McGovern, Marsh and Rattray to Star in London Revival of Mamet's The Shawl | Playbill

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News McGovern, Marsh and Rattray to Star in London Revival of Mamet's The Shawl Oscar nominee Elizabeth McGovern, Matthew Marsh and Paul Rattray will star in a rare London revival of David Mamet's 1985 play The Shawl that will begin performances at North London's Arcola Theatre Sept. 9, prior to an official opening Sept. 11, for a run to Oct. 3.

The play is directed by Amelia Nicholson, who earlier this year directed Howard Barker's Victory at the Arcola.

According to press materials, the play is a biting exploration of trust, greed and betrayal, and the power of spiritual knowledge in a secular world. It follows the story of a troubled woman who, following the death of her mother, seeks help from a silver-tongued clairvoyant. A manipulative young trickster stands by, trying to learn the art of this craft. But who is deceiving whom? Is there such a thing as an honest charlatan?

McGovern, an American-born actress who trained at Juilliard but has been a long-time resident in London, was most recently seen on the West End stage in Complicit opposite Richard Dreyfuss and David Suchet at the Old Vic in January 2009. Other London theatre credits include appearances in the original London production of Three Days of Rain at the Donmar Warehouse in 1999 and in Donald Margulies' Dinner with Friends at Hampstead Theatre in 2001. Early in her career, she appeared in such films as "Ordinary People," "Ragtime" (earning an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her role as Evelyn Nesbit), "Once Upon a Time in America" and "The Handmaid's Tale." More recently, she has been seen as Ellen Doubleday in the BBC TV version of Daphne Du Maurier's "Daphne," in ITV's "A Room with a View" and in BBC TV's "Freezing." Her Broadway acting credits include appearing in Love Letters at the Edison Theatre in 1989 and as Ophelia to Stephen Lang's Hamlet in the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Hamlet at the Criterion Center's Stage Right in 1992.

Marsh has been seen as the head of the CIA in the BBC series "Spooks." His stage credits include the National Theatre's production of Copenhagen, the Royal Court's proudciton of Christopher Shinn's Now or Later and the West End revival of Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross.

Rattray was an original cast member in the National Theatre of Scotland's Black Watch and has just finished its international tour. Previous theatre credits include The Long, the Short and the Tall for Sheffield Crucible; Traverse Theatre's East Coast Chicken Supper and Shimmer; and Grid Iron's Decky Does a Bronco. Film and television appearances include "Enigma" and "Morvern Callar." Director Nicholson trained at LAMDA. She is the founder and artistic director of Iceni Productions, for whom she has staged Howard Barker's Victory, Noel Coward's Private Lives, David Eldridge's Summer Begins, Leroi Jones's Dutchman and Nick Dear's The Art of Success, amongst others.

To book tickts contact the box office at 020 7503 1646 or visit www.arcolatheatre.com.

 
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