Under the Blue Sky Begins London Run July 15 | Playbill

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News Under the Blue Sky Begins London Run July 15 Previews begin July 15 for the West End production of David Eldridge's Under the Blue Sky, prior to an official opening July 25.

Francesca Annis, Lisa Dillon, Nigel Lindsay, Chris O'Dowd, Dominic Rowan and Catherine Tate star in the play that revolves around three subtly connected love stories that, press notes state, "reveal in turn the roller-coaster ride of lust in its prime, the sacrifices of a life in public service and unrequited passions."

Under the Blue Sky originally premiered at the Royal Court in 2000 staged by Rufus Norris. It is now directed by Anna Mackmin.

Annis was recently seen on television as Lady Ludlow in the BBC's award-winning "Cranford," a role she will reprise in a two-part Christmas special in 2009. Her last stage appearance in the West End was opposite Joseph Fiennes in Epitaph for George Dillon (Comedy Theatre). Other theatre appearances include playing Gertrude in Hamlet (Almeida at Hackney Empire, then Broadway), The Glass Menagerie (Gate Theatre Dublin), Henry IV and The Vortex (Donmar Warehouse), the title role in Hedda Gabler for Chichester Festival Theatre, Mrs. Klein for the National Theatre and Rosmersholm for the Young Vic. Her many film credits include "Revolver," "The Libertine," "Onegin" and Lady Macbeth in Roman Polanski's "Macbeth."

Dillon was most recently seen in Present Laughter and The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other at the National Theatre. Other theatre credits include Period of Adjustment and Hedda Gabler for the Almeida Theatre. She played Desdemona in Othello for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and for her performance as Hilda Wangel in The Master Builder at the Albery Theatre she won the Ian Charleson Award and the Critics' Circle Most Promising Newcomer Award. Her film credits include "Bright Young Things," and on TV she played Mary Smith in the BBC's "Cranford."

Lindsay recently played Lenny in Harold Pinter's The Homecoming and Moe Axelrod in Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing!, both directed by Michael Attenborough for the Almeida Theatre. His other theatre credits include Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre, The Woman Before and Push Up for the Royal Court, The Pillowman, Blue Remembered Hills and Dealers Choice for the National Theatre and The Real Thing for the Donmar Warehouse, which later transferred to the West End and Broadway. His television credits include "Jam and Jerusalem," "All About George," "New Tricks," "My Family," "Harbour Lights" and "Murphy's Law" and the 2008 BAFTA-nominated "Relief of Belsen" for Channel 4 in which he starred with Iain Glen and Jemma Redgrave. His film credits include "Scoop," "On a Clear Day," "Mike Bassett England Manager" and "Rogue Trader." O'Dowd, best known for his performance as Roy in Channel 4's hit comedy series "The IT Crowd," is making his West End stage debut in Under the Blue Sky. Other TV credits include the BBC series "Roman's Empire" and "The Clinic."

Rowan's extensive stage credits include A Voyage Round My Father and Lobby Hero for the Donmar Warehouse, Happy Now?, A Dream Play, Mourning Becomes Electra, Talking Cure, Three Sisters, Private Lives and Iphigenia at Aulis for the National Theatre and The Merchant of Venice, Two Gentlemen of Verona and Talk of the City for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Tate is best known for three series of her BBC-TV sketch show "The Catherine Tate Show" and has also played the Doctor's Companion Donna Noble in the "Doctor Who Christmas Special" and reprised that role in the fourth series. She was last seen onstage in the West End in Neil LaBute's Some Girl(s) in May 2005; other theatre appearances include The 24 Hour Plays at the Old Vic and in New York, The Exonerated at Riverside Studios, A Servant to Two Masters for the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Prince's Play and The Way of the World for the National Theatre.

Playwright David Eldridge's other original plays include Incomplete and Random Acts of Kindness, which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, M.A.D. and Serving It Up for the Bush Theatre, Fighting for Breath and A Week with Tony for the Finborough Theatre, and Market Boy for the National Theatre. He adapted Festen for the Almeida for a production that subsequently transferred to the West End and Broadway. His new versions of Ibsen's The Wild Duck and John Gabriel Borkman were both produced by the Donmar Warehouse.

Director Anna Mackmin most recent West End credit was directing David Storey's In Celebration with Orlando Bloom last year. She has worked regularly with playwright Charlotte Jones, staging In Flame at the Bush (which subsequently transferred to the West End's New Ambassadors), The Lightning Play (Almeida) and The Dark (Donmar Warehouse). Other credits include Auntie and Me (Wyndham's), the triple bill of Burn, Citizenship and Chatroom (National Theatre) and Dying for It (Almeida).

For tickets contact the box office at 0870 060 1483 or visit www.underthebluesky.co.uk.

 
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