Ben Chaplin to Star in London World Premiere of Richard Nelson's Farewell to the Theatre

By Mark Shenton
06 Jan 2012

Ben Chaplin
Ben Chaplin

Ben Chaplin will return to the theatre to play playwright Harley Granville Barker in the world premiere of Richard Nelson's Farewell to the Theatre, beginning performances March 1, prior to an official opening March 7, at London's Hampstead Theatre, for a run through April 7.

Roger Michell will direct a cast that also includes Tara FitzGerald and Jemma Redgrave, joined by William French, Andrew Havill, Louis Hilyer and Jason Watkins.

Granville-Barker, widely regarded as the man who laid the foundations of modern British theatre, is best known for his plays The Voysey Inheritance, Waste and The Madras House. Nelson's new play about him finds him embittered and world-weary in Massachusetts in 1916, with war raging in Europe, having fallen in with a group of British expatriates endeavouring to find their way in an academic, theatre-obsessed community.

Chaplin, Tony-nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 2004 for his performance in The Retreat from Moscow, has previously appeared onstage at the National in The Reporter, and at the Donmar in The Glass Menagerie and This is How It Goes. His film credits include "The Truth About Cats and Dogs," "The Thin Red Line," "Murder by Numbers," "The Touch," "Birthday Girl," "Remains of the Day" and "Dorian Gray."

Fitzgerald, who plays Beatrice, was recently seen in the West End in Broken Glass. Other West End credits include The Misanthrope (at the Comedy, opposite Keira Knightley), And Then There Were None (Gielgud), A Doll's House (Donmar Warehouse) and Hamlet (Almeida and Broadway's Belasco, playing Ophelia to Ralph Fiennes as Hamlet).  Screen credits include "Waking the Dead," "The Body Farm, "The Virgin Queen, "Dark Blue Wood," "Brassed Off," "Hear My Song" and "Sirens."

Redgrave, who plays Dorothy, was last seen onstage in The Great Game: Afghanistan (London's Tricycle Theatre, New York and Washington, DC). Screen credits include "The Acid House," "Howard's End,"  "Law & Order,"  "Miss Marple," "Cold Blood" and "Mansfield Park."

The production is designed by Hildegard Bechtler with lighting by Rick Fisher and sound design by John Leonard.

To book tickets, contact the box office on 020 7722 9301, or visit www.hampsteadtheatre.com for more details.