Kara Tointon Visits Birmingham to Launch UK Tour of GASLIGHT

Leading lady Kara Tointon was in Birmingham yesterday to launch a brand new production of one of the greatest thrillers of all time, Gaslight.

The EastEnders actress and Strictly Come Dancing winner spoke with members of the press before visiting the Edwardian Tea Rooms at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

One of the greatest thrillers of all time Gaslight returns to UK theatres starring the celebrated stage and television actress Kara Tointon. Kara plays BElla Manningham, memorably portrayed by Oscar winner Ingrid Bergman in the classic 1944 film adaptation. Rupert Young of BBC 1's Merlin joins Kara as husband Jack Manningham and the multi-talented Keith Allen is cast in the role of Detective Rough. The UK tour opens at Birmingham's New Alexandra Theatre on January 6 2017.

While Jack Manningham (Rupert Young) is on the town each evening his wife Bella (Kara Tointon) is home alone. She can't explain the disappearance of familiar objects, the mysterious footsteps overhead or the ghostly flickering of living room gaslight - is she losing her mind? Does the terror exist in her imagination or are dark secrets living in her home? The surprise arrival of retired Detective Rough (Keith Allen) leads to a shocking discovery that will shake her respectable VictorIan Marriage to its core.

A highly suspenseful play, Gaslight is written by one of the 20th Century's most renowned British writers, PatRick Hamilton whose works also include the chilling Rope (1929) successfully adapted for the screen by Alfred Hitchcock.

In the tradition of heavyweight thrillers from Hitchcock, Christie or Priestley, Gaslight is a genre-defining, all-round elegant masterpiece.

Leading lady Kara Tointon has received universal critical acclaim for her West End stage roles including Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. Further stage credits include the West End revivals of Alan Ayckbourn's Absent Friends and Relatively Speaking. Television credits include winning the 2013 series of BBC television's Strictly Come Dancing; ITV's hit costume drama Mr Selfridge (where she played the title character's daughter alongside real-life sibling Hannah) and most recently portraying Maria for the ITV production of The Sound Of Music Live! in December 2015.

Rupert Young stars as Jack Mannigham and is best known for portraying Sir Leon in the BBC drama series Merlin. His previous television work includes episodes of Doc Martin, Foyle's War, Hotel Babylon, The White Queen, Doctor Who and numerous others. He notably starred in the film Dirty Filthy Love, a 2004 Television Film alongside Michael Sheen. He also performed in Cole Porter's classic feel-good musical, High Society at the Old Vic to high acclaim. He has most recently performed in While The Sun Shines, for Bath Theatre Royal.

Keith Allen joins the cast as Detective Rough. His Theatre credits include: The Homecoming (Trafalgar Studios, London), Smack Family Robinson (The Rose, Kingston), Comedians (Lyric Hammersmith) Treasure Island (Theatre Royal Haymarket), FlandersMare and Glastonbury; The Celebration and The Room (Almeida Theatre/NY); TheHomecoming and Murmuring Judges (National Theatre).Television roles include: Bodyfarm (BBC), My Mad Fat Diary (E4), Uncle, (C4) Robin Hood (BBC), Treasure Island and The Runaway (Sky), Death in Paradise, Between the Lines (BBC); Undercover (Dave); The Runaway (Sky); Great Night Out (ITV1), Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown (writer and director); The Comic Strip Presents: The Crying Game (writer and director); The Comic Strip Presents: The Yob (writer); The Bullshitters (writer). Film credits include: The Kingsman: The Golden Circle; Eddie the Eagle; Long Time Coming; Hector; The Last Showing; A Good Night; 24 Hour Party People; The Others; Trainspotting; Shallow Grave. Keith has also written and directed the following documentaries: Little Lady Fauntleroy; Unlawful Killing; You're Fayed; Michael Carroll: King of Chavs; Keith Allen's Tourette de France; Keith Allen Will Burn in Hell and Keith on Keith.

Director Anthony Banks' credits include Dennis Kelly's DNA (National Tour); Bryony Lavery's Cesario and More Light, Lucinda Coxon's The Eternal Not and Michael Lesslie's Prince of Denmark(National Theatre); Snoo Wilson's Pignight (Menier); Mark Ravenhill's The Experiment (Soho Theatre & Berliner Ensemble); Tennessee Williams' The Hotel Plays; Patrick Marber's After Miss Julie(Theatre Royal Bath & National Tour). Anthony was an associate director at the National Theatre until 2014 where he commissioned and developed one hundred new plays for NT Connections.

A tense and hugely satisfying evening of great British theatre, this new production of Gaslight is one not to be missed.

Gaslight will be produced by Ambassador Theatre Group and Smith and Brant Theatricals.