Christian Slater, Ralf Little, Stephen Mangan and Fiona Shaw are among those participating in the Old Vic’s 24 Hour Plays Celebrity Gala this year, held on 11 November.
The annual event, which raises money for Old Vic New Voices, the theatre’s programme for new talent, invites six teams of playwright, director and actors to create, rehearse and perform six short plays within the space of 24 hours. This year’s celebrity event culminates on 11 November, when all six plays will be performed in front of the Old Vic audience, in a gala evening hosted by Ronnie Corbett and introduced by Old Vic Artistic Director Kevin Spacey.
This year’s line up of actors, directors and playwrights so far includes Slater, currently in Swimming With Sharks at the Vaudeville, and his director there, Wilson Milam, actors Ralf Little (The Royle Family, currently in Stacy at Trafalgar Studios), Ronni Ancona (The Big Impression), Rob Brydon (Marion And Geoff), Stephen Mangan (Green Wing), Stephen Campbell Moore (The History Boys), Fiona Shaw (Happy Days) Kwame Kwei-Armah (actor and writer of Statement Of Regret, soon to premiere at the National), Sharon Small (The Inspector Lynley Mysteries) and Sam West (recently in Betrayal at the Donmar), directors Mackmin (Chatroom/Citizenship), Bush artistic director Josie Rourke and Matt Wilde (assistant director on His Dark Materials), and playwrights Laura Wade (Breathing Corpses), Nina Raine (Rabbit), Moses Raine (Shrieks Of Laughter) and Bryony Lavery (Frozen). Further participants are to be announced.
The non-celebrity version of The 24 Hour Plays, which throws open the challenge to young theatre talents aged 18-25, is held on 30 March 2008. For the first time, the search for new talent will be nationwide, with regional winners invited to apply for one of the 50 places in the main event next year. Application forms can be accessed at www.oldvictheatre.com/24
To buy tickets for the 24 Hour Plays Celebrity Gala, call 020 7401 9280
CB