Weapons of Happiness
Press Information finboroughtheatre
Caroline Smith for Fabian Productions Ltd in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre presents
Weapons of Happiness
The first revival of the award-winning play by Howard Brenton.
Directed by Nathan Curry. Designed by Alistair Turner. Lighting by Tom E. White.Music by Sarah Llewellyn.
Cast includes: Mike Aherne. Katie Cotterell. Benjamin Davies. Matthew Fraser Holland. Abigail Hood. Anthony Keetch. Samantha Lynch. Hilton McRae. Hayward Morse. Ben Nathan. Martin Pirongs. Christopher Terry.
“We’re going to change this fucking country”
“Nothing will change in England. Decay yes, change no.”.
“We’re going to have a revolution”
“There will never be revolution in England.”
The first ever revival of the audacious epic drama by one of the UK’s most celebrated modern playwrights opens in the intimate surroundings of the multi-award winning Finborough Theatre for a four week run, opening on 29 January 2008, with an outstanding cast including Hilton McRae, Olivier Award winner Benjamin Davies and Tony Award nominee Hayward Morse.
As the New Year dawns on 1976,the miners are striking, workers are demanding change, Margaret Thatcher has just become leader of the Conservative party and the red flags of Communism are starting to fly in Britain.
With tensions running high, workers at a London factory storm the building in a bid to save their jobs and change their lives. Their struggle is complicated by the presence of a Czech worker, Josef Frank, still deeply traumatised by his experiences of Stalinism.
Set against the harsh memories of Frank’s brutal torture under the Communist purges, a generation of young workers fight back against a government that has neglected them. Could Britain have a revolution?
Weapons of Happinesswas the first play to be performed at the Lyttleton Theatre space at the National Theatre in 1976 and won the Evening Standard Best Play award. Exciting young director Nathan Curry - having served his apprenticeship under Howard Davies – directs.
Playwright Howard Brentonhas written or co-written more than 40 plays including most recentlyIn Extremis at Shakespeare’s Globe, and Paulwhich caused a furore at the National Theatre. His other plays include Christie in Love,Magnificence,The Churchill Play,Epsom Downs, The Romans in Britain,Bloody Poetry, and Pravda (with David Hare). He is currently working on a television drama for BBC2 and a new play for the National Theatre.
DirectorNathan Curryhas recently returned from New York where he assisted Howard Davies on A Moon for the Misbegotten starring Kevin Spacey and Eve Best, having previously been the Assistant Director on the original Old Vic production. Nathan was Staff Director at The National Theatre on The Life of Galileo with Simon Russell Beale, also assisting Howard Davies. He is the Artistic Director of the award-winning theatre company, Tangled Feet, which have toured the UK and Europe. With the company, he has directed Game? (Nominated Total Theatre Awards for Best Original Work), Emily’s Kitchen, and Lost Property (Nominated for The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence for Best Ensemble).
Designer Alistair Turner was Associate Designer on A Moon for the Misbegotten (Old Vic and Broadway), Phaedra (Donmar Warehouse) and Lovesong (West End) and asAssistant Designer on Don Carlos (Covent Garden), Mary Poppins (West End and Broadway), Tarzan (Broadway), National Anthems (Old Vic), Porgy and Bess (Washington Opera) and Aristocrats, TheHistory Boys, Chatroom/Citizenship (all National Theatre).
Hilton McRae has worked extensively in theatre, film and television. Having started his acting career in radical 70’s theatre company 7:84 he has since been a regular performer at the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and in The West End. He has recently returned from Broadway where he revived his role in the Award Winning Rabbit by Nina Raine and last year played in Mr Spotnick in the much-lauded Caroline or Change at The National Theatre. Other credits include Feste in Twelfth Night,The Comedy of Errors (Sheffield Crucible Theatre), My One And Only (Piccadilly Theatre and Chichester Festival
Theatre), Hedda Gabler (Royal Exchange Theatre), Mamma Mia (Prince of Wales), The Front Page (Donmar Warehouse) and many roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company.Benjamin Davies is the recipient of an Olivier Award for Best Newcomer -
his credits include Mojo Mickybo (Trafalgar Studios), F**King Games (RoyalCourtTheatre), and Rookery Nook(Oxford Stage Company National Tour). Hayward Morse was nominated for a Tony for his performance in the Broadway production of Simon Gray’s Butley, while his many stage credits include the first stage versions of both What The Butler Saw and The Rocky Horror Show – as well asEden’s Empire at the Finborough.Katie Cotterell’s credits include M_SS_NG (Talawa Theatre Company), Les Enfants Du Paradis (Arcola).Anthony Keetch’s many credits include One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
(Gielgud Theatre), andTV credits include Tony Blair in The Hutton Inquiry (Sky News). Mike Aherne's many credits include The Hot House and Philistines(National Theatre), as well as The Beaver Coat and Loyaltiesat the Finborough Theatre.Matthew Fraser Hollandhas appeared in Edward II, Carousel, Frankenstein, Merrily We Roll Along (Haymarket Theatre Leicester). Abigail Hood's credits include Alice in That Face (Royal Court). Samantha Lynch has been seen in Bed and Breakfast (Gate Theatre and Royal Court), King Lear, Four Portraits of Mothers, The Two Noble Kinsmen (Bristol Old Vic). Ben Nathan's credits include Mariana Pineda, Elsewhere (Arcola Theatre), and Dan in Closer (Lowry and National Tour). Martin Pirongshas been seen inNude with Violin (Royal Exchange Manchester) and Equus (Salisbury Playhouse). Christopher Terry's credits include The Comedy of Errors (UK and European tour), The Skin Game (Orange Tree Theatre), and Hecuba for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The Press onWeapons of Happiness
“He (Howard Brenton) has a vision of revolution which is quite extraordinary in its creative ambiguity, its richness, its power to stimulate, to threaten, and to inspire… an electrifying evening” Harold Hobson,The Sunday Times
“Images and ideas that lodge in the mind like shrapnel…strongly recommended” Michael Billington, The Guardian
“Highly charged scenes that speak directly about the quality of life in England today” Michael Coveney,Financial Times
“A thoroughly impressive revolutionary drama…the closest our theatre has come to the Brechtian ideal” Punch
“Majestic and imaginative…the play smells of urgency and a vital compression of thought and action” Time Out
The Press on Director Nathan Curry
“Nathan Curry focuses the vision beautifully” **** Four StarsThe Scotsman
“Nathan Curry’s production is a refreshing and dynamic piece” ***** Five Stars The List
“Inspired directing” The Stage
PRESS NIGHT: FRIDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2008 AT 7.30PM
PHOTOCALL: TUESDAY, 29 JANUARY 2008 FROM 1.00PM-1.30PM
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Finborough Theatre, The Finborough, 118 Finborough Road, LondonSW10 9ED
Box Office 0844 847 1652 Book online at
Tuesday, 29 January – Saturday, 23 February 2008
Tuesday to Saturday Evenings at 7.30pm. Saturday and Sunday Matinees at 3.00pm.
Tickets £13, £9 concessions, except Tuesday Evenings £9 all seats, and Saturday evenings £13 all seats.
Previews (29, 30 and 31 January) £9 all seats.
PLEASE NOTE THAT HOWARD BRENTON IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS
For more information, interviews and images, please contact
Neil McPherson e-mail 07977 173135
You can now download press releases and images from our website at
(Go to ‘Contact’ in the top right hand corner of the home page and follow the links
118 Finborough Road, LondonSW10 9EDTelephone 020 7244 7439 Fax 020 7835 1853
e-mail Artistic Director Neil McPherson
The Finborough Theatre is managed by The Steam Industry. Registered in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee, no. 3448268.
Registered Charity no. 1071304. Registered address: 118 Finborough Road, LondonSW10 9ED. A member of the Independent Theatre Council.