With Funny Girl running at its home base in Southwark, Close To You – Bacharach Reimagined in the West End, and The Color Purple on Broadway, the Menier Chocolate Factory today announces the full cast for the UK première of Florian Zeller’s The Truth in a new version by Christopher Hampton. Lindsay Posner directs Tanya Franks (series regular roles in EastEnders, Broadchurch and Pulling), Alexander Hanson (title role in Stephen Ward, and A Little Night Music at the Menier), Frances O’Connor (Tom & Viv at the Almeida Theatre, and Mr Selfridge, The Missing and Madame Bovary on television) and Robert Portal (who recently appeared in Around the World in 80 Days at the St James Theatre and Communicating Doors at the Menier). The production opens on 16 March, with previews from 10 March, and runs until 7 May. Following performances at the Menier, the productions run at Theatre Royal Bath from 9-14 May.
Two couples. Friendship, suspicion, deceit….and the truth.
Following the phenomenal success of Zeller’s The Father (Theatre Royal Bath, Tricycle Theatre, Wyndham’s and returning to the Duke of York’s from 24 February) and The Mother (Theatre Royal Bath and currently at the Tricycle), the Menier Chocolate Factory in association with Theatre Royal Bath is delighted to present the UK première of Zeller’s biting new play The Truth from 10 March.
Florian Zeller is a French novelist and playwright. His work has been translated into several languages. Zeller wrote his first novel, Neiges artificielles (Artificial Snow), when he was twenty-two years old. His second novel, Les Amants du n’importe quoi (Lovers or Something Like It), was well received but it was his third novel, La Fascination du pire (Fascination of Evil), which won the 2004 Prix Interallié, and which made him a household name in France. The book was selected for the Prix Goncourt. In addition to The Father (which won the 2014 Molière Award for Best Play) and The Mother (winner of the 2011 Molière for Best Comedy) – both adapted into English by Christopher Hampton – Zeller’s other theatre credits include L’Autre, Le Manège, Si tu mourais (Prix Jeune Théâtre of the Académie Française), Elle t’attend, Une Heure de tranquillité and Le Mensonge. His other novels include Les Amants du n’importe quoi (Lovers or Something Like It); La Fascination du pire (The Fascination of Evil); Julien Parme and La Jouissance.
Christopher Hampton has translated plays by Ibsen, Molière, Chekhov and Yasmina Reza (including Art and Life x 3). He won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the adaptation of his own play, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (released as Dangerous Liaisons). He was nominated again in 2007 for adapting Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement. His television work includes adaptations of The History Man and Hotel du Lac.
Tanya Franks’ theatre work includes Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (National Theatre), East (Edinburgh and West End), The Good Person of Sichuan (Mercury Theatre Colchester) and Sherlock Holmes – The Best Kept Secret (West Yorkshire Playhouse). Her television credits include Mum, Granchester, Vera, Broadchurch (as Lucy Stevens), EastEnders (as series regular Rainie Cross), Pulling (as series regular Karen), Family Affairs (as series regular Karen Ellis) and Liz and Dick; and for film, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pieces, The Magnificent Eleven, Get Lucky and One Day.
Alexander Hanson returns to the Menier having previously appeared in A Little Night Music (also West End and Broadway). His theatre credits include The Gathered Leaves (Park Theatre), The Wars of the Roses, Single Spies (Rose Theatre Kingston), Accolade (St James Theatre), Stephen Ward (Aldwych), An Ideal Husband (Vaudeville), Jesus Christ Superstar (UK arena tour), Marguerite (Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Sound of Music (London Palladium), We Will Rock You (Dominion), Candide, Copenhagen, The Merchant of Venice (National Theatre), Sunset Boulevard (Adelphi), Talking to Terrorists (Royal Court) and Hay Fever and Translations (Chichester Festival Theatre). For television, his work includes The Man Who Crossed Hitler, Party Animals, The Fugitives, Auf Wiedersehen Pet and The Last Detective; and for film, Kidulthood.
Frances O’Connor’s theatre credits include Tom & Viv (Almeida Theatre; nominated for Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Lyric Theatre). Her television work includes The Missing (Golden Globe nomination), Mr Selfridge, Madame Bovary (Golden Globe nomination), Halifax and Eden; and for film, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Mansfield Park, Piccadilly Jim, Windtalkers, The Importance of Being Earnest, Bedazzled, Kiss or Kill (Best Actress – Australian Critics Circle Award and Montreal World Film Festival) and Thank God He Met Lizzie.
Robert Portal returns to the Menier to play Paul, having recently appeared in Communicating Doors – also directed by Lindsay Posner – and The Common Pursuit. His other theatre work includes Around the World in 80 Days (St James Theatre), The Doctor’s Dilemma and The Invention of Love (National Theatre), The Thirty Nine Steps (Criterion Theatre) and Henry IV, The Rivals and Love’s Labour’s Lost (RSC). For television, his work includes Psychoville, In Love with Barbara, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard, Margaret and Ashes to Ashes; and for film, Six Days, Mr Turner, Kids in Love and My Week with Marilyn.
Lindsay Posner returns to the Menier Chocolate Factory having previously directed Dinner with Saddam, Communicating Doors and Abigail’s Party (also Theatre Royal Bath, Wyndham’s and UK tour). His recent productions include The End of Longing (Playhouse), Hay Fever (Duke of York’s), Harvey (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Speed the Plow (Playhouse), Relatively Speaking (Wyndham’s), A Little Hotel on the Side (Theatre Royal Bath), Other Desert Cities, The Winslow Boy and Noises Off (Old Vic), The Turn of the Screw (Almeida Theatre) and Uncle Vanya (Vaudeville). He was Associate Director of the Royal Court from 1987-1992 where his productions included Death and the Maiden (which transferred to the Duke of York’s and won two Olivier Awards), Colquhoun and McBryde and The Treatment.
For more information and tickets www.menierchocolatefactory.com
Read the original announcement of ‘The Truth’ at the Menier Chocolate Factory here
