Full casting has been announced for the next production in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s season on work at the Garrick Theatre – The Painkiller.
Joining Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon in the production directed and adapted by Sean Foley, will be Claudie Blakley, Marcus Fraser, Mark Hadfield and Alex MacQueen .
Running at the Garrick Theatre from the 5th March to the 30th April, Francis Veber’s classic French farce is the fifth production in the Plays at the Garrick season and sees Branagh and Brydon reprise their roles when they starred in the production at the Belfast Lyric Theatre.
Two men. Two lonely hotel rooms. An adjoining door…
One of them is a killer… one of them wants to die… What could possibly go wrong?
Director Sean Foley said: “The Painkiller proved to be a very funny evening in the theatre in its first incarnation at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. I’m delighted to have the chance to further develop this comedy with the remarkable double act of Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon, who, together with the brilliant Mark Hadfield, were a joy to direct in the first production.”
Claudie Blakley will play Michelle. Her previous stage credits include roles in Rules for living (National Theatre) and Chimerica (Almeida Theatre/West End). Meanwhile on screen she has appeared in Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice and Gosford Park.
The Painkiller marks the West End debut of Marcus Fraser, who recently graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Mark Hadfield is best known to audiences for his roles in Singing in the Rain (Palace Theatre), Made in Dagenham and Uncle Vanya (Vaudeville Theatre).
While Alex MacQueen’s previous stage credits include Two Bears – A Response to Two Kings (Bush Theatre) and The Laws of War (Royal Court). He has also appeared on screen in television shows such as Plebs, Miranda and the Inbetweeners.
The Painkiller will open at the Garrick Theatre from the 5th March until the 30th April. To book tickets visit: Ticketmaster.co.uk, Discount Theatre.com, Last Minute.com, Theatre Tickets Direct.co.uk, Love Theatre.com, Theatre People.com and UK Tickets.co.uk.