15 February 2017
Newsdesk
Leonard Sillevis (Cowboy Mouth, Kings Head; King John, The Union Theatre), Emma Taylor (NewsRevue, Canal Café; The Birds, Leicester Square Theatre; The Nanny, Soho Theatre) and Samuel John (A Long Day's Journey into Night, Bermuda Arts Festival; Dead Funny and Our Walk Through the World, The Old Red Lion) have been cast in Pulitzer Prize nominee Theresa Rebeck’s The Understudy, which will make its UK Premiere at the Canal Café Theatre this February.
Full of laugh-out-loud comedy and vivacious satire, The Understudy dissects the backstage friction of a frenzied understudy rehearsal of a long lost Kafka play about to be staged on Broadway. Charged with running the rehearsal, Roxanne finds her professional and personal lives colliding when Harry, a jobbing actor, is cast as understudy to Jake, a mid-level action star yearning for legitimacy.
Director Russell Lucas comments, this is the second time I’ve convinced Canal Café Theatre’s Artistic Director Emma Taylor onto her own stage. Combined with Samuel John’s dexterous skills and the instincts of Leonard Sillevis, The Understudy is going to be lightning in a bottle.
The Understudy is part of Canal Café’s America: Past, Present and Future season which will conclude with a brand new commissioned play inspired by Americana.
Notes to Editors
The Understudy by Theresa Rebeck
Performance Dates Tuesday 21st February – Saturday 11th March 2017
Tuesday to Saturday, 7pm
Running time 90 minutes
Twitter @canalcafe, @CanalAmericans, #AmericanSeason
Writer Theresa Rebeck
Director Russell Lucas
LX/SFX Designer Stuart Glover
Jake Leonard Sillevis
Harry Samuel John
Roxanne Emma Taylor
Location Canal Café Theatre, Delamere Terrace, London W2 6ND
www.canalcafetheatre.com, 020 7289 6054
How to get there The nearest stations are Warwick Avenue, Royal Oak and Paddington. The number 6, 46 and 187 buses all stop outside Warwick Avenue tube station.
Box Office Tickets are available priced £13.50/£12 concession (£5 previews), booking and membership fees may apply.
Available online from www.canalcafetheatre.com and on 020 7289 6054.
