PRESS RELEASE – 27 February 2019 NEW IMAGES CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Adam Blanshay Productions present EDMOND DE BERGERAC By Alexis Michalik Translated by Jeremy Sams Directed by Roxana Silbert EDMOND DE BERGERAC WILL STAR FREDDIE FOX, HENRY GOODMAN, JOSIE LAWRENCE AND CHIZZY AKUDOLU THE MOLIÈRE AWARD-WINNING COMEDY OPENS AT THE BIRMINGHAM REPERTORY THEATRE FROM FRIDAY 15 MARCH UNTIL SATURDAY 30 MARCH FURTHER TOUR DATES HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED: YORK, NORTHAMPTON, CAMBRIDGE AND RICHMOND. THE PLAY HAS BEEN TRANSLATED BY JEREMY SAMS AND WILL BE DIRECTED BY ROXANA SILBERT REHEARSAL PHOTOGRAPHY HAS BEEN RELEASED AND CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE TICKETS ARE ON SALE Edmond de Bergerac, Alexis Michalik’s hilarious comedy and French theatre phenomenon, will have its UK première at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 15 – 30 March with a star cast led by Freddie Fox as Edmond Rostand, alongside Henry Goodman as Constant Coquelin, Josie Lawrence as Sarah Bernhardt and Chizzy Akudolu as Maria. The five-time Molière Award winning comedy will then tour to York Grand Opera House, Northampton Royal & Derngate, Cambridge Arts Theatre and Richmond Theatre. This English language première has a new translation by Jeremy Sams and is directed by the current Artistic Director of Birmingham Rep, Roxana Silbert. The cast also features Delroy Atkinson as Monsieur Honoré; Gina Bramhill as Jeanne; Nick Cavaliere as Ange Floury; Simon Gregor as Marcel; Harry Kershaw as Jean; David Langham as George Feydeau; Robin Morrisey as Léo and Sarah Ridgeway as Rosemonde. Edmond de Bergerac is the hilarious story behind Cyrano de Bergerac. Set in Paris in 1897, playwright Edmond Rostand (Freddie Fox) is approaching his thirtieth birthday with no new plays but a whole lot of worries. He has not written anything in two years and in desperation has promised a new play to the acting superstar, Constant Coquelin (Henry Goodman). A desperate Edmond draws on his problems to write a new comedy. It will be an unbelievable tale about the demands of his producers, the whims of the actresses, the jealousy of his wife, his doubting colleagues and the romantic adventures of his best friend. It shall be called Cyrano de Bergerac! The original production of Edmond continues to play to packed houses in Paris at the Theatre du Palais-Royale. Alexis Michalik will receive two UK premières of his work this season. Alongside Edmond de Bergerac at Birmingham Rep and on tour, Intra Muros will open at the Park Theatre, London from 3 April – 4 May, directed by Ché Walker. Michalik is an author, actor and director with previous writing credits including Le Porteur d’Histoire which has run for over 1500 performances to date and played around the world, as well as Le Cercle Des Illusionnistes. For these two pieces, Michalik received the Beaumarchais du Figaro Prize, the Jeune Théâtre de l’Académie Française Award and two coveted Molière Awards. He wrote and directed Edmond in 2016, winning five Molière Awards, having just celebrated its 800th performance in Paris and recently released as a feature film. Intra Muros is his most recent work, having opened in Paris, 2017 at the Théâtre 13 before transferring to the larger Théâtre La Pépinière, where it continues to sell out today. Edmond de Bergerac will be designed by Robert Innes Hopkins. The movement director is Liam Steel and the composer is Dave Price. Sound design is by Dan Hoole and lighting design by Rick Fisher. Voice director is Stephen Kemble, casting director is Amy Ball and Jack McMahon is the assistant director. Produced in association with Nicolas Talar. For further information please contact The Corner Shop PR on 020 7831 7657 Ben Chamberlain or Lewis Jenkins [email protected] or [email protected] LISTINGS Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Adam Blanshay Productions present the UK première of EDMOND DE BERGERAC By Alexis Michalik Translated by Jeremy Sams Directed by Roxana Silbert Birmingham Repertory Theatre 15 – 30 March 0121 236 4455 / birmingham-rep.co.uk York Grand Opera House 2 – 6 April 0844 871 3024 / atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york/ Northampton Royal & Derngate 8 – 13 April 01604 624811 / royalandderngate.co.uk Cambridge Arts Theatre 15 – 20 April 01223 503333 / cambridgeartstheatre.com Richmond Theatre 30 April – 4 May 0844 871 7651 / atgtickets.com/venues/Richmond-theatre NOTES TO EDITORS FREDDIE FOX | EDMOND ROSTAND Theatre credits include: An Ideal Husband (Classic Spring); Travesties (Menier Chocolate Factory/SFP); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Go People); Romeo And Juliet (The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company/Fiery Angel) Romeo & Juliet (Sheffield Crucible Theatre Productions); The Judas Kiss (Hampstead Theatre/Robert Fox Productions); Hay Fever (Playful Productions); Cause Celebre, A Flea In Her Ear (Old Vic Productions) and The Last 5 Years: The Musical (The Pit Theatre, Barbican Centre). Television credits include: The White House Farm Murders (New Pictures); The Year Of The Rabbit / Ye Sweeney (Objective Media/Channel 4); The Joy Of Oscar Wilde, Orton – Laid Bare (BB2/IWC); Banana (E4/RED Productions); Cucumber (Channel 4/ REP Productions); Lewis VI: Generations Of Vipers (ITV/Mammoth Screen); Parade’s End (HBO/BBC/Mammoth Screen); The Mystery Of Edwin Drood (BBC); The Shadow Line (BBC/Company Pictures); Any Human Heart (Channel 4/Carnival Films); Shades Of Love (This September) (Gate Productions); Worried About The Boy (BBC/RED Productions) and Miss Marple: Why Didn’t They Ask Evans (ITV). Film credits include: Black 47 (Pictures/IFB); Fanny Lye Deliver’d (BFI); King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (Warner Bros); Victor Frankenstein (20th Century Fox); Pride (Pathe); The Riot Club (Film 4); The Three Musketeers (Constantin Film); St.Trinians II: The Legend Of Fritton’s Gold (Ealing Studios); The Northleach Horrors – short film (Plum Films); Freeze Frame (Elysian Films/Shorts International); John Curry: The Ice King - Documentary (New Black Films); Prince Louis of Battenberg VO, Royal Paintbox – Documentary and Words Of Everest – Documentary (ITV) and El Alamein – Documentary (BBC 2). Radio and audio credits include: The Quanderhorn Xperimentations (Absolutely Productions/BBC Radio 4); Boswell’s Lives… Life Of Byron, Home Front, Dead End By John Godber, Cause Celebre: Radio Play, Vasily Grossman’s: Life And Fate, Once Upon A Time (BBC Radio 4 Productions); As Innocent As You Can Get (BBC 3 Radio Productions); Present Laughter, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pier Productions); Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed - Animation (CBBC/Beano Studios); Watership Down – Animation (BBC/Netflix); Robin Of Sherwood: Knights Of The Apocalypse (ITV Audio) and The Cherry Orchard, The Seagull, Three Sisters (Wireless/Audible.com). HENRY GOODMAN | CONSTANT COQUELIN Theatre credits include: Honour (Park Theatre); Looking at Lucian (Ustinov Studio); Arturo Ui* - Nomination for Olivier Award, Best Actor (West End / Chichester); The Winslow Boy (The Old Vic); Yes, Prime Minister (West End / Chichester); Duet for One (West End / Almeida); Fiddler On The Roof (Sheffield Crucible / West End); Performances (Wilton Music Hall); The Gondoliers (ENO); The Hypochondriac (Almeida Theatre); The Birthday Party (Duchess Theatre); The Producers (Broadway); Feelgood (Garrick Theatre/Hampstead); Chicago – Nomination for Olivier Award, Best Actor in a Musical (Adelphi Theatre); Art (Wyndhams Theatre); Hysteria (Royal Court Theatre/West End); The Holy Rosenbergs, The Merchant of Venice - Olivier Award for Best Actor, Metropolitan Kabarett, Summerfolk, Guys and Dolls, Broken Glass, Angels In America, Pericles, After The Fall, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and Guys And Dolls (National Theatre); Assassins - Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Donmar Warehouse); Richard III, They Shoot Horses, Don't They, Every Man in His Humour, Le Fer, The Devils, Redstar, Comedy Of Errors, Volpone, The Time Of Your Life, Jacques & His Master and Henry VIII (RSC). Television credits include: The New Pope (Wildside/HBO); ABC Murders (Mammoth Film); Playhouse Presents (Two Brothers Pictures); Snatch (Little Island Production); Genius: Einstein (FOX); Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (ABC Studios); Penny Dreadful (Showtime); London Spy (Working Title); The Challenger Disaster (BBC Films); New Tricks (BBC TV); Doctor Weiss, Yes, Prime Minister, Mayor Of Casterbridge, Hamilton Mattress, Murder Rooms, Dalziel and Pascoe, Cold Lazarus, Broken Glass, Measure For Measure, Lovejoy, Maigret (BBC); Midsomer Murders (Bentley Productions); Nixon's The One (Hat Trick); The Silent and the Damned (Mammoth Screen); The Turing Project (Furnace Limited); Florizel Street (Granada ); Murder in Suburbia (Carlton); Keen Eddie (Frequency Films); Foyles War and London's Burning (ITV); The Merchant of Venice (The Performance Co.); Secret Weapon (ABC); Dirty Tricks (Dirty Tricks Ltd.); Arabian Nights (Hallmark); Unfinished Business (Alomo Productions); Christmas (World Productions Ltd); Degas & Pissarro Fall Out, The Gravy Train II and This is David Lander (Channel 4); 99 – 1 (Zenith Productions); Bust (LWT) and After The War (GTV). Film credits include: Steven Berkoff's Tell Tale Heart (CK Films); Watership Down (42); Limehouse Golem (Number 9 Films); Their Finest (BBC Films); Love Is Thicker Than Water (Barnsbury Pictures Ltd); The Chosen (Oberon Cinematografica); Finding Altamira (Mare Nostrum Prod); Burnt (3 Arts Entertainment); Avengers: Age of Ultron (Marvel Studios); Woman In Gold (Origin Pictures); The Surprise (N279 Entertainment); Taking Woodstock (Focus Features);