WAITING FOR WAITING FOR GODOT to Open at St. James Theatre

Mark Bell, the critically-acclaimed director behind the Olivier-award winning hit The Play That Goes Wrong and the recently acclaimed The Comedy About a Bank Robbery directs the European premiere of Dave Hanson's off-Broadway comedy at St. James Theatre Studio for a four-week run this autumn

Two hapless understudies occupy their time backstage, trying to understand art, life, theatre and their precarious existence within it. Described as "delectable" by The New York Times and "gleefully absurd" by Time Out New York this hilariously witty comedy ponders Beckett, showbiz and just what on earth it's all about. Turns out, the only people who truly understand Beckett's Waiting For Godot, are the understudies.

Mark Bell says: "I am very, very excited to be directing Waiting For Waiting For Godot, the funniest play I have read in a long time. It is wonderful to be working on a piece of new American writing making its debut in London. Dave Hanson has written a sharp and intelligent comedy and I am very much looking forward to working on it."

Casting and further creative details are to be announced.

Dave Hanson is an American playwright, actor and comedian who has worked on Inside Amy Schumer and Chelsea Lately. After training, he began to pursue a career in acting and stand-up comedy in Los Angeles. He continued his education at IO West, The Second City and Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatres in Los Angeles, studying long form improv comedy and comedy writing. In 2007, Dave became a writer and associate producer, making regular appearances on Chelsea Lately as a comic guest and sketch performer. He also appeared in the film Trainwreck. Since 2011, Dave has lived in New York City, performing regularly on stage and in front of the camera, making several appearances on the hit Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer as well as appearing in the feature film Trainwreck. As a playwright, he completed his first full-length comedy, Waiting For Waiting For Godot, which received rave reviews from The New York Times and Time Out New York and took home the Overall Excellence In A Play award at the New York Fringe Festival 2013. When not performing or writing, Dave teaches writing, improv and has appeared as a guest lecturer at Rutgers University. He is currently work-shopping his latest full-length play.

Director Mark Bell recently directed the Olivier Award-winning West End hit The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre and National Tour) and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery (Criterion Theatre), both of which are currently playing in the West End. He trained at Ecole Internationale de Théâtre, Jacques Lecoq and was co-artistic director of Liquid Theatre. Liquid shows as actor and co-director include If You Were Mine (ACW), Feeding Time (BAC) and Crave (BAC and tour). Other work includes Endgame (BAC), The Secret Garden (MLT), On the Road to Baghdad (Sadler's Wells), Amok, The Breeze, The Naked King of the Morning and Backwash (Hoipolloi), Robin Hood (Wilde Theatre) and Get Out of Here (Commotion). Other directing credits include The Revenger's Tragedy (RCSSD), Ma Este Megbukunk (Budapest), The Master and Margarita, Pieces, Cheap Thrills and Classic Cuts (East 15), A Servant to Two Masters and Scapin (CMU, Pittsburgh), The Snowfall (Etcetera), Breathing Corpses, Comedians, Marat/Sade, The Crucible, Agamemnon, Antigone and The Bacchae (LAMDA) and Flea Circus, George and the Dragon and Fiddlesticks (Garlic Theatre) Marigold by Sophie Pelham (Edinburgh Festival). He was comedic/Movement Director on Uncle Vanya (St James Theatre) and The Titanic Orchestra (Edinburgh Festival). He has taught at LAMDA, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, UEA, Mountview and East 15 acting schools in the UK and at Cours Florent, Paris, ITACA in Puglia, Italy, and Carnegie Mellon University in the USA. Mark also runs weekend and summer courses in clown, Bouffon, Le Jeu and Commedia.