14 November 2017
Newsdesk
Alex Austin, Alex Beckett and Amaka Okafor have been cast in Grimly Handsome, written by Julia Jarcho. The production is created by Royal Court Associate Director (International) Sam Pritchard and Royal Court Associate Designer Chloe Lamford. Grimly Handsome runs in The Site, 6 Wednesday December 2017 – 23 Saturday December 2017 with a press performance on 8 Friday December.
“Last night I woke up and found that I was not at home. And I was not wearing my own clothes. And then I wasn’t sure. Maybe they were my clothes, and I was someone else.”
In an unnamed American city, two strangers sell Christmas trees on the sidewalk; two cops work to solve a killing spree; and a young woman finds herself transforming in ways she could never have imagined.
A darkly comic thriller exploring the margins of a city and the violent fantasies they inspire.
In this new production of Jarcho's Obie Award-winning play, Royal Court Associates Sam Pritchard and Chloe Lamford collaborate to reimagine the play as a series of installations inside The Site, a new space at the Royal Court.
Obie Award Winner: Best New American Play (2013)
Biographies:
Julia Jarcho (Writer)
Theatre includes: Grimly Handsome, Nomads (Incubator Arts Project, NYC); The Terrifying (Abrons Arts Center, NYC); Every Angel is Brutal (Clubbed Thumb, NYC); Dreamless Land (New York City Players/Abrons Arts Center, NYC); American Treasure (13P/Paradise Factory, NYC); The Highwayman (NTUSA, NYC).
Awards include: Obie Award for Best New American Play (Grimly Handsome); Doris Duke Impact Award; Sarah Verdone Award for Writing.
Sam Pritchard (Co-creator)
For the Royal Court: B
Theatre includes: Pygmalion (Headlong/West Yorkshire Playhouse/Nuffield Theatre); There Has Possibly Been An Incident (Royal Exchange, Manchester/Soho/Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Theatertreffen, Berlin); Fireface (Young Vic); Galka Motalka (Royal Exchange, Manchester).
From 2010 to 2012, Sam was the New Writing Associate at the Royal Exchange Theatre. He was the winner of the JMK Award for Directors in 2012. Sam is the Associate Director (International) at the Royal Court.
Chloe Lamford (Co-creator)
For the Royal Court: Road, The Site, Unreachable, Ophelias Zimmer (with Schaubuhne, Berlin), How to Hold Your Breath, God Bless the Child, 2071, Teh Internet is Serious Business, Open Court, Circle Mirror Transformation, The Twits, .
Other theatre includes: Amadeus, Rules for Living, The World of Extreme Happiness (National); 1984 (West End/Headlong/Almeida); The Maids (Toneelgroep Amsterdam); Atmen (Schaubuhne, Berlin); Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (& International Tour/National), My Shrinking Life, Appointment with the Wicker Man, Knives in Hens (National Theatre of Scotland); Het Hamilton Complex (Hetpaleis, Antwerp); Salt, Root & Roe (Donmar); The Events (ATC & Young Vic); Disco Pigs, Sus, Blackta (costume design) (Young Vic); Praxis Makes Perfect, The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning (National Theatre Wales); Cannibals (Royal Exchange, Manchester); The History Boys
(Crucible, Sheffield); It Felt Empty… (Clean Break); This Wide Night (Soho); Small Miracle (Tricycle/Mercury, Colchester).
Opera includes: Alcina, Pelleas & Melisande (Aix-En-Provence Festival); The Little Sweep, Let's Make An Opera (Malmo Opera House, Sweden); The Magic Flute (English Touring Opera);
Awards Include: Arts Foundation Fellowship Award for Design for Performance in Set & Costume, Theatrical Management Association Award for Best Theatre Design (Small Miracle).
Chloe works internationally in theatre, opera, music and installation. She trained in Theatre Design at Wimbledon School of Art. She received the Arts Foundation Fellowship for Design for Performance 2013.
Chloe is Associate Designer at the Royal Court and a resident of Somerset House Studios.
Alex Austin (Alesh/Alpert/Alfo)
For the Royal Court: Primetime 2017, Yen, Pigeons.
Other theatre includes: Thebes Land (Arcola); Fury (Soho); Barbarians (Young Vic); The Skriker (Royal Exchange, Manchester); Henry V, The Nutcracker, How to Think the Unthinkable, The Man with the Incredibly Smelly Foot (Unicorn); Idomeneus (Gate); Telling Tales, Encourage the Others (Almeida).
Television includes: The Interceptor, Sherlock, New Tricks, Misfits, Holby City.
Film includes: A Moving Image, The Hooligan Factory, The World’s End.
Alex Beckett (Gregor/Greggins/Grox)
Theatre includes: Pygmalion (Headlong); Blue Heart (Orange Tree/Tobacco Factory); Edward II (National); Praxis Makes Perfect (National Theatre Wales); Here (Rose Kingston); The Changeling (Young Vic); 66 Books - A Nobody (Bush); Fen (Finborough); Much Ado About Nothing (West End); Natural Selection (503); Hamlet, The Brothers Grimm (Creation); Letters (Union); Starbucks 24hr Plays (Old Vic New Voices); Swallow Song (Oxford Playhouse); Playing Hamlet (Kings Head); What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (True Fiction); Gull (Antic Co-operation); Hotel in Amsterdam (Donmar).
Television includes: I Live with Models, Stath, The End of the F**King World, W1A, Love Nina, The Aliens, Cockroaches, Cuffs, Top Coppers, The Job Lot, The Scandalous Lady W, Burton & Taylor, A Touch of Cloth, A Childs's Christmases in Wales, Married Single Other, The Persuasionists, The Bill, Emmerdale.
Film includes: Mary Queen of Scots, Survivor, Youth.
Radio includes: Tracks, Frank & the Bear, A Hospital Odyssey.
Amaka Okafor (Natalia/Nelly/Nally/Noplop)
For the Royal Court: It’s All Made Up, The Space Between (The Site), I See You.
Other theatre includes: Saint George & the Dragon, Peter Pan (National); Hamlet (Barbican/Sonia Friedman & Almeida); Mermaid (Shared Experience); Bird (Root); Glasgow Girls (National Theatre of Scotland/Citizens/Stratford East); The Snow Queen (& India tour), Flathampton (Royal & Derngate, Northampton); Beauty & the Beast, The Garbage King, The Tempest, The London Eye Mystery, Cinderella (Unicorn); Dr Korczak’s Example (Royal Exchange, Manchester/Arcola); Sabbat (Dukes); Branded, 24 Hour Plays, Hitting Heights (Old Vic); Robin Hood & the Babes in the Wood, Red Oleander, When Brecht Met Stanislavski (Salisbury Playhouse); Meantime (Soho); Tracy Beaker Gets Real (Nottingham Playhouse); Stamping, Shouting & Singing Home (Polka); The Alexander Projekt (Split Moon).
Television includes: Doctors, Grandpa in My Pocket, The Bill.
Grimly Handsome
By Julia Jarcho
Production created by Sam Pritchard and Chloe Lamford
The Site, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS
Wednesday 6 December 2017 – Saturday 23 December 2017
Monday – Saturday 8pm
Thursday & Saturday matinees 4pm (from 9 December 2017)
Press Night Friday 8 December 2017, 7pm, & Saturday 9 December 2017, 4pm or 8pm. Review embargo lifted at 11.59pm on Saturday 9 December 2017.
Standard Tickets £25 (Mondays all seats £12, available from 9am online on the day of performance)
First Look Tickets** £20
Concessions* £5 off (available in advance for previews and all matinees)
Under 26s * £15 (available in advance for previews performances and all matinees)
Access £15 (plus a companion at the same rate)
*ID required. All discounts subject to availability.
