David Grindley, director of the Apollo’s forthcoming production Rain Man, has been forced to pull out of the project due to family reasons and has been replaced by Terry Johnson.
In a statement released today, Nica Burns, the producer of Rain Man, said “At the beginning of the rehearsal process for Rain Man, director David Grindley sadly had to withdraw for family reasons. Following discussions with David and members of the cast, all roads led to one director. We are lucky that Terry Johnson was able to step in.”
Johnson is already well known to members of the cast and team. Both Burns and Grindley have worked with Johnson on previous projects. Adam Godley, starring alongside Josh Hartnett in the production, appeared in Johnson’s play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuel And Dick at the National Theatre in 1998.
A Laurence Olivier Award winner, Johnson has an impressive theatre resumé. As a literary associate with the Royal Court, Johnson has directed several plays for the theatre, including his self-penned works Hitchcock Blonde and Piano/Forte in 2006. Johnson wrote and directed the 2004 BBC film Not Only But Always, starring Rhys Ifans, which earned him a BAFTA nomination. He has also directed recent stage productions of La Cage Aux Folles at the Menier Chocolate Factory, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and The Graduate.
Rain Man is the stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning 1988 film which starred Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. It tells the story of Charlie Babbitt (Hartnett), a self-centred car dealer and hustler living in Los Angeles and his relationship with his autistic elder brother Raymond (Godley), who has spent most of his life in an institution. Together the brothers embark on a journey which shows Raymond a world beyond the hospital gates and Charlie the meaning of unconditional love.
The production schedule has not been affected by the change and Rain Man will still open on 9 September after previews from 28 August.
CM