New Theatre Presents Terence Rattigan's AFTER THE DANCE

David Scott-Fowler is a would-be historian, suffering writer's block and lost in an alcoholic haze, his heavy drinking seriously affecting his health.

His wife Joan maintains a carefree public face, and doesn't quite dare to reveal how much she loves him: after all, they married for fun, on a whim, when they were both 'bright young things' - and passion wasn't part of the deal.

When David falls into a relationship with the much-younger Helen, an idealist who is determined to 'save' him, events take a tragic turn.

Rattigan's play, written in 1939, is less well-known than his later hits (The Winslow Boy, Separate Tables) but displays all his skill as an observer of human nature and consummate theatrical storyteller.

Under the social comedy is a profound and subtle study of the young people who lived life to the full in the hedonistic 1920s, only to find themselves, a decade later, disillusioned and on the brink of a world war.

Artistic Director, Louise Fischer, says: "reading this wonderful play, I was enchanted, oscillating between laughing out loud and being deeply moved by the profound melancholy lurking below the surface.

"Then I did a little research and realised that, from what was on record, the play had never been performed in Sydney! I was astonished, as I felt this was such a strong and powerful work that needed to be seen. Knowing it had a hugely successful revival in London in 2010 (starring Benedict Cumberbatch) simply reinforced our belief that it was ripe for revisiting."

Director Giles Gartrell-Mills is returning to New Theatre after his triumphant production of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in 2014. For him, After the Dance dives deep into the most painful forms of love, revealing truths of human behaviour in merciless detail.

"Rattigan is a master dramatist; there are few who have ever reached his command of form. While After the Dance comes early in his career, it is nonetheless grounded in impeccable structure, holding hidden a great many of the demons that would surface in his later work."

New Theatre is very excited to bring this 'forgotten' and quite remarkable play to Sydney audiences.

CREATIVE TEAM:
Director Giles Gartrell-Mills
Assistant Director/Production Manager Mark G Nagle
Set Designer John Cervenka
Lighting Designer Liam O'Keefe
Costume Designer Brodie Simpson
Sound Designer Liam Kemp
Vocal Coach Amy Hume
Costume Assistant Alison Roigard
Stage Manager Saskia van't Hoff
ASM Erik Janousek

CAST:
Tom Aldous, Callum Alexander, Lloyd Allison-Young,
George Banders, John Michael Burdon, Sandra Campbell, Rowan Davie, Peter Flett, Matt Ford, Valentin Lang, Lauren Lloyd Williams,
Amelia Robertson-Cuninghame, Alyssan Russell, Claudia Ware

SEASON:
8 August - 9 September 2017

PERFORMANCES:
Previews Tue 8 and Wed 9 August 7:30pm
Thu - Sat 7:30pm, Sun 5pm
Final performance Sat 9 September 2pm

TICKETS:
$35 full
$30 concessions, groups (6+)
$20 previews, Thrifty Thursdays

BOOKINGS:
www.newtheatre.org.au

Photo credit: Bob Seary