The Old Vic has announced that Matthew Warchus will direct Andrew Scott in Noёl Coward’s provocative comedy, Present Laughter, opening on 25 June, with previews from 17 June 2019.
The cast also includes Luke Thallon, Sophie Thompson, Suzie Toase and Indira Varma.
Director, Matthew Warchus, said: ‘Originally titled Sweet Sorrow, Noël Coward’s most autobiographical work is a giddy and passionate observation of narcissism, hero worship and loneliness. Most of my favourite plays are comedies with added emotional dimensions and Present Laughter is a laugh-out-loud sex comedy with, I think, surprising depths. I’m delighted to be working with Andrew Scott again (after collaborating on the film Pride), together with what promises to be a cast of outstanding comic actors.’
Andrew Scott. Theatre includes: Design for Living, Dublin Carol (The Old Vic); Sea Wall (The Old Vic/Bush/Traverse/National Theatre/Dublin Festival Theatre); Hamlet — Critics Circle Award for Best Shakespearean performance (Almeida/West End); The Vertical Hour (Broadway); The Dazzle (Found111); Cock, A Girl in a Car with a Man — Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre, Birdland (Royal Court); Aristocrats, Emperor (National Theatre); A Woman of No Importance (Abbey, Dublin). Television includes: Fleabag, Modern Love, King Lear, Sherlock — BAFTA Best Supporting Actor, The Hollow Crown, The Town, Band of Brothers. Film includes: Steel Country, Spectre, Jimmy’s Hall, Victor Frankenstein, Locke, Pride — BIFA Best Supporting Actor, Denial, Swallows and Amazons, Saving Private Ryan.
Luke Thallon. Theatre includes: Family Voices, The Room (West End); Cock (Chichester); The Inheritance (Young Vic); Misalliance (Orange Tree); Albion (Almeida); Bent (National Theatre). Film includes: The Favourite. Awards include: Michael Bryant Award and Laurence Olivier Bursary Prize.
Sophie Thompson. Theatre includes: The Importance of Being Earnest (West End); Guys & Dolls (Chichester/West End); Clybourne Park (Royal Court/West End); Female of the Species (West End); She Stoops to Conquer (National Theatre); The Physicists, Into the Woods – Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Donmar); Company (Donmar/West End); Wildest Dreams, All’s Well That Ends Well, As You Like It (RSC). Television includes: Coronation Street, Gert Lush Christmas, The Detectorists, Celebrity Masterchef (Winner 2014), A Room with a View, Eastenders, Persuasion. Film includes: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Gosford Park, Dancing at Lughansa, Emma, Four Weddings and a Funeral. Books include: Zoo Boy, Zoo boy and The Jewel Thieves, My Family Kitchen.
Suzie Toase. Theatre includes: One Man, Two Guvnors (National Theatre/West End); Guys and Dolls (Donmar/West End); My Fair Lady (National Theatre/West End); One Man, Two Guvnors (Broadway); Merrily We Roll Along (Donmar); Talent (Menier Chocolate Factory); Hobson’s Choice (Watermill Theatre); Into The Woods (ROH); Singin’ in the Rain (Leeds Playhouse/National Theatre); Spittin’ Distance (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Yorkshire); The Boyfriend (UK tour); The Wizard of Oz (Birmingham Repertory Theatre); Time of My Life (Bristol Old Vic). Television includes: Call The Midwife, Hotel Babylon, The IT Crowd. Film includes: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
Indira Varma. Theatre includes: The Hothouse (West End); Celebration, One for the Road (Broadway); Dance of Death, Twelfth Night, The Vortex, Privates on Parade (Donmar); Exit The King, Man and Superman, Ivanov, Remembrance of Things Past, Othello (National Theatre); The Treatment, Five Gold Rings (Almeida); Tiger Country (Hampstead); Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare’s Globe); Hysteria (Theatre Royal Bath); Ingredient X, The Vertical Hour, The Country (Royal Court); The Skin of Our Teeth (Young Vic). Television includes: Carnival Row, Melrose, Game of Thrones, What Remains, Luther, Love Soup, Hustle, Torchwood, Broken News, Rome. Film includes: The One & Only Ivan, Official Secrets, Close, Exodus, Bride and Prejudice, Kamasutra.
Matthew Warchus. Theatre includes: A Christmas Carol, ‘Art’, The Caretaker, The Master Builder, Future Conditional, Speed-the-Plow (The Old Vic); Groundhog Day, The Norman Conquests (The Old Vic/Broadway); Matilda the Musical (RSC/West End/Broadway/International tour); Ghost The Musical, La Bête, God of Carnage (West End/Broadway); Deathtrap, Endgame, Our House, Much Ado About Nothing (West End); Boeing-Boeing (West End/Broadway/UK tour); The Lord of the Rings (also co-writer, Toronto/West End); Buried Child, Volpone (National Theatre); Follies (Broadway); Life x 3 (National Theatre/The Old Vic/Broadway); True West (Donmar/Broadway); The Unexpected Man (RSC/West End/Broadway); ‘Art’ (Broadway/West End/Los Angeles); Hamlet, Henry V (RSC); Betrayal, Death of a Salesman, The Plough and the Stars, Fiddler on the Roof, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Leeds Playhouse). Opera includes: Falstaff, Così Fan Tutte (ENO); The Rake’s Progress (ROH/WNO). Film includes: Pride — BIFA Best British Independent Film and Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Simpatico. Matthew was an Associate Director at the Leeds Playhouse and Artistic Associate at The Old Vic before being appointed Artistic Director of the theatre in 2014.
Noёl Coward
Theatre includes: The Vortex, Easy Virtue, Fallen Angels, Hay Fever, Semi-Monde, This Was a Man, Private Lives, Post Mortem, Cavalcade, Design for Living, Tonight at 8.30, Present Laughter, This Happy Breed, Song at Twilight, Blithe Spirit, Peace in Our Time, South Sea Bubble, Relative Values, Quadrille, Nude with Violin, Volcano, Look After Lulu!, Waiting in the Wings, Star Quality, Bitter Sweet, Conversation Piece, Pacific 1860, Ace of Clubs, After the Ball, London Morning, Sail Away. Film includes: In Which We Serve, Brief Encounter, The Astonished Heart, Meet Me Tonight. Noël Coward also had a successful career in cabaret, as an actor, director and writing verse, short stories, novels and songs.
Suitable for ages 11+.
Director Matthew Warchus
Designer Rob Howell
Lighting Hugh Vanstone
Sound Simon Baker
PRESENT LAUGHTER
By Noёl Coward
Directed by Matthew Warchus
Mon 17 Jun–Sat 10 Aug
Mon–Sat: 7.30pm; Wed & Sat 2.30pm
Press Night: Tue 25 June 7pm
Audio Described Performance: Mon 5 Aug 7:30pm (touch tour at 6pm)
Captioned Performance: Thu 8 Aug 7:30pm
Recommended age 11+