London theatre regulars Paul Hunter, Justin Salinger and Justine Mitchell will star with frequent Kneehigh performer Amanda Lawrence in the UK premiere of Nocturnal at the Gate theatre.
In David Johnson’s translation of Juan Mayorga’s play, which opens on 21 April, Hunter and Salinger play two men who live in the same apartment building. While one likes long walks, Greek myths and foreign languages, the other enjoys making lists, fixing bikes and blackmail. When they meet one day in a local café, it is no coincidence; one of them has been planning it for an extremely long time.
The multi-talented Hunter is an actor, director and writer who founded respected theatre company Told By An Idiot. Among his London acting credits are A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Under The Black Flag (both Shakespeare’s Globe), Oliver Twist (Lyric Hammersmith), Playing The Victim (Royal Court) and The Play What I Wrote (Wyndham’s theatre).
Salinger is a regular at the National Theatre, where he has appeared in productions including The Seagull, A Dream Play, Pillars Of The Community and The UN Inspector. Mitchell has also appeared at the South Bank venue on a number of occasions, in productions such as The Hour We Knew Nothing Of Each Other, Philistines, Coram Boy, The House Of Bernarda Alba and The Night Season. She has recently appeared in the Royal Court production of Marius von Mayenberg’s The Stone.
Lawrence has appeared with inventive Cornish theatre company Kneehigh on five occasions, most recently in the West End hit Brief Encounter. She also appeared in the company’s productions of Cymbeline, Nights At The Circus, Tristan And Yseult and The Wooden Frock. She was previously directed by co-star Hunter in 2005, when starring in Told By An Idiot’s production of The Firework-Maker’s Daughter.
Nocturnal will be directed by Lyndsey Turner, the Gate’s Associate Director, who is currently directing A Miracle at the Royal Court.
MA