The Dresser
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The Dresser by Ronald Harwood, starring Nicholas Lyndhurst and Julian Glover
Richmond Theatre 29 Nov – 4 Dec, eves 7.45pm, Wed & Sat mats 2.30pm
In war-torn Britain, ageing actor ‘Sir’ is not only struggling with his lines, but also with his sanity. Luckily, his devoted dresser Norman (Nicholas Lyndhurst) is there to fix Sir’s wig, massage his ego, provide the sound effects in the storm scene, and generally ensure that the show does go on. This is an evocative, perceptive and hilarious look at backstage life and your chance to see Only Fools and Horses favourite Nicholas Lyndhurst making a rare stage appearance!
SPECIAL OFFER FOR ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES FAN CLUB MEMBERS!
£5 off the top 2 priced tickets (were £24 and £21) for Mon-Thur evening performances of The Dresser. Call Box Office on 020 8940 0088 and quote Only Fools Offer to receive your discount.
(This offer is subject to availability, is not retrospective and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer)
Richmond Theatre
The Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1QJ
Box Office 020 8940 0088 (bkg fee)
Groups Hotline 020 8939 9260
Monday 22nd November – Saturday 27th November
Theatre Royal Bath Productions
Nicholas Lyndhurst and Julian Glover
…The year is 1941 and Hitler’s bombs are falling on war-torn Britain.This does not however stop “Sir”, a redoubtable Actor-Manager made of the same stuff as the great Sir Henry Irving, from touring the works of Shakespeare to theatres throughout England, under the most trying circumstances ever presented to a theatrical company this century.
Behind the scenes lurks his Dresser, the omnipresent Norman. He is the unsung hero of the piece. While air raids continue, he creates the cosy security of the `bunker’ backstage for the fading genius. It is he who prepares the make-up table, mends the costumes, massage his ego, remind him of his opening lines and provide the sound effects in the storm scene. No actor-manager ever survived entirely through his own efforts and this loving nostalgic peep behind the scenes gives us a touching impression of the life of an “ageing lion” of a man preparing for the greatest challenge for any actor – a performance of Shakespeare’s greatest work `King Lear.´
It is Norman who, like Shakespeare’s Fool, tries desperately to bolster up the tired and broken actor-manager, in a desperate fight to prevent his personal problems from becoming too obvious to the rest of the already stressed and nervous company of actors.
Inspired by the memories of his years working as Donald Wolfitt’s dresser, Ronald Harwood’s evocative, perceptive and hilarious portrait of backstage life is one of the most acclaimed dramas of modern theatre. This is the first major revival of the play that was made into an award-winning film with Tom Courtney and Albert Finney.
Nicholas Lyndhurst plays Norman. His leading comedy roles have included Butterflies, The Two of Us, The Piglet Files, Goodnight Sweetheart and, of course, Only Fools and Horses, recently voted by the public the most popular sitcom of all time.
Julian Glover plays Sir. One of the most distinguished actors of his generation, his most acclaimed recent performance was, appropriately, as King Lear at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre:
‘Julian Glover gives the most thrilling performance of his distinguished career…an acting master class’ Sunday Times
Ronald Harwood won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for The Pianist. His screenplay for The Dresser was also nominated. Other notable stage successes include Taking Sides, The Family, Equally Divided and Quartet.
Peter Hall needs no introduction. Founder of the RSC and formerly Director of the National Theatre, he has been responsible for some of the most unforgettable theatre productions of the last fifty years.
