The complete cast was announced today for Marianne Elliott’s highly anticipated new production of George Furth and Stephen Sondheim’s COMPANY which opens at the Gielgud Theatre from 26 September 2018.
JONATHAN BAILEY will play Jamie (originally written as the female character, Amy) and ALEX GAUMOND will play his devoted fiancée – Paul.
Stephen Sondheim and Marianne Elliott have been working closely together on the script and have re-imagined these two characters as a gay couple for the very first time. Director Marianne Elliott said: I could not be more thrilled that Stephen Sondheim agreed to turn Amy into Jamie. I hope it makes this production feel very, very now. We are keeping the existing dialogue, and not changing the famous scene in which the character gets cold feet about their impending marriage and sings the iconic “I’m not getting married today.’ The characters of Jamie and Paul feel like a lot of the contemporary gay male friends I know.’
Jonathan Bailey’s recent television work includes: Broadchurch, WIA, Chewing Gum and Doctor Who. His theatre credits include The York Realist, King Lear with Ian McKellen for the Chichester Festival Theatre, American Psycho at the Almeida and Othello at the National Theatre. His films credits include The Mercy, Christ the Lord, Testament of Youth and St Trinians.
Alex Gaumond’s West End musical credits include Miss Trunchbull in the RSC’s Matilda, We Will Rock You, and Legally Blonde – The Musical. Other theatre credits include ENO’s Sweeney Todd with Emma Thompson, Taming of the Shrew at the Globe, Caroline or Change at the Chichester Festival Theatre and A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic. His films include The Hustle and Hampstead.
Also announced today is DAISY MAYWOOD as Susan. Daisy’s theatre credits include The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk at Wilton’s Music Hall and on tour, Promises Promises at Southwark Playhouse, Wonder.Land and Carrie Cracknell’s Medea for the National Theatre and A Chorus Line at the London Palladium. She also appeared in Rufus Norris’ film London Road.
The complete cast for COMPANY is: Rosalie Craig as Bobbie, Patti LuPone as Joanne, Mel Giedroyc as Sarah, Jonathan Bailey as Jamie, George Blagden as PJ, Ashley Campbell as Peter, Richard Fleeshman as Andy, Alex Gaumond as Paul, Richard Henders as David, Ben Lewis as Larry, Daisy Maywood as Susan, Jennifer Saayeng as Jenny, Matthew Seadon-Young as Theo and Gavin Spokes as Harry. Joining them are: Michael Colbourne, Francesca Ellis, Ewan Gillies, Grant Neal and Jaimie Pruden.
At Bobbie’s 35th birthday party all her friends are wondering why she isn’t married; why she can’t find the right man and why she hasn’t settled down to have a family. The multi-award winning musical comedy about life, love and marriage includes Stephen Sondheim’s iconic songs, The Ladies who Lunch, Being Alive, Side by Side and You Could Drive a Person Crazy.
Marianne Elliott, Artistic Director of Elliott & Harper Productions, a company she founded in 2016 with producer Chris Harper, was awarded an OBE in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List for her services to theatre. Elliott is the first woman in Broadway history to win two Tony Awards for Best Director and her recent Broadway transfer of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America received the 2018 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Angels in America at the National Theatre also received the 2018 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play. Marianne’s ground-breaking production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time received 7 Olivier Awards in London, including Best New Play and Best Director and 5 Tony Awards for its run on Broadway, including Best Play and Best Director and continues to tour internationally. Her production of Saint Joan earned her the Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play and Pillars of the Community earned her the Evening Standard Award for Best Director. War Horse, which she co-directed, and has been seen by over 7 million people world-wide, and is on its second UK tour.
Joining director Marianne Elliott on the creative team for Company are: choreographer Liam Steel, designer, musical supervisor and conductor Joel Fram, Bunny Christie, lighting designer Neil Austin, sound designer Ian Dickinson (for Autograph Sound), illusions designer Chris Fisher, orchestrator David Cullen, dance arranger Sam Davis and casting directors Alastair Coomer CDG and Charlotte Sutton CDG.
The producers for Company at the Gielgud Theatre are: Elliott & Harper Productions, Catherine Schreiber, Grove Entertainment, Jujamcyn Theaters, LD Entertainment, David Mirvish, Aged in Wood Productions/Ricardo Hornos, Bob Boyett/Tom Miller, Bruno Wang Productions/Salman Al-Rashid, Across the Pond Theatricals/ Trio Theatricals and Greek Street Productions/Christopher Ketner.
Company Box Office information:
Gielgud Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London
26 September – 31st March 2019