The Fast Show’s Simon Day will star alongside The Play That Goes Wrong alumni Laura Kirman and James Marlowe in the European premiere of Dave Hanson’s hit Off-Broadway comedy Waiting for Waiting for Godot. Directed by Mark Bell (Mischief Theatre’s The Play That Goes Wrong, The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, both still running in the West End), the production runs at London’s St James Theatre Studio from 30 August to 24 September 2016, with a press night on 1 September.
During the run, My Theatre Mates co-founder Terri Paddock hosts a post-show Q&A with Hanson, Bell and the three stars of the show on Monday 5 September 2016. Waiting for Waiting for Godot is presented by Libby Brodie Productions.
Two hapless understudies occupy their time backstage, trying to understand art, life, theatre and their precarious existence within it. Described as “delectable” by The New York Times and “gleefully absurd” by Time Out New York this hilariously witty comedy ponders Beckett, showbiz and just what on earth it’s all about. Turns out, the only people who truly understand Beckett’s Waiting For Godot, are the understudies.
Simon Day said:
“I am very excited to be doing what I consider the funniest play I have ever read, about the reality of the most noble of professions – the understudy! I cannot wait to share this play with London audiences.”
Simon Day, Laura Kirman and James Marlowe star in the European premiere
Bios
Simon Day is an English comedian best known for his roles in the sketch show The Fast Show. Theatre credits include The Ladykillers (West End) and The Fast Show (Dominion Theatre). He appeared as a weekly guest on BBC One’s Paramount City before touring with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and appearing with them on Big Night Out. He was a cast regular on Channel 4’s Saturday Zoo. Other television credits include Hustle, Till Death Us Do Part, From Cradle to Grave, Heartbeat, Jonathan Creek, Love Soup, Skins, Mount Pleasant, New Tricks and Casanova. He appeared in the films Shakespeare in Love, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and Run Fat Boy Run.
Laura Kirman trained at Rose Bruford. Theatre credits include the Olivier Award winning The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (UK Tour), The Frida Kahlo of Penge West (Rosemary Branch Theatre), Lights! Camera! Improvise! (Edinburgh Festival), Match Girls (Wilton’s Music Hall) and Confetti (Last Refuge). Television includes BBC’s Our Girl.
James Marlowe trained at RADA. Theatre includes the Olivier Award winning The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (UK Tour), Macbeth (Mercury Theatre), Primetime (Royal Court), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Park Theatre), The Bunker Trilogy (Southwark Playhouse, Edinburgh Festival and Australia), Capitalism is Crisis (Arcola), Blue Man Group (NYC, Boston and US tour), The Captive (Finborough), The London Cuckolds (Pleasance) and When We Meet Again (BAC).
Dave Hanson is an American playwright, actor and comedian who has worked on Inside Amy Schumer and Chelsea Lately. After training, he began to pursue a career in acting and stand-up comedy in Los Angeles. He continued his education at IO West, The Second City and Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatres in Los Angeles, studying long form improv comedy and comedy writing. In 2007, Dave became a writer and associate producer, making regular appearances on Chelsea Lately as a comic guest and sketch performer. He also appeared in the film Trainwreck. Since 2011, Dave has lived in New York City, performing regularly on stage and in front of the camera, making several appearances on the hit Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer as well as appearing in the feature film Trainwreck. As a playwright, he completed his first full-length comedy, Waiting For Waiting For Godot, which received rave reviews from The New York Times and Time Out New York and took home the Overall Excellence In A Play award at the New York Fringe Festival 2013. When not performing or writing, Dave teaches writing, improv and has appeared as a guest lecturer at Rutgers University. He is currently work-shopping his latest full-length play.
Director Mark Bell recently directed the Olivier Award-winning West End hit The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre and National Tour) and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery (Criterion Theatre), both of which are currently playing in the West End. He trained at Ecole Internationale de Théâtre, Jacques Lecoq and was co-artistic director of Liquid Theatre. Liquid shows as actor and co-director include If You Were Mine (ACW), Feeding Time (BAC) and Crave (BAC and tour). Other work includes Endgame (BAC), The Secret Garden (MLT), On the Road to Baghdad (Sadler’s Wells), Amok, The Breeze, The Naked King of the Morning and Backwash (Hoipolloi), Robin Hood (Wilde Theatre) and Get Out of Here (Commotion). Other directing credits include The Revenger’s Tragedy (RCSSD), Ma Este Megbukunk (Budapest), The Master and Margarita, Pieces, Cheap Thrills and Classic Cuts (East 15), A Servant to Two Masters and Scapin (CMU, Pittsburgh), The Snowfall (Etcetera), Breathing Corpses, Comedians, Marat/Sade, The Crucible, Agamemnon, Antigone and The Bacchae (LAMDA) and Flea Circus, George and the Dragon and Fiddlesticks (Garlic Theatre) Marigold by Sophie Pelham (Edinburgh Festival). He was comedic/Movement Director on Uncle Vanya (St James Theatre) and The Titanic Orchestra (Edinburgh Festival). He has taught at LAMDA, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, UEA, Mountview and East 15 acting schools in the UK and at Cours Florent, Paris, ITACA in Puglia, Italy, and Carnegie Mellon University in the USA. Mark also runs weekend and summer courses in clown, Bouffon, Le Jeu and Commedia.
