The company's artistic director, Christopher Luscombe, will direct a production that will star Patricia Hodge and Nicholas Le Prevost. In a press statement, Luscombe commented, "We're thrilled to be staging Dandy Dick, a glorious British comedy written 125 years ago in Brighton, as the first production for Theatre Royal Brighton Productions’ opening season. It is a rarely seen treasure that so richly deserves to be enjoyed by modern audiences in search of quality and entertainment in an evening out at the theatre."
Luscombe has also announced that the company's next two productions will be Bernard Pomerance's The Elephant Man and John Dighton's The Happiest Days of Your Life. According to Luscombe, "With our associate directors, Maria Aitken and Philip Franks, we will be developing new titles and uncovering other rarely seen classic tales through workshops, readings and events with local artists over the coming months, from our celebrated home at the Theatre Royal Brighton."
Written in Brighton in 1887, Dandy Dick tells the story of the Very Reverend Augustin Jedd, a pillar of Victorian respectability, who preaches regularly against the evils of horseracing and gambling. However, a visit from his tearaway sister, Georgiana, leads him to risk all at the races, much against his better judgement.
Hodge, who plays Georgina, has been seen onstage most recently in the original West End cast of Calendar Girls, and has appeared extensively on stage, film ("Betrayal," "Behind Enemy Lines") and TV ("Hotel du Lac," for which she was BAFTA nominated, "The Falklands Play" and "Miranda").
Le Prevost, who will play the Dean, was seen onstage most recently in The Misanthrope in the West End opposite Kiera Knightley. He was Olivier-nominated for appearing in the National Theatre production of My Fair Lady. After opening at the Theatre Royal Brighton, the production will tour to Richmond, Aylesbury, Bromley, Woking, Glasgow, York, Birmingham, and end in Manchester on Sept. 1, prior to an anticipated West End run. It is produced by Howard Panter, Adam Speers and Evanna White for Ambassador Theatre Group.
For full touring dates and to book tickets, visit www.atgtickets.com.
