Brendan Coyle, Louise Brealey, Abi Titmuss & More Set for HIGHTIDE, 3-13 May - Full Cast and Talks List Released - Highlights

With under a week to go before the 2012 HighTide Festival gets underway, Artistic Director Steven Atkinson has announced full casting for HighTide Festival 2012. Familiar names include Louise Brealey, Brendan Coyle, Russell Floyd,Elizabeth Hopper, Danny Kirrane, Lesley Nicol, Abi Titmuss, Rosie Wyatt, andMatilda Ziegler. Also announced are the guests for the HighMind Talks at the Festival, including Alan Bissett, Will Gompertz, Ben Hammersley, Owen Jones, Juliet Stevenson and Griff Rhys Jones.

Steven Atkinson commented; 'The quality and range of this Acting Company is testament to the writing on offer at HighTide this year, and we are very fortunate that we're living in an epoch of great new playwrights and that they're choosing to write for us.'

HIGHLIGHTS AT HIGHTIDE FESTIVAL 2012:

CLOCKWORK, a new play by Laura Poliakoff. Directed by Steven Atkinson (Artistic Director, HighTide Festival Theatre) and Designed by Richard Kent (recently Richard II, Donmar Warehouse). It's cast features Rachel Atkins (The Archers),Shomarri Diaz, Kern Falconer, Russell Floyd (Eastenders, The Bill), MatildaZiegler (Lark Rise to Candleford).

THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS created and performed by Mike Daisey. Directed by Jean-Michele Gregory.

SEIZING CINDERELLA, a new play by Stephanie Street. Directed by Bruce Guthrie (Associate Director, The Bridge Project). Its cast features Louise Brealey (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Susan Brown (Torchwood), Brendan Coyle (BAFTA nominee for Downton Abbey, Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Weir), Steven Miller, Alison Newman, Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey), Prasanna Puwanarajah (2009 Ian Charleston nominee).

BOYS, a new play by Ella Hickson. Directed by Robert Icke (Associate Director, Headlong Theatre) and Designed by Chloe Lamford (recently Salt, Root and Roe, Donmar Warehouse/Trafalgar Studios). Its cast features Samuel Edward Cook, Alison O'Donnell, Danny Kirrane (Jerusalem – Royal Court, West End, Broadway), Lorn Macdonald (Cam), Tom Mothersdale (Timp), Eve Ponsonby (The Children's Hour – West End). Following its premiere at HighTide Festival, Boys will tour to The Nuffield Theatre, Southampton (May 16 – 26) and Soho Theatre (May 29 - June 17) in a HighTide Festival Theatre / Nuffield Theatre, Southampton / Headlong Theatre Co-Production.

MUDLARKS, Vickie Donoghue's début play features an outstanding young male cast directed by Will Wrightson and designed by Amy Cook (66 Books, Bush Theatre). The cast features Scott Hazel, James Marchant, Mike Noble.

HighMind Talk, Saturday May 5th - 'Art, Truth and Journalism' Hosted by Will Gompertz. With Libby Purves (The Times), Ben Hammersley (Wired Magazine editor at large) and Jean-Michele Gregory (director of 'The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs').

HighMind Talk, Sunday May 6th - 'Juliet Stevenson In Conversation'. Interviewed by Will Gompertz. BAFTA-nominated British film, theatre and television star discusses her lauded career and future work.

HighMind Talk, Saturday May 12th - 'Griff Rhys Jones In Conversation'. Griff Rhys Jones, the renowned broadcaster, actor, writer and comedian, talks exclusively with HighTide about his diverse and fascinating career.

HighMind Talk, Sunday May 13th - 'On Class Warfare' With novelists OwenJones (Chavs), Alan Bissett (Boyracers) and the playwright Ella Hickson (Boys).

The HighTide Festival runs 3-13 of May at The Cut, The Rifle Halland The Printworks, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8BY.

BOX OFFICE: +44 (0)20 7566 9767
ONLINE: www.hightide.org.uk