Con O’Neill and Amanda Drew are to star as a disaffected couple in Leo Butler’s new play Faces In The Crowd at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs from 17 October (press night 21 October).
Faces In The Crowd is a portrait of 21st century London and the debts we accrue in the wake of seeking out our ambitions. It centres on Dave, who came south to London 10 years ago, leaving behind his family, wife Joanne and their financial troubles in favour of a playground of riches, sex and shopping. A decade later, Joanne wants payback with interest.
O’Neill has been a regular face on the London stage of late, and starts rehearsals for Butler’s play while still appearing in Joanna Murray-Smith’s comedy The Female Of The Species, which finishes its run at the Vaudeville on 4 October. O’Neill’s other stage credits include The Caretaker, Telstar, Southwark Fair and Mother Clap’s Molly House. He won a Laurence Olivier Award in 1988 for originating the role of Mickey in Blood Brothers.
Drew is a regular at the Royal Court, where she has previously appeared in The Ugly One and Mr Kolpert. Her other London stage work includes Enemies and Chain Play II at the Almeida, Otherwise Engaged at the Criterion and Eastward Ho! at the Gielgud. She is also well known for playing the psychologically disturbed doctor May Wright in EastEnders.
Butler’s other plays include I’ll Be The Devil, which was produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of the Complete Works Festival and came to the Tricycle earlier this year.
Faces In The Crowd plays at the Royal Court until 8 November. It follows Alecky Blythe’s The Girlfriend Experience (18 September to 11 October) into the Upstairs theatre.
CB