Casting Announced For THE BUSY WORLD IS HUSHED at Finborough Theatre

The European premiere of a new play by the acclaimed American playwright Keith Bunin in his UK debut, The Busy World is Hushed opens at the Finborough Theatre for an eight week limited season on Friday, 6 October 2017 (Press Nights: Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 October 2017 at 7.30pm).

Hannah, a widowed Minister and Bible scholar, finds her faith at odds with that of her long estranged gay son, Thomas. She has recently hired an inquisitive young writer, Brandt, to assist with her book about a newly discovered manuscript that appears to be a lost gospel, one that may predate those in the Bible itself. As she notices the chemistry brewing between Brandt and her son, she decides to risk all on an unconventional opportunity for reconciliation that has unexpected consequences for all three of them.

Originally premiered at New York City's Playwrights Horizons where it was nominated for the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, The Busy World is Hushed examines - with wisdom, humour and insight - the contradictions we find in our faith, our families and ourselves...

Founding Artistic Director of Theatre503, and 2017 OffWestEnd Award winner, Paul Higgins returns to direct at the Finborough Theatre.

Playwright Keith Bunin's other plays include The Credeaux Canvas and The World Over (Playwrights Horizons), 10 Million Miles (Atlantic Theatre Company),Sam Bendrix at the Bon Soir (La Jolla Playhouse and City Theatre),Vera Laughed (New York Stage and Film),The Principality of Sorrows (Pure Orange Productions), The King of Clocks, (Lincoln Center Lab) and A Joke (Malaparte). Television includes In Treatment (HBO). Film includes Horns, starring Daniel Radcliffe. His essays have been published in American Film Magazine and on the web at McSweeney's. He received his B.A. from Goddard College and his M.A. from Columbia University.

Director Paul Higgins trained at RADA. Paul founded the award-winning Theatre503 and won the Peter Brook Empty Space Award during his tenure. Theatre includesDog Well Done, Wendell Ash Was Here (Finborough Theatre),Breathing, Talkin' Loud, Fishbowl, Futures (Theatre503), Address Unknown, Last Tuesday (Minerva Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre), A Doll's House (National Theatre), So Close To Home (Arcola Theatre and Brighton Festival). Associate and Assistant Direction includes assisting Robert Delamere onOn The Third Day (Ambassadors Theatre), and Anthony Page onThe Lady From Dubuque (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Rosmersholm (Almeida Theatre) and Twelfth Night (Royal Shakespeare Company). Opera includes Madama Butterfly (Opera Holland Park), Così fan tutte (English Touring Opera), Cosi fan Tutte for which he won OffWestEnd Award for Best Opera Production 2017 (King's Head Theatre) and Madam Butterfly (Kings Head Theatre). As a Revival Director, work includes revising Nicholas Hytner's Don Carlo and Jonathan Kent's production of Manon Lescaut (Royal Opera House). He has worked as assistant or revival director for Teatro Dell'Opera di Roma, La Scala Milan, Glyndebourne, Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Saito Kinen Festival Japan, Royal Opera Copenhagen and the Royal Opera House in Tokyo. Assistant Direction for Film includes assisting Michael Apted on Enigma, George Lucas on Star Wars Episode I, John Badham on Incognito, Christopher Morahan on A Dance to the Music of Time, George Sluizer on Crimetime, Franco Zeffirelli on Jane Eyre, Screen Two, Nicholas Hytner on The Madness of King George and Martin Clunes on Staggered.

The cast is:

Michael James | Thomas
Trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts where he was the recipient of the 2015 Gyearbour Asante Prize for Acting.
Theatre includes Four Play (Theatre503), The Last Days of Troy (Shakespeare's Globe), Three (Hen and Chickens Theatre) and Karagula, Her Naked Skin and As You Like It (Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts).
Television includes Our Girl and Doctors.
Radio includes being a finalist for the BBC Carleton Hobbs Bursary Award.

Mateo Oxley | Brandt
Productions at the Finborough Theatre include After Orlando International Theatre Action as part of Vibrant 2016 - A Festival of Finborough Playwrights.
Trained at the Arts Educational London School of Acting.
Theatre includes Angels in America and Three Days in the Country (National Theatre), The Drowned Man and A Hollywood Fable (Punchdrunk and National Theatre), Shock Treatment (King's Head Theatre), Alice: A New Musical and California Suite (St. James Theatre), Scenes From 68* Years (Arcola Theatre) and Draw Me Close: A Virtual Reality Memoir (National Film Board of Canada and National Theatre).
Workshops and readings include The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Wig Out! and The Cherry Orchard (National Theatre Studio), This Much (Park Theatre) and Wonderboy and Olympic Fencing (Soho Theatre).
Film includes Magpie.

Kazia Pelka | Hannah
Productions at the Finborough Theatre include Sons of York and The Delicate Lines as part of Vibrant 2010 - A Festival of Finborough Playwrights.
Trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art where she was the recipient of the Wilfred Foulis Prize.
Theatre includes Anna Karenina (Palace Theatre, Watford), Journeyman Jack (Everyman Theatre, Liverpool), Great Expectations, Caste and 84 Charing Cross Road (Watermill Theatre, Newbury), Beauty Game (Forum Theatre, Manchester), The Importance of Being Earnest, The Passion and Identity Unknown (Swan Theatre, Worcester), The Police (Theatre Royal, Plymouth), The Wizard of Oz (Clwyd Theatr Cymru) and She Stoops To Conquer, Amadeus, Seasons Greetings and Annie (Redgrave Theatre, Farnham).
Film includes Dirty Dozen: The Final Mission.
Television includes regular roles on Heartbeat, Brookside and Family Affairs for which she won two 2005 British Soap Awards including Best Dramatic Performance, as well as The Bill, Urban Jungle, Casualty, Doctors, Rides, Holby City, Peak Practice and Coronation Street.
Radio includes Lives Out of Step.

For more information visit www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk.