Encore Season of FROM THE HEART for Alexander Bar Upstairs Theatre this May

Canned Rice Productions and Shannyn Fourie's show about country music legend June Carter Cash and her husband, Johnny, will return to the Alexander Bar's Upstairs Theatre for an encore season this May.

FROM THE HEART offers a glimpse behind the glamour of the country music industry, at the courage needed to be the supporting player to a superstar. A collection of defining moments in the life of a girl who was born into country music royalty, the show follows little Junie, who talked too much and swung on the stage curtains, in her journey to becoming the woman who got country music's ultimate bad boy to "walk the line".

Co-producer Shannyn Fourie, who plays June, was nominated for a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for her performance Fraulein Kost and Fritzie in The Fugard Theatre's production of CABARET last year. She has also appeared on stages in England, Wales and Ireland in Janice Honeyman's production of SHOW BOAT. Other musical theatre performances include Rolska Productions's Standard Bank Ovation Award-winning production of I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE, EDGES and GREASE. Fourie also appeared in the psychological drama, TAPE, and co-wrote and produced SALUTE THE TROOPS, a wartime musical revue show. She is an accomplished make-up artist and sought-after corporate entertainer.

Taking on the role of country music's ultimate bad boy, Andy Lund also serves as the musical supervisor for FROM THE HEART. Lund has released four full-length albums and four EPs, with his most recent solo album being voted one of the top albums of 2013 by Rolling Stone SA Magazine. Lund wrote, directed and hosted a show dedicated to the life of Bob Dylan at the BMW Pavilion Theatre. FROM THE HEART marks Lund's professional theatre debut.

Directed by Richard Wright-Firth, FROM THE HEART is adapted for the stage by Candice van Litsenborgh from the book by June Carter Cash. Both co-produce the show under the banner of their Canned Rice production company.

Wright-Firth is a British actor, director, teacher and voice-over artist. He graduated from the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and is a former member of the BBC Radio Drama Company. He returned to Italia Conti as the Radio and Recorded Voice lecturer as well as the director of the final year radio productions. Wright-Firth is an accomplished theatre performer having performed in well over twenty productions across the UK, including JULIUS CAESAR and THEY SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY? Since moving to South Africa, he has appeared in a number of films, commercials and TV series, has narrated several film documentaries and has been the voice for many national and international campaigns, as well as working as a dialect coach both privately and for the BBC. He has directed several musical comedy cabarets on Cape Town stages, including UNDERSTUDY BLUES. Wright-Firth is most well known as the foul-mouthed pirate, Muldoon, in the Starz series, BLACK SAILS.

Van Litsenborgh is a regular on South African stages. Last year she appeared as the loveable blonde ditz, Audrey, in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS for which she has recently won the BroadwayWorld South Africa Award for Best Actress in a Musical, while being nominated in the equivalent categories at the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards and the Naledi Theatre Awards. She has appeared in SUNSET BOULEVARD, CHESS, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, SWEENEY TODD, ASSASSINS and I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE. She has appeared in children's theatre productions like HANSEL AND GRETEL, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and THE LITTLE MERMAID. Appearances in plays include MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, HAMLET, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and HUIS CLOS.

FROM THE HEART runs at the Alexander Bar's Upstairs Theatre from 2 - 7 May. Tickets cost R90-R100 and can be booked online at the Alexander Bar website or purchased at the bar. For telephone bookings and enquiries, call 021 300 1652. Alexander Bar & Café is situated at 76 Strand Street in the Cape Town city centre and can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.