PRESS RELEASE – Thursday 21 September 2017 IMAGES CAN BE DOWNLOADED here Twitter/ Facebook / website Casting announced for Daniel Kehlmann’s CHRISTMAS EVE At Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio • NIAMH CUSACK AND PATRICK BALADI WILL STAR IN DANIEL KEHLMANN’S CHRISTMAS EVE, TRANSLATED BY CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON AND DIRECTED BY LAURENCE BOSWELL • FORMS PART OF THE USTINOV STUDIO’S SEASON OF INTERNATIONAL UK PREMIERES • PRODUCTION WILL RUN FROM 19 OCTOBER – 18 NOVEMBER, WITH PRESS NIGHT ON 25 OCTOBER Theatre Royal Bath announces full casting for Christmas Eve, which today begins rehearsals. Niamh Cusack will play philosophy professor Judith and Patrick Baladi will play police officer Thomas. The new thriller is the latest play from multi-award winning writer Daniel Kehlmann and will be directed by Laurence Boswell, in a translation by Christopher Hampton. The production will run at the Ustinov Studio from Thursday 19 October to Saturday 18 November, with opening night for press on Wednesday 25 October. On Christmas Eve 2017, a philosophy professor is on her way to celebrate Christmas when she is bundled into police headquarters and an interrogation room. Opposite her the senior officer is cynical, smart and relentless. Played out in real time, two powerful antagonists are pitted head to head against each other. Both think they are saving their country but only one of them will win. Niamh Cusack (Judith) has recently been seen on screen in feature films including The Ghoul and Testament of Youth. Television credits include Rebellion (RTE / Netflix), The Best of Men (BBC) and The Hollow Crown (BBC). Her extensive theatre work includes The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (National Theatre and West End), Playboy of the Western World, Cause Celebre and Dancing at Lughnasa (The Old Vic), The Enchantment, His Dark Materials (National Theatre) and Breathing Corpses (Royal Court). Patrick Baladi (Thomas) is known for his television roles which include Neil Godwin in The Office, Stephen Holmes in Marcella, Michael Jackson in Stella and Jimmy Lakewell in Line of Duty. Theatre credits include Loyalty (Hampstead Theatre), Albert Speer, Battle Royal (National Theatre) and Camino Real (RSC). Daniel Kehlmann is a German-language author whose novel Measuring the World, sold three million copies in Germany alone and has been translated into more than 40 languages. Christopher Hampton previously translated Florian Zeller’s play The Father for the Ustinov Studio, launching its international success. He won an Academy Award for the adaptation of his own play, Dangerous Liaisons. Laurence Boswell is an Olivier Award winner, Artistic Director of the Ustinov Studio and an Associate Artist of the RSC. His recent productions include The Mentor, A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Theatre Royal’s Main House, and Trouble in Mind, The Mother, Intimate Apparel and The Spanish Golden Age Season in the Ustinov Studio. Christmas Eve is the first play in the Ustinov Studio’s season of International UK Premieres. It will be followed by Will Eno’s The Open House, directed by Michael Boyd, which will run from Thursday 23 November to Saturday 23 December. For further information please contact THE CORNER SHOP PR on 0207 831 7657 Francesca Hoare [email protected] | Lewis Jenkins [email protected] | Su-Ann Chow-Seegoolam [email protected] Images Images available to download here UPDATED LISTINGS Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath, BA1 1ET Box Office: 01225 448844 Website: www.theatreroyal.org.uk Facebook: TheatreRoyalBath Twitter: @TheatreRBath Christmas Eve By Daniel Kehlmann In a translation by Christopher Hampton Directed by Laurence Boswell Dates: Thursday 19 October – Saturday 18 November Press Night: Wednesday 25 October, 7pm* Performance schedule: Mon – Sat 7.45pm, Matinees Thu & Sat 2.30pm Tickets: £22.50 / £17.50 discounts (Preview Perfs and Mondays, all seats £15) *Please note new press night date .