Kim Tiddy and Jon Conway
Photographer Bill Hughes
TRUTH, LIES, DIANA, a unique ground-breaking ‘factional’ drama written by Jon Conway, containing sensational new information about the death of Princess Diana, will make its UK debut at the Charing Cross Theatre from 9 January – 14 February 2015, with a press night on Monday 12 January.
This is the story of ‘Ray, a playwright who uncovers secrets about Diana and her death, that the Establishment have tried to keep hidden. As he strives to reveal the startling evidence, his personal life starts to unravel when he suspects the wife he is devoted is being unfaithful. The play charts his descent into paranoia as he has to decide what to do with the truths that confront him…
Jon Conway conducted meticulous forensic research, based on a series of books by investigative journalist John Morgan, uncovering in the process revelations from previously silent sources. With fresh access to Police witness statements, medical records and court transcripts, the play uses the actual words spoken by a cast of characters including the British Royal Family, Piers Morgan, Paul Burrell, James Hewitt, Mohammed Al Fayed, members of MI5, the British and French police and witnesses to the crash that took the lives of Diana, Dodi Al Fayed and the driver Henri Paul. The ‘play within a play’ format presents the incredible set of coincidences surrounding the ‘unlawful killing’ verdict of Diana’s death and leaves it to the audience to reach their own verdict.
Jon Conway says: “I would never have thought to write this play three years ago. I assumed the conspiracy theories were just that. But then Hillsborough revealed an inquest cover up by the Establishment, Jimmy Savile witnesses derided as unreliable for years were now believed and the Stephen Lawrence murder was not properly investigated and a parent then smeared. I read the Leveson report and saw the phone hacking scandal that exposed some parts of the media and Police as corrupt and in collusion. Edward Snowden revealed that MI6 spied on everyone, Plebgate showed even MP’S are not safe from lies, and then shockingly we saw how so many child abuse scandals have been covered up for years. I asked myself not, was Diana murdered, but do we trust the Establishment to tell us the truth? I read 7,000 pages of evidence and came to the conclusion: ‘everything up until the crash looks like an accident, everything after looks like a cover-up. Diana seems to have been air brushed from history, but not by a public, who doesn’t want to believe the Establishment anymore…”
Truth, Lies, Diana was originally produced off-Broadway for a press embargoed try out run at the Snapple Theatre, Times Square in 2013. Jon Conway will star as ‘Ray’ opposite Kim Tiddy (The Bill, Hollyoaks) who will play Ray’s wife ‘Suzy’ and Debbie Arnold (EastEnders) will play ‘Gina’, a journalist. Full cast and character breakdown below.
CAST
RAY/MANSFIELD/BURRELL JON CONWAY
40’s. A quirky, charismatic, writer, passionate in the love of his wife and his work, animated, humorous and self-deprecating with a deep insecurity. He is boyish, naive not cynical, which make the revelations he discovers shock him all the more. His enthusiasm and integrity wilt as he sinks into paranoia. He voices MANSFIELD QC, a sharp, prosecutor, putting the establishment under relentless inquisitorial spotlight at the Inquest. Also PAUL BURRELL, ‘Diana’s butler and rock’, as he searches for the truth amongst the lies.
SUZY/ANNA/ELISABETH KIM TIDDY
Ray’s wife, attractive, sparky actress, late 30’s. A complex woman. Fun and outspoken when she is engaged, but diffident and blunt when not. She seems to genuinely love Ray, making her infidelity all the more shocking and something she can’t quite understand herself either. She acts the part of Italian beauty and gold digger Anna Feretti and the evasive Elisabeth Andanson, wife of the likely Fiat Uno driver.
NOBLE/JUDGE/ARMY C.O. MAURICE THOROGOOD
60’s. He represents all the ‘establishment’ figures, including Inquest coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker a shadowy MI5 man, Buckingham Palace officials, Hewitt’s Army Officer and finally Ray’s psychiatrist. He is always the patrician nemesis of Ray, exuding aristocratic breeding, from another age, chillingly believing what he does ‘is for the good of the country’.
GINA/ROSE/QUEEN DEBBIE ARNOLD
Female Newspaper journalist. 50ish, a piranha in Prada. Insistent, opportunistic, intimidating, cajoling, manipulative, with a fake warmth only men can’t see through. She is a voyeur, seduced by the thrill of revealing secrets and on occasion fleetingly troubled by her conscience. She is also ROSE, a thoughtful, intelligent English Forensic Police Officer, nursing a desire to be free of the secrets she bears. Cameo as the QUEEN.
JOHN MORGAN BARRY BLOXHAM
JOHN MORGAN, an Australian former forensic accountant, now author and researcher, struck down with chronic disabling neurological disease. He is RAY’s guide and mentor in the search for the truth.
HEWITT/JURY FOREMAN FRED PERRY
JAMES HEWITT, the army major who had a seven year affair with Diana. A figure of Shakespearean tragedian proportions, who had his life ruined being labelled a cad when in truth he was a dedicated lover who kept the biggest of secrets. Cameo as Jury Foreman.
POLICEMEN/MI6/MARTINO RICHARD LINFORD
Various officers of the law, mid 40’s. They are all almost comic turns, so unbelievable are their words, which could be a satirical representation of stereotype coppers and MI5 officers, but astonishingly is actually sworn testimony. Also DR. MARTINO, the mysterious crash medic.
FAYED/PIERS/YASSER/TREVOR BARRY HESTER
FAYED, the brooding, charismatic Harrods owner, PIERS MORGAN, ruthless Daily Mirror editor from the 90s oddly charming, both subjective and random in his targets for tabloid exposure, YASSER the Arab doctor with a big secret and TREVOR, the Welsh bodyguard who survived the crash but remarkably… can’t remember anything.
LISTINGS
Charing Cross Theatre
9 January – 14 February 2015
All tickets £19.50 – £32.50
Monday – Saturday @ 7.30pm / Wednesday and Saturday @ 2.30pm
Truthliesdiana.com
www.facebook.com/truthliesdiana
@truthliesdiana
http://www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/
Thursday 9th October 2014
