Max Irons and Edward Petherbridge to Star in London Revival of Stoppard's Artist Descending a Staircase

By Mark Shenton
November 30, 2009

Max Irons – the actor son of Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack – is to make his London stage debut, opposite stage veteran Edward Petherbridge, in a new production of Tom Stoppard's Artist Descending a Staircase that begins performances at Islington's Old Red Lion Theatre Dec. 1, prior to an official opening Dec. 3, for a run through Dec. 31.

The cast of Michael Gieleta's production will also include Jeremy Child, David Weston, Alex Robertson, Ryan Gage and Olivia Darnley.

The play, originally written for the radio in 1972, was adapted for the stage by Stoppard himself, and first seen at another Islington fringe theatre, the King's Head, in 1988, before transferring to the West End's Duke of York's Theatre. It subsequently received its Broadway premiere at the Helen Hayes Theatre in 1989, in a production originally performed at Duke University.

The play is set in 1972, and revolves around three contemporary artists, Martello, Beauchamp and Donner, who have lived and worked together for over 60 years. But this afternoon Donner has been found dead at the bottom of the stairs. Was it professional jealously that led to his demise, or a love triangle that spanned six decades? Six actors play the three artists as the search for artistic truth and criminal motive carries us from 1972 to 1914 and back again. Titled after Marcel Duchamp's famous "Nude Descending a Staircase," the play is a homage to some of the 20th century's most distinctive art movements and artists that celebrates both the brilliance and absurdity of contemporary art.

Irons was seen in the summer of 2009 at Chichester's Minerva Theatre as Count Max in Schiller's Wallenstein. He trained at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and since graduating has also appeared in the films "Being Julia" and "Dorian Gray."

Petherbridge created the role of Guilden in the original production of Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, during his tenure as a regular member of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre company. He subsequently co-ran an actors' company at the National with Ian McKellen in the mid-80s. On Broadway, he was Tony nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for both playing Newman Noggs in the Broadway transfer of the RSC's production of The Life and Times of Nicholas Nickleby and for playing Charles Marsden in another transfer from London of Eugene O'Neill's Strange Interlude. He played Mr Fairlie in the world premiere production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White at London's Palace Theatre in 2004.

Director Michael Gieleta is the artistic director of the Cherub Company. His recent London credits include Mimi and The Stalker (Theatre503), Fragile! and Le Mariage (Arcola Theatre) and Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams (Finborough Theatre). The production is designed by Nicky Bunch and produced by Henry Filloux-Bennett & Stephen Makin, The Cherub Company, Loaded Hog Productions and Nick Rogers.

To book tickets, contact the box office on 08444 771000, or visit www.ticketweb.co.uk