploration of motherhood, power and sabotage, Hedda Tesman, plays at Chichester Festival Theatre and The Lowry.

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is one of the UK’s flagship theatres, renowned for the exceptionally high standard of its productions as well as its work with the community and young people. Situated in a cathedral city in West Sussex between the South Downs and the sea, the Festival Theatre’s bold thrust stage design makes it one of England’s most striking playhouses, equally suited to epic drama and musicals. Its studio theatre, the Minerva, is particularly noted for premieres of new work alongside intimate revivals. The annual Festival season runs from April to November, during which productions originated at Chichester reach an audience of over 230,000; many transfer to London or tour nationally. Year-round programming continues through the winter with the Theatre presenting high- class touring productions. For more information, visit cft.org.uk

The Lowry The Lowry is an arts organisation based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Home to two galleries, three theatres and Pier Eight bar and restaurant, the venue welcomes more than 830,000 people per year. Working with more than 350 artists and companies it stages more than a 1,000 performances a year. As a registered charity, The Lowry is committed to using visual and performing arts to enrich people’s lives through a diverse programme of performance, events and activities and work with local communities and young people. Named after the artist LS Lowry, the building is home to the world’s largest public collection of his works and has a permanent exhibition on display year-round. The gallery also presents an exciting programme of work by contemporary artists throughout the year. Alongside a programme of work by acclaimed international artists and companies, The Lowry is committed to commissioning exciting, relevant and contemporary productions as part of its biennial Week 53 Festival. In addition, as part of The Lowry’s Artist Development Programme, the organisation provides bespoke pathways that aims to nurture artists and companies at different stages in their practice allowing them to present bold, dynamic and innovative work.

This commission is part of The Lowry’s Week 53 festival Week 53 is The Lowry’s biennial festival for the compulsively curious. During the festival, The Lowry opens its doors to areas of the building normally off-limits to the public with the aim to challenge convention and celebrate creativity. The Festival is all about doing things differently. It is an intervention where the whole organisation pauses, takes a breath and offers the building and the organisation up to artists. It presents work that re-imagines the building, that provokes boundaries and discussions, that blurs the boundaries between art forms and encourages audiences to find places, spaces, work and meaning in the building in a new way. The next Week 53 festival will take place in 2020.