Eves 7.45pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Thu & Sat mats 2.30pm<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n No\u00ebl Coward\u2019s<\/strong> hilarious comedy of bad manners, HAY FEVER<\/strong>, starring Felicity Kendal<\/strong> and Simon Shepherd<\/strong> visits Theatre Royal Brighton<\/strong> from Mon 22 \u2013 Sat 27<\/strong> September<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Bliss family \u2013 recently-retired Judith, the once glittering star of the London stage; David, an egocentric novelist; and Sorel and Simon, their two Bohemian adult children \u2013 are incapable of sharing the spotlight. Unconventional, risqu\u00e9, and often downright rude, they are everything a respectable English family should not be. When each member of the family invites a guest to their rural retreat, the unassuming visitors are thrown into a living melodrama. Misjudged meetings, secret seductions and scandalous revelations proliferate during one outrageous weekend in Berkshire.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n HAY FEVER<\/strong> has been a favourite amongst theatregoers ever since it first dazzled London\u2019s West End in 1925, when Marie Tempest starred in the premiere, directed by No\u00ebl Coward himself. In 1964, when HAY FEVER<\/strong> was staged bythe Royal National Theatre \u2013 then with Laurence Olivier at the helm and located at London\u2019s Old Vic – it was directed by No\u00ebl Coward<\/strong> again, becoming the first play by a living dramatist to be staged at the National.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Much loved for her illustrious television and stage career, Felicity Kendal<\/strong> stars as Judith Bliss. One of the UK\u2019s most popular actresses, she has starred in many long-running television series including The Good Life, Solo, The Mistress<\/em> (which was filmed in Bath), Rosemary and Thyme<\/em> and Strictly Come Dancing 2010<\/em>.\u00a0 Her extensive theatre credits include Chin-Chin, Relatively Speaking, Amadeus,<\/em> Othello, On the Razzle,<\/em>Arcadia <\/em>and Humble Boy, <\/em>all at the National Theatre. In the West End, her numerous credits include The Last Cigarette<\/em>; Clouds,<\/em> for which she won the Variety Club Best Actress of the Year Award; and Much Ado About Nothing<\/em> and Ivanov<\/em> with Alan Bates, winning the Evening Standard Best Actress Award.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Simon Shepherd<\/strong> stars as David Bliss. His many stage credits include the West End productions of The Duck House, Posh, The Secret Rapture, The Browning Version, A Tale of Two Cities<\/em> and Art.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 Between 1993 and 2002, he played the role of Dr Will Preston in more than 70 episodes of Peak Practice<\/em>.\u00a0 His film and television credits also include Death in Paradise, Rogue Trader, Wuthering Heights, Chancer, Heartbeat, Poirot, Gimme Gimme Gimme,<\/em> and The Ruth Rendell Mysteries<\/em>. Born in Bristol, Simon trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and was a member of the National Youth Theatre.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sara Stewart<\/strong> plays the role of Myra Arundel. Her recent stage work also includes Enron, Heartbreak House<\/em> at Chichester Festival Theatre; The Snow Queen<\/em> at the Rose Theatre Kingston; Six Degrees of Separation<\/em> at London\u2019s Old Vic; Present Laughter<\/em> at the National Theatre; and Proof <\/em>at the Donmar.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Her many film and television credits include Mr Selfridge, Quirke, Fresh Meat, EastEnders, Batman Begins, Mrs Brown, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, A Cock and Bull Story,<\/em> and Drop the Dead Donkey<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The role of Simon Bliss is played by Edward Franklin<\/strong>, whose stage credits include Twelve Angry Men <\/em>in the West End, The Merchant of Venice<\/em> at the Unicorn Theatre, and Punk Rock<\/em> on tour.\u00a0 His television work includes Doctors, Being Human<\/em> and Married Single Other<\/em>.\u00a0 Alice Orr-Ewing<\/strong> appears as Sorel Bliss. Her film and television credits include Pramface, Poirot, Blandings<\/em> and Atonement<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The cast is completed by Michael Simkins<\/strong> asRichard Greatham. His<\/p>\n recent credits include Oh What A Lovely War<\/em> at Stratford East, the UK tour of Yes, Prime Minister<\/em>, EastEnders,<\/em> and The Iron Lady<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This production reunites the considerable comic talents of Felicity Kendal and director Lindsay Posner<\/strong> \u2013 after their West End triumph in Alan Ayckbourn\u2019s Relatively Speaking<\/em> last year.\u00a0 One of the UK\u2019s greatest directors of comedy, Lindsay Posner directs Coward for the first time with HAY FEVER<\/strong>. He is fresh from a string of plaudits for his productions of Noises Off <\/em>at London\u2019s Old Vic, and Abigail\u2019s Party<\/em> and Relatively Speaking<\/em> in the West End.\u00a0 He was Associate Director at the Royal Court Theatre from 1987 to 1992, where his production of Death and the Maiden<\/em> won two Olivier Awards.\u00a0 He has directed many times for the RSC.\u00a0 His numerous West End productions include Butley<\/em>starring Dominic West; An Ideal Husband<\/em>starring Samantha Bond and Rachel Stirling; A View from the Bridge<\/em>starring Ken Stott – nominated for four Olivier Awards, including Best Revival and Best Director.\u00a0 Recently, he directed Uncle Vanya<\/em> with Ken Stott, Anna Friel and Samuel West in the West End; andHenry Goodman in The Winslow Boy<\/em> at London\u2019s Old Vic. In September, he directs Lindsay Lohan as she makes her West End debut of Speed the Plow<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Playwright, composer, actor, author, director, producer and master of wit, No\u00ebl Coward<\/strong> (1899 – 1973) remains one of our most distinguished and celebrated icons. Coward had written over fifteen plays by the time he was in his mid-thirties and, despite his comparative youth, the first of many Coward biographies had already been published.\u00a0 One of the UK\u2019s most prolific and popular writers, his plays include Fallen Angels, Private Lives, Design for Living, Blithe Spirit, Present Laughter,<\/em> and Relative Values<\/em>.\u00a0 With the onset of World War II he redefined the spirit of the country in films such as This Happy Breed, In Which We Serve <\/em>and Brief Encounter<\/em>. No\u00ebl Coward<\/strong> was knighted in 1970.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n www.atgtickets.com\/brighton*<\/p>\n 0844 871 7650*<\/p>\n (booking fee applies)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Theatre Royal Brighton Mon 22-27 September<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[1185,1184,1186,771],"class_list":["post-7219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-show-reviews-brighton","tag-felicity-kendal","tag-hay-fever","tag-simon-shepherd","tag-theatre-royal-brighton"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Felicity](\"https:\/\/the-news.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/nc-Hay-Fever-116.jpg-Felicity-Kendal-Simon-Shepherd-1-570x380.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Felicity](\"https:\/\/the-news.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/nc-Hay-Fever-099.jpg-Felicity-Kendal-1-200x300.jpg\")