Drew, Lincoln, and Jones In 'PARLOR SONG' Opening 3/19

Ian Rickson will direct Amanda Drew, Andrew Lincoln and Toby Jones in the European premiere of Jez Butterworth's Parlour Song which runs at the Almeida from 19 March - 9 May 2009 with press night on 26 March. Designs are by Jeremy Herbert, lighting is by Peter Mumford and music is by Stephen Warbeck. Parlour Song is sponsored by Aspen Re.

Ned (Toby Jones) and Joy (Amanda Drew) are a married couple. He is a demolition expert, she is a housewife. They live in a house that adjoins neighbour Dale (Andrew Lincoln) and seventy eight other houses just like theirs. Occasionally they enjoy a game of scrabble. But Ned has a recurring dream and a recurring problem; things keep disappearing. Parlour Song is a comedy that explores what happens when two ordinary people discover they hate who they have become, in a world where all is not what is seems.

Amanda Drew was last at the Almeida in Michael Attenborough's production of Gorky's Enemies as well as the Almeida's 2008 A Chain Play. Her other theatre work includes Faces in the Crowd for The Royal Court Theatre , Otherwise Engaged at the Criterion Theatre, Blithe Spirit at the Savoy Theatre, Madame Bovary: Breakfast with Emma for Shared Experience as well as many productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company both in Stratford and in the West End. On television she is best known for playing Dr May Wright in EastEnders. Her other television credits include Men Behaving Badly, Tough Love, Between the Lines and The Maitlands. Her film credits include Mrs Dalloway and This Years Love.

Toby Jones was previously at the Almeida in Jonathan Miller's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. His other theatre credits include The Dumb Waiter for the Oxford Playhouse, Measure for Measure for The National Theatre and his Olivier award winning performance as Arthur in The Play What I Wrote, both in the West End and on Broadway. His more recent film roles include Karl Rove in W, Trueman Capote in Infamous and Swifty Lazar in Frost Nixon. His other film credits include City of Embers, St Trinian's, Amazing Grace, Mrs Henderson Presents, Ladies in Lavender, Finding Neverland, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Hotel Splendide. In January 2009 Toby Jones can be seen at The National Theatre in Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.

Andrew Lincoln made his Almeida debut playing Ray Moss in Sam Shepard's The Late Henry Moss directed by Michael Attenborough. His theatre work includes Free and Blue/Orange for The National Theatre, Hushabye Mountain for Hampstead Theatre and Sugar, Sugar for the Bush. His many television credits include Afterlife, Wuthering Heights, Whose Baby, Saving Grace and Bramwell, as well renowned roles of Egg in This Life and Simon in Teachers. His film work includes Scenes of a Sexual Nature, Enduring Love, Love Actually, Gangster No 1 and Human Traffic.

Jez Butterworth's first play Mojo opened at the Royal Court in 1995 and subsequently won five drama awards including the Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Awards for Most Promising Playwright and the Olivier Award for Best Comedy. He returned to the Royal Court in 2002 with The Night Heron and The Winterling in 2006. His films Mojo, starring Harold Pinter, and Birthday Girl, starring Nicole Kidman, were both shown at the Venice Film Festival. In 2007 he received the E.M. Forster Award from The American Academy of Arts and Letters. Parlour Song received its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater in New York earlier this year.

Ian Rickson has previously directed Jez Butterworth's The Winterling, The Night Heron and Mojo. Rickson was Artistic Director of the Royal Court from 1998-2007 where his many productions included The Seagull, Krapp's Last Tape which he also directed for BBC4, Fallout which he directed as a film for Channel 4, The Weir that transferred to the West End and Broadway, Mojo which also transferred to the West End and then New York, and Dublin Carol. For The National Theatre he has directed The Hothouse and The Day I Stood Still. Ian Rickson's production of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, starring Mary Louise Parker, opens on Broadway in January.

On Sunday 8 February 2009 Imelda Staunton will host a Cabaret Gala at The Almeida Theatre for their major annual fundraising event. Joining Staunton on stage for a night of cabaret entertainment followed by an exclusive party, will be fellow actors including Eileen Atkins, Henry Goodman, Nigel Lindsay, David Morrissey, Bill Paterson and Clive Rowe.

Tickets, at £300, with a limited number of restricted view tickets at £150 and some exclusive premium tickets at £500, are bookable through the Development department on 020 7288 4936 or at www.almeida .co.uk

The annual cost of producing The Almeida Theatre's programme of work is approximately £3.3 million. Each year the Almeida must raise over £1.2m - more than its box office income or its government subsidy - to produce its artistic programme, to keep ticket prices affordable and to deliver Almeida Projects, the theatre's work with young people and the local community. All funds raised through the Almeida's Cabaret Gala evening will contribute towards this target.

"My profound thanks to Coutts, our Principal Sponsor, who continue to display enlightenment, generosity of spirit and integrity in this period of financial uncertainty." Michael Attenborough.

The Almeida Theatre is a Registered Charity (no. 282167).

Principal Sponsor
The Almeida Theatre is grateful to its Principal Sponsor Coutts & Co., who earlier this year announced their sixth consecutive year of support. The relationship between Coutts and the Almeida, first established when the newly refurbished theatre reopened in 2003, is a unique collaboration which has developed and flourished over the past six years. www.coutts.com

Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street,
Islington, London, N1 1TA
The Almeida Cafe-Bar is open from 11.30am - 11.00pm, Monday to Saturday, serving food, drinks and snacks.
BOX OFFICE
Phone 020 7359 4404 (24 hour)
In person 10.00am - 7.30pm, Monday - Saturday
On line www.almeida.co.uk
Tickets £29.50 - £6.00, concessions available

PERFORMANCES SCHEDULE
Regular performances are Monday - Saturday at 7.30pm, Saturday matinees at 3.00pm, Press Nights at 7.00pm.
ACCESS PERFORMANCES
Parlour Song
Wednesday 15 April at 7.30pm - Sign Language Interpreted performance
Saturday 2 May at 3pm - Audio Described performance & Touch Tour at 1.30pm
Saturday 25 April at 3pm & Thursday 7 May at 7.30pm - Captioned performance

20 November - 17 January 08
IN A DARK DARK HOUSE
Neil LaBute
Press Night 27 November

22 January - 14 March 09
DUET FOR ONE
Tom Kempinski
Press Night 29 January

8 February 09
ALMEIDA FUNDRAISING GALA
19 March - 9 May 09
PARLOUR SONG
Jez Butterworth
Press Night 26 March

14 May - 4 July 09
WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING
Andrew Bovell
Press night 21 May

4 September - 17 October 09
JUDGMENT DAY
Hampton/von Horváth
Press Night 10 September

22 October - 5 December 09
A QUIET ISLAND
Samuel Adamson
Press Night 29 October

10 December - 30 January 09
ROPE
PatRick Hamilton
Press Night 16 December