Stephen Unwin to Direct THE CONQUEST OF THE SOUTH POLE at Arcola Theatre, May 29-June 2

Stephen Unwin, the Rose Theatre's Artistic Director, directs Manfred Karge's The Conquest of the South Pole from Tue 29 May to Sat 2 June, following a run at East London's Arcola Theatre.

Stephen Unwin's original production at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre in 1988 launched the careers of Ewan Bremner and Alan Cumming. Stephen now directs the next generation in the first major revival in the UK of this landmark piece of theatre.

The cast of eight includes Sam Crane who recently appeared alongside Joely Richardson in the Rose Theatre production of Henrik Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea, and Emma Cunniffe who appeared with Sanjeev Bhaskar in Dumb Show at the Rose. Also starring are Hollyoaks' O-T Fagbenle, Skins' Chris Ashby.

A contemporary classic, The Conquest of the South Pole revels in the complexities of what makes a group tick.

London youth – out of work, on the dole, mooching in their flat, going on epic journeys of the imagination and hoping for the best. Highly theatrical and poetic, this bolt-of-energy play tracks a journey from despair to hope – the weight of the everyday world seen through youthful eyes.

A fascinating mix of domestic drama and epic adventure, Manfred Karge's The Conquest of the South Pole is a 90-minute study of fantasy and dignity which cannot fail to cast its spell over audiences in Kingston.

The Conquest of the South Pole is at Rose Theatre Kingston from Tuesday 29th May till Saturday 2 June with a free post-show discussion with Stephen Unwin and the cast following the performance on Tuesday 29 May. Tickets are available from the Rose Theatre box office, 08444 821 556 and online at www.rosetheatrekingston.org and are priced from £8 to £18.

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