The Hour’s Adetomiwa Edun will lead the cast of Complicite’s forthcoming production of Zizou Corder’s Lionboy, which will play at the Unicorn theatre later this year following a national tour.
Edun, who appeared in the 2011 BBC drama series alongside Peter And Alice star Ben Whishaw, is also well known for his on screen appearance in fantasy adventure series Merlin. On stage his credits include Macbeth at the National Theatre and Romeo And Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Directed by Complicite co-founder Annabel Arden, the cast will also include Borgen star Femi Elufowoju Jr, Robert Gilbert, whose stage credits include the National Theatre’s production of Blood And Gifts, Lisa Kerr, who was last seen on the London stage in Our Country’s Good at the St James theatre, Dan Milne (RSC’s The Comedy Of Errors), and Victoria Gould and Clive Mendus, two actors who have worked with Complicite in the past, having appeared in A Disappearing Number and The Master And Margarita respectively.
Playing from 9 July (press night 11 July) to 21 July at the London Bridge venue, Lionboy tells the story of Charlie Ashanti, a perfectly normal boy except for the fact he can speak to cats. Set in a time when oil has run out, asthma is an epidemic and the world is run by the sinister Corporacy, Corder’s popular tale sees Charlie embark on a rescue mission – with the help of a floating circus and a pride of performing lions – to save his parents from their kidnappers.
Suitable for children aged eight and older, the production, which marks the internationally acclaimed company’s first family show, will open at the Unicorn following runs at the Bristol Old Vic, Liverpool Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse, Warwick Arts Centre, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Wales Millennium Centre.