THE ACT to Play at Trafalgar Studios, Feb 25-March 29

Written by Matthew Baldwin and Thomas Hescott. Performed by Matthew Baldwin. Directed by Thomas Hescott. Fresh from two sell-out runs at Ovalhouse, The Act transfers to Trafalgar Studio 2 for a limited 5 week season.

1967. In Westminster the men in suits are putting the finishing touches to the freedoms we take for granted. In Soho, the men in bars are putting the finishing touches to their hairdos. Caught between these worlds is Matthews, a civil servant with a big heart and a big secret.

Sex and politics collide in The Act, a ground-breaking cabaret-style production comprised of personal anecdotes, verbatim House of Commons speeches and song in a captivating tour-de-force performance by Matthew Baldwin.
Writer and actor Matthew Baldwin's theatre credits include Jack Off the Bean Stalk, Get Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood (Above the Stag Theatre), Westward Ho (White Bear Theatre), The Clouds (ADC Theatre) and The Act (Ovalhouse).

Writer and director Thomas Hescott trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, with English National Opera and on the National Theatre Studio Directors Programme. Most recently he co-wrote and directed The Act for Ovalhouse. The production was nominated for two Off West End Awards, including most promising playwright. He also directed the recent West End production of Tory Boyz by James Graham. Other credits as director include: Wolves At The Window (Arcola, and Off-Broadway), The British Ambassadors Belly Dancer (Arcola and West End), Anatol (Arcola), Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Twelfth Night (Southwark Playhouse), Reunion (Bridewell) and Our Thing (Gate). From 2010 - 2012 Thomas worked with Robert Wilson on The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic for the Manchester International Festival, and on European Tour. He was staff director on the original award-winning run of The History Boys (National Theatre) and was also Resident Director for the 2005 and 2006 seasons at the Chichester Festival Theatre. He has worked extensively as an associate and assistant director across the country including for the Royal Court, Shakespeare's Globe, West Yorkshire Playhouse, and Birmingham Rep, and in the West End. He is an Associate Artist for the National Youth Theatre, and was previously an Associate Director for Y Touring Theatre.

The Act: Trafalgar Studios 2, 25 February - 29 March 2014 Monday - Saturday 7.45pm plus matinees on Thursday and Saturday at 3pm. Tickets £15-£20, premium tickets £25 - including restoration levy, excluding booking/transaction feesTrafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall. London SW1A 2DY Nearest Rail/ Tube: Charing Cross Box Office: 0844 871 7632 / www.atgtickets.com.

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