Makarem And Cartwright To Star In PASSING BY At Tristan Bates, Nov 2013

Rik Makarem and James Cartwright are to star in Martin Sherman's ground-breaking play Passing By, which opens at the Tristan Bates Theatre this November. Rik Makarem, who plays Toby, was one of the regular characters in Emmerdale, as well as having starred in BBC's Torchwood. Alongside him is James Cartwright, who is well known from The History Boys, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and Hollyoaks and was awarded 'Best Actor' by the Royal Television Society for his role in Johnny Shakespeare, and will be playing Simon.

Passing By is a charming romantic comedy about the love between two men whose hearts pull them together as their lives pull them apart. Director Andrew Keates said: "It's a privilege to work with such exciting and talented actors and to finally bring Martin's lost play to the audiences we feel it has always deserved. Martin wrote this extraordinary play for audiences who could appreciate a delicate love story without homosexuality being the elephant in the room."

Plays such as Passing By allow us to reflect on how far our attitudes have progressed. When Simon Callow starred in the original Gay Sweatshop production of Passing By in 1975, he commented it "was utterly radical in offering no apology or explanation for the affair... The defensive, the reflexive, the self-protective mask was shed, and shy, tender, loving emotion flowed gently round the tiny auditorium."

Set in New York in 1972, designer Philip Lindley transports us to a bygone era in this heartfelt portrayal of a revolutionary exploration of intimacy, vulnerability and the human heart. The honesty of the play is inspiring; there is no sense of condescension or apology, but a realistic recognition of a moment of truth that is at once heart-breaking and liberating.

Martin Sherman is the author of the multi-award-winning Bent (one of The National Theatre's one hundred most significant plays of the twentieth century), Messiah, When She Danced, Rose and the film Mrs Henderson Presents.

In 2012, Arion Productions in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre, revived Passing By to sell-out audiences. This production at Tristan Bates Theatre is supported by Arts Council England.

Performance Dates Tuesday 5th November - Saturday 30th November
Tuesday to Saturday, 7.30pm
Sunday matinees, 3pm