THAT FACE - FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED | London Theatre Direct

Polly Stenham's multi award-winning play That Face, which was produced at the Royal Court Theatre to great critical acclaim last year, is to transfer to the Duke of York’s Theatre previewing from 1 May, with press night on 9 May (please note new press night date) and is booking until 5 July 2008. Hannah Murray, very well known to young audiences for her leading role in Channel 4’s award-winning Skins, joins a previously announced cast including Lindsay Duncan and Matt Smith.

The cast is Lindsay Duncan (Martha), Hannah Murray (Mia), Matt Smith (Henry), Catherine Steadman (Izzy) and Julian Wadham (Hugh). Directed by Jeremy Herrin, That Face is designed by Mike Britton, with lighting by Natasha Chivers and sound by Emma Laxton.

As a joint pricing initiative with the Royal Court, 100 best seats will be available for every performance at £25 bookable in advance.

That Face is a compelling portrayal of an affluent family in freefall. Mia is at boarding school. She has access to drugs. They are Martha's. Henry has dropped out of school. He has access to alcohol. From Martha. Martha controls their lives. Martha is their mother. That Face is a powerful and darkly comic exploration of children who become parents to their parents.

Polly Stenham’s first play, That Face, was written when she was just nineteen and received its world premiere in April last year at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, having been developed through the Royal Court’s Young Writers Programme. Stenham went on to receive both the Evening Standard’s Charles Wintour Award and Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright, as well as the TMA Award for Best Play. The cast of That Face are nominated for this year’s Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affliliate Theatre. Recently Polly Stenham received a substantial grant from the UK Film Council to adapt her play for the big screen.

Multi award-winning actor Lindsay Duncan will reprise her critically acclaimed performance as Martha. Her extensive theatre credits include Private Lives which, after its run at the Albery Theatre, transferred to Broadway – for her performance as Amanda, she won the Olivier, Critics’ Circle and Tony Awards for Best Actress. Her other more recent theatre credits include Celebration and The Room for the Almeida, The Homecoming for the National Theatre and Ashes to Ashes and Mouth to Mouth for the Royal Court, the latter then transferred to the West End. Previously her award-winning performances include La Marquise de Merteuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Nijo and Win in Top Girls. On television her credits include Rome, Longford, Spooks, Oliver Twist and Just William. Her many film credits include Mansfield Park, Starter For Ten, An Ideal Husband, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Prick Up Your Ears.

Hannah Murray is best known for her role as Cassie in Channel 4’s comedy drama Skins and is making her professional stage debut playing Mia in That Face. On film she can be seen in Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges.

Matt Smith reprises the role of Henry which he originated at the Royal Court and for which he was shortlisted for the Evening Standard’s Milton Shulman Award for Best Newcomer. His other theatre credits include Swimming with Sharks at the Vaudeville Theatre, The History Boys, Burn, Chatroom, Citizenship all for the National Theatre, On the Shore of the Wide World for the Royal Exchange Theatre and Fresh Kills, also for the Royal Court. His television credits include The Street, Party Animals and The Ruby in the Smoke for BBC as well as ITV’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl. On film he made his debut in Martin McDonagh’s feature film In Bruges.

Catherine Steadman’s theatre credits include Babooshka for the Pleasance Theatre, The Glory of Living for Battersea Arts Centre and The Rubenstein Kiss for Oxford Playhouse. Her film credits include Hippie Hippie Shake, Borderline Confusion and Dark Room. On television her credits include Mansfield Park and The Bill.

Julian Wadham is currently playing Don Pedro in Nicholas Hytner’s production of Much Ado about Nothing at the National Theatre. His extensive theatre credits include Our Country’s Good and Serious Money for the Royal Court, Plenty for the Almeida at the Albery and the Olivier award-winning Another Country and When We are Married in the West End. He has worked extensively for both for the Royal Court and the National Theatre. His film roles include Madox in Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient, William Pitt in Nicholas Hytner’s The Madness of King George as well as Keep the Aspidistra Flying, Maurice, The Secret Agent and Wah Wah. His numerous television credits include Foyles War and My Boy Jack for ITV as well as Blind Justice and Island at War.

That Face is produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Tulchin/Bartner, Eric Abraham and Jamie Hendry.