The production — which will also star Tony nominee Finbar Lynch, Alec Newman, Neet Newman and Eileen Page — is being revived at the Hampstead Theatre, where the play originally premiered in 1992, as part of the theatre's 50th anniversary season.
Performances will begin Sept. 17 (prior to an official opening Sept. 22) for a run through Oct. 17. It will then play Leicester's Curve Theatre, who are co-producing the production in association with the Fish Partnership, Oct. 21-Nov. 14.
The play, described in press materials as a "dark comedy of desires," is set in a room above a long-abandoned fur factory in London's East End. Thirty-year-old Cougar is preparing for his "nineteenth" birthday party yet again. The arrival of young and beautiful Foxtrot ignites a chain reaction in which narcissism, desire and an obsessive fear of ageing are played out to their extremes. The original production won Ridley the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright and the prestigious Meyer Whitworth Prize.
Winstone, who makes her stage debut playing Sherbet Gravel, earned critical acclaim for her performance in the BAFTA-nominated series "Dead Set." Other TV and film credits include "Dagenham Girls," "Boogie Woogie," "Donkey Punch," "Daddy's Girl," "Love Letter," "Kidulthood," "Bullet Boy," "Goldplated," "Vincent" (alongside her father, Ray Winstone) and "Totally Frank".
Alec Newman plays Cougar Glass. He is well known for his TV and film work, including "Dune," "Star Trek," "Bright Young Things," "Staring at the Sun" and "Hope Springs." Theatre credits include Plenty (Albery Theatre, with Cate Blanchett) and The Glass Menagerie and Translations (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh). Finbar Lynch plays Captain Tock, who lives in the abandoned fctory with Cougar. Lynch, who was Tony-nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in the National Theatre's production of Tennessee Williams' Not About Nightingales that transferred to Broadway's Circle in the Square in 1999, was last seen on the London stage in the revival of Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa at the Old Vic. He has previously appeared at Hampstead Theatre in 3 Sisters on Hope Street.
Neet Mohan plays Foxtrot Darling, a role that launched Jude Law's career in the original Hampstead production in 1992. His credits include Murcury Fur at Plymouth's Drum Theatre and Romeo and Juliet and Twefth Night at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park.
Eileen Page plays Cheetah Bee, the eccentric elderly landlady. In a six-decade career, her numerous credits include Eleanor of Aquitane (Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh Fringe Festival/Tour), The Boy Friend (Duchess Theatre) and Follies (Shaftesbury Theatre).
Playwright Philip Ridley has had more plays produced at Hampstead Theatre than any other playwright. These also include Ghost from a Perfect Place, Fairytaleheart and Vincent River. He wrote the acclaimed screenplay for "The Krays" (winner of The Evening Standard Best Film of the Year Award), and directed three films from his own screenplays, "The Reflecting Skin" (winner of 11 international awards, including the prestigious George Sadoul Prize); "The Passion of Darkly Noon" (winner of the Best Director Prize at the Porto Film Festival) and "Heartless," starring Jim Sturgess and Timothy Spall, due for release in early 2010.
The play is directed by Edward Dick, with designs by Mark Thompson, lighting by Rick Fisher and sound design by Adrienne Quartly. Movement director is Jane Gibson, and fight director is Bret Yount.
To book tickets contact the box office at 020 7722 9301, or visit www.hampsteadtheatre.com.
