PRESS RELEASE – 23 February 2018 IMAGES CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE Twitter/ Facebook / Instagram / Website Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Rebecca Stafford Productions present Witness for the Prosecution By Agatha Christie EastEnders’ Harry Reid to make stage debut as Leonard Vole in the new cast of Witness for the Prosecution He is joined by Lucy Phelps as Romaine, Richard Clothier as Sir Wilfrid Robarts, Julian Curry as Mr Justice Wainwright and Peter Moreton as Mr Mayhew Philip Franks continues in the role of Mr Myers This hit production of Agatha Christie’s classic play has now been seen by over 55,000 people and is currently booking in the spectacular Chamber inside London County Hall to 16 September 2018 Images are available to download here Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Rebecca Stafford Productions are today delighted to announce the new cast for Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie, starring television actor Harry Reid as the accused, Leonard Vole. Reid is best known for most recently playing character Ben Mitchell for nearly four years on BBC1’s EastEnders. Reid will be joined by Lucy Phelps (Call the Midwife, Anthony & Cleopatra, King Charles III) as Romaine, Richard Clothier (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Graduate) as Sir Wilfrid Robarts, Julian Curry (The Alchemist, Rumpole of the Bailey) will play Mr Justice Wainwright and Peter Moreton (The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare in Love) who will be playing Mr Mayhew. Philip Franks (Art, Noises Off, Darling Buds of May) continues in the role of Mr Myers, along with returning cast members Richard Attlee, Jules Melvin and Hywel Simons. Also joining the company will be Charlotte Blackledge, Molly Jackson-Shaw, Parys Jordon, Tyler South, Antoinette Tagoe and Matt Weyland. The new company will begin performances on Tuesday 27 March 2018. This major new production of Agatha Christie’s classic courtroom play has been nominated for Best Revival at the 2018 WhatsOnStage Awards, after capturing the imagination of audiences who have experienced the drama inside the unique setting of County Hall’s ornate Chamber. Director Lucy Bailey (Love From A Stranger, The Graduate, Titus Andronicus) thrillingly places the audience in the thick of the action, with some even watching from the jury box, as this gripping tale of justice, passion and betrayal unfolds around them. Leonard Vole is accused of murdering a widow to inherit her wealth. The stakes are high. Will Leonard survive the shocking witness testimony? Will he be able to convince the jury of his innocence and escape the hangman’s noose? Witness for the Prosecution is currently booking until 16 September 2018. The production is designed by William Dudley, with lighting by Chris Davey and sound design by Mic Pool. - ENDS - For further information please contact Hannah Barnett Leveson at The Corner Shop PR on 020 7831 7657 or email [email protected] NOTES TO EDITORS Images are available to download here The trailer is available here NEW CAST BIOGRAPHIES RICHARD ATTLEE – CARTER/ DR WYATT Richard is best known for playing Kenton in The Archers on Radio 4. His theatre credits include: Sleuth (Watermill Newbury), The Way of the World (Sheffield Crucible), Arthur and George (Birmingham Rep), Calendar Girls (Noel Coward Theatre), Macbeth, Twelfth Night (Shakespeare’s Globe), Present Laughter (Theatre Royal Bath) and War and Peace (Shared Experience). He has toured internationally with the English Shakespeare Company and the Kosh and worked in Rep at York, Chester and Exeter. T.V and Film credits include My Mad Fat Diary, Silent Witness, Midsomer Murders, The I.T. Crowd, My Week with Marilyn, Topsy-Turvy and Mrs. Brown’s Boys D’Movie. CHARLOTTE BLACKLEDGE – GRETA/ MRS CLEGG Charlotte most recently appeared in The Soulless Ones (Hammer House of Horror/ Hoxton Hall). Prior to that her theatre credits include the role of Nancy in Gaslight (UK Tour), and her West End credits include The Importance of Being Earnest and Stephen Ward. RICHARD CLOTHIER – SIR WILFRID ROBARTS Richard previously worked with Director Lucy Bailey on The Graduate (West Yorkshire Playhouse/ Leicester Curve) where he played Mr Robinson. Further extensive theatre credits include The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures and Enlightenment (Hampstead Theatre), The One That Got Away, The Mother and Play Strindberg (All Ustinov, Theatre Royal Bath), King Lear (National Theatre), The Way of the World (Chichester Festival Theatre), Richard III & The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice (Propeller UK/ International Tour), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Salisbury Playhouse), For Services Rendered (Watermill Theatre), And Then There Were None (West End), The Tempest (Sheffield Crucible). Film and television credits include Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, New Tricks, Henry V, Above Suspicion, Law & Order, Spooks, Kingdom and Foyle’s War. JULIAN CURRY – MR JUSTICE WAINWRIGHT Julian is best remembered for playing series regular, Claude Erskine-Browne in ITV's Rumpole of the Bailey. Onstage his many theatre credits include Love (Lyric Hammersmith), Kismet (English National Opera), The Alchemist, Measure for Measure, The Bacchae (National Theatre), Richard II (Old Vic), Women Beware Women, Back To Methuselah, The Merchant of Venice, Talk of the City, Henry VI (all Royal Shakespeare Company), Cymbeline and Wind in the Willows (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), The Entertainer (Hampstead Theatre), Eve of Retirement (Gate Theatre), The Crucible (Abbey Theatre), Lust and Cyrano de Bergerac (West End), Timon of Athens (Young Vic) and The Duchess of Malfi (Royal Exchange, Manchester/ Roundhouse). Further television credits include The Brief, The Queen’s Sister, Midsomer Murders, Fathers and Sons (as Prince Philip), The Hunt, Adrian Mole: The Cappucino Years, Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Morse. Film work includes Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Vanished: A Video Séance, Rasputin and Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend. PHILIP FRANKS - MR MYERS QC Philip’s recent theatre credits include Art, Noises Off and Journey's End (all West End), Murder in the Cathedral (Temple Church, London), Flare Path, Breaking the Code, The Winslow Boy, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Secret of Sherlock Holmes and The Rocky Horror Show (all UK tours). Philip spent ten years with the RSC, in London, Stratford, on tour and in New York. His television credits include The Darling Buds of May, Heartbeat, Bleak House, Martin Chuzzlewit, Absolutely Fabulous, Foyle's War and Midsomer Murders. Film work includes Finding Neverland and The Phantom Thread. Concert performances include The Soldier's Tale, Silverlake, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, King Arthur. Philip is also an award winning theatre director, his productions include Private Lives, The Heiress (both National Theatre), Nicholas Nickleby Parts One and Two, Taking Sides, Collaboration, The Duchess of Malfi, Dear Lupin (all West End), The Comedy of Errors (Regents Park Open Air Theatre) and four of the Sixty-Six Books (Bush Theatre). He was an associate director at Chichester Festival Theatre where credits include Twelfth Night, The Deep Blue Sea, The Master Builder and Separate Tables. MOLLY JACKSON-SHAW – GIRL Witness for the Prosecution is Molly’s professional theatre debut. Appearances for television include the latest series of BBC’s Call The Midwife and Weird and Wonderful Things for CBBC. PARYS JORDON – POLICEMAN/ PLAIN CLOTHES DETECTIVE Parys’s previous theatre credits include Macbeth, Coriolanus, Romeo & Juliet, Troilus and Cressida (all Rose Playhouse), The Cage (Gerry’s Studio, Theatre Royal Stratford East), Glaze (The Bunker Theatre), Glockenspiel (Tristan Bates Theatre), The Revenger's Tragedy (Brighton Open Air Theatre) and The Episode (Wilton’s Music Hall). Beyond the UK he played Malcolm X in America: Dreams and Nightmares (Germany Tour). JULES MELVIN – JANET MACKENZIE Jules’ numerous theatre credits include In Lambeth, The Broken Heart and The Rape of Tamar (Lyric Hammersmith), A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, Augustine’s Oak, The Taming of the Shrew, an all- female Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing, Pericles and Othello (Shakespeare’s Globe), Ursula, The House of Correction and I Saw Myself (The Wrestling School), The Devil is an Ass and Faust Parts One and Two (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Rose Tattoo (National Theatre), Private Lives (Hampstead Theatre), An Inspector Calls (English Theatre, Frankfurt) and Gabriel (UK Tour). TV credits include The Bill and Casualty. PETER MORETON – MR MAYHEW Richard previously worked with Director Lucy Bailey on Tonight at 8:30 Parts I&II at Chichester Festival Theatre. Further theatre credits include The Winter’s Tale, ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore (Cheek by Jowl/ Barbican Centre/ International Tour), Shakespeare in Love (West End), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Chichester Festival Theatre/ West End), Sixty Six Books (Bush Theatre), The Three Musketeers (Rose Theatre), Berlin Hanover Express (Hampstead Theatre), The Hound of the Baskervilles (UK Tour), The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Parts 1&2 (Chichester Festival Theatre/ West End/ UK Tour), My Night With Reg (New Victoria, Stoke), Tales From The Vienna Woods (National Theatre). Television credits include Doctors, Vexed, Rosemary & Thyme, The Glass, Big Bad World and Grafters. Films include Bodywork and The Secret Garden. LUCY PHELPS – ROMAINE Lucy most recently appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Dido Queen of Carthage. Further work with the RSC includes Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra (which were both streamed to cinemas as part of RSC: Live). Her previous theatre credits include King Charles III (UK Tour/ Sydney Theatre Company), Sex and the Three-Day Week (Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse), Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down and See How They Run (York Theatre Royal), Lay Down Your Cross (Hampstead Theatre) and Earthquakes in London (Headlong/ National Theatre). For television and film, Lucy’s credits include Siblings, Call the Midwife, The Coroner, Silent Witness, Holby City, Midsomer Murders, Skins, New Tricks and Jab Tak Hai Jaan.