Headlong has announced casting for the UK tour of their hit production of The House Party. Sesley Hope (Bridgerton) will play the role of Christine, Synnøve Karlsen (Miss Austen, Last Night in Soho, Clique) will play Julie and Tom Lewis (Patience, Gentleman Jack, Breach) will play Jon.
The House Party is a co-production with Chichester Festival Theatre, where it premiered in May 2024, produced in association with Frantic Assembly. Presented by Leeds Playhouse and Rose Theatre, Kingston with Bristol Old Vic, the production will play at Leeds Playhouse 21 Feb – 1 Mar, Rose Theatre, Kingston 4 – 22 Mar, HOME Manchester 25 - 29 Mar, Bristol Old Vic 23 Apr – 3 May and Belgrade Theatre Coventry 7 - 10 May.
Written by Laura Lomas (Metamorphoses, The Blue Woman, Chaos), The House Party is a reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie for today’s generation directed by Headlong’s Artistic Director Holly Race Roughan (The New Real, A View from the Bridge, Henry V).
A wild party. A friendship. A cherished pet. And a night that changes everything. It’s Julie’s 18th birthday, and she’s throwing a party in her father’s extravagant townhouse. Her boyfriend has just dumped her and her long-suffering Best Friend Christine is trying to pick up the pieces. As the revellers pile into the booze, down in the kitchen Christine and her boyfriend Jon – son of Julie’s cleaner – clear up and dare to dream of the future. But as the volume goes up and the shots go down, Julie concocts a twisted cocktail of privilege, desire and destruction.
Director Holly Race Roughan said: “Bringing new plays back to life right now on stages across the UK is vital. I couldn't have hoped for a sharper, more thrilling group of young actors to ignite the 1800s fire in Lomas' scorching modern take on Miss Julie.
“Following the run at Chichester Festival Theatre’s Minerva, once again, for many this show marks their professional stage debut. The teenage party is back—electric, unrelenting and, no matter what your age, ready to pull you in.”
The UK tour of The House Party follows on from a season of work marking 50 years of Headlong in 2024 including the hit production of A Raisin in the Sun which played nationwide in a Headlong, Leeds Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse production, also visiting Oxford Playhouse. Artistic Director Holly Race Roughan also directed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of David Edgar’s (Nicholas Nickleby, Pentecost, Maydays) major new political play The New Real produced in association with Headlong at the RSC’s The Other Place. Headlong’s highly acclaimed co-production with The National Theatre, People, Places & Things also returned to the West End in 2024 starring Denise Gough.
Tour Dates
Leeds Playhouse
21 Feb – 1 Mar
Leedsplayhouse.org.uk
Rose Theatre, Kingston
4 – 22 Mar
rosetheatre.org
HOME, Manchester
25 - 29 Mar
homemcr.org
Bristol Old Vic
23 Apr – 3 May
bristololdvic.org.uk
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
7 - 10 May
belgrade.co.uk
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