Baxendale, Cunniffe, Dreyfus, Gillett Set For AMONGST FRIENDS At Hampstead 5/26

Helen Baxendale joins Emma Cunniffe, James Dreyfus, Aden Gillett and Vicki Pepperdine in a new comedy by April De Angelis for Hampstead's 50th Anniversary. Amongst Friends is a darkly comic satire directed by Anthony Clark and designed by Patrick Connellan and opens on Tuesday 26 May with previews from Thursday 21 May.

Journalist Lara (Baxendale) and her ex-MP and crime writer husband Richard (Gillett) are happy and successful. Having moved to a fashionable ‘gated community' they invite their old neighbours Caitlin (Cunniffe) and Joe (Dreyfus) to dinner. When the security system fails an uninvited guest (Pepperdine) descends and the dinner party takes quite a different turn...

April De Angelis' impressive biography includes Catch, Hush and Wild East for the Royal Court, A Warwickshire Testimony for RSC and A Laughing Matter for Out of Joint. The Positive Hour premiered at Hampstead Theatre in 1997.

Anthony Clark joined Hampstead Theatre as Artistic Director in 2003. His directing credits for Hampstead Theatre include: My Best Friend (Tamsin Oglesby), Tender (Abi Morgan), The Maths Tutor (Clare McIntyre), Revelations (Stephen Lowe), When the Night Begins (Hanif Kureshi), Osama the Hero (Dennis Kelly), A Single Act (Jane Bodie), Nathan The Wise (Lessing/Kemp), The Schuman Plan (Tim Luscombe), The Glass Room (Ryan Craig), Taking Care Of Baby (Dennis Kelly), Life After Scandal (Robin Soans), Turandot (Brecht/Kemp), Lucky Seven (Alexis Zegerman).

Helen Baxendale was last on stage in Swimming with Sharks with Christian Slater at the Vaudeville Theatre. She is well known for her TV roles in Cold Feet, Cardiac Arrest and Friends. Amongst Friends marks her third role at Hampstead, following Morning and Evening and Bearing Fruit.

Emma Cunniffe returns to Hampstead following The Glass Room (also directed by Anthony Clark) and Losing Louis which transferred to the West End. Her prolific TV career includes: The Lakes, Great Expectations, All the King's Men, Clocking Off and Flesh and Blood with Christopher Eccleston (BBC).

James Dreyfus is best known for his TV and film roles which include: The Thin Blue Line, Gimme Gimme Gimme and Notting Hill. His stage work has earned him an Olivier Award for his performance in Lady in the Dark at The National Theatre. Other roles include the Emcee in Cabaret; The Common Pursuit (Menier Chocolate Factory); Michael Frayn's Donkey's Years; the original London cast of The Producers, Eurovision, and Elegies For Angels, Punks And Raging Queens (National Theatre).

Aiden Gillett recently played Mr Banks in Mary Poppins (Cameron Mackintosh Ltd.). Other theatre credits include: Much Ado About Nothing, Blythe Spirit and Betrayal (Theatre Royal, Bath) and Michael Frayn's Noises Off (National Theatre). He is well known for playing Jack Maddox in The House of Eliott (BBC), Robin Hood in Ivanhoe (BBC) and his role in the film The Borrowers.

Vicki Pepperdine has appeared in numerous British TV comedy series, including Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, My Family, I'm Alan Partridge, Rhona Show and The Fast Show III. Her stage credits include: The Day After Tomorrow (National Theatre), A Small Family Business (Chichester Festival Theatre) and The Winter's Tale (Theatre de Complicite).

By April De Angelis
Directed by Anthony Clark
21 May - 13 June (Press night Tuesday 26 May at 7pm)
Designer Patrick Connellan
Lighting Designer Tim Mitchell
Sound Designer Gregory Clarke
Cast: Helen Baxendale, Emma Cunniffe, James Dreyfus, Aiden Gillett, Vicki Pepperdine.