WAITING IN THE WINGS Closes At The Pentameters Theatre Sept 18

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Noël Coward's rarely performed 50th play, "Waiting in the Wings" is set in a retirement home for actresses and focuses on a feud between residents Lotta Bainbridge and May Davenport, who once both loved the same man.

"Waiting in the Wings" will perform at Pentameters?Theatre, Hampstead from Tuesday?August 31 to Saturday 18 September.

Press night is Thursday 2 September

"Waiting in the Wings" premiered in the West End at the Duke of York's Theatre on 7 September 1960. It starred Sybil Thorndike, Lewis Casson, Marie Lohr and Graham Payn.

"I wrote Waiting in the Wings with loving care, absolute belief in its characters and two of the best scenes I have ever written, while maintaining the basic truth that old age can be greeted with humour and lived with courage" - Noël Coward

The cast features Frances Cuka as the great Shakespearean actress, May Davenport; Juliet Ackroyd as West End leading lady, Lotta Bainbridge; Patricia Leventon as the toast of Dublin and Shaun O'Casey, Deirdre O'Malley; Audrey Nicholson as star of Intimate Revue, Bonita Belgrave; Jackie Skarvellis as the great Music Hall comedienne, Cora Clarke; Estelle Collins as Cochrane's favourite young lady, Maud Melrose; Beryl Nesbitt as London's sweetest ingenue, Estelle Craven; Gillian Roy as stalwart of Drury Lane, AlmIna Clare; Maggie McCourt as the West End's favourite heartthrob, Sarita Myrtle; Clifford Burgess as Osgood Meeker, the world's oldest stage door Johnny; plus David Lee Jones as Perry Lascoe; Penelope Dudley as Zelda Fenwick; Josie Martin as Sylvia Archibald; Jade Davidson as Doreen; Peter Evans as Dr Jevons; and Rick Alancroft as Alan Bennet.

Frances Cuka's career has spanned almost 50 years. On stage, she created the role of Jo in Shelagh Delaney's play "A Taste of Honey" in 1958. She had recurring roles in the soap operas "Crossroads" and "Coronation Street". Film roles have included "Scrooge" (as Bob Cratchit's wife) and "Henry VIII and his Six Wives" (as Catherine of Aragon). From 2006 to 2009, she played the recurring role of a troublesome tramp called Mrs Bassey in the BBC1 medical drama "Casualty".

After training at the Webber Douglas, director Aline Waites was awarded a scholarship to the BBC drama Rep and spent many years as Gwen in the twice daily soap opera "Mrs Dale's Diary". Started the Aba Daba Music Hall creating a fully professional pub theatre at the Mother Red Cap (now World's End) Camden Town and then at the Pindar of Wakefield (now The Water Rats) in Grays Inn Road, the Canal Cafe, the Hollywood in Fulham, the Arches in Southwark, Downstairs at Kennedy's in Chelsea and the Star and Garter in Putney. With partner Robin Hunter created revues, plays, satirical pantomimes and The Illustrated Victorian Songbook (Michael Joseph 1985). Wrote and directed in Scandinavia, Germany, France, Canada and the USA, and huge charity productions at presitious West End theatres including the Shaftesbury and the Old Vic. During the nineties, she contributed articles, interviews and reviews to Plays and Players.She started reviewing for the Ham and High newspaper and gained a BA hons Lit at the open University in 2006 and is currently studying "Exploring the English Language". She is a member of the Writers Guild, Actors Benevolent Fund, Camden Age Concern and is a life member of Actors Equity. She is Artistic Advisor to The Giant Olive Theatre Company.

LISTINGS?INFO

Waiting in the Wings

Pentameters Theatre
28 Heath Street
Entrance Oriel Place
Hampstead
London NW3 6TE

Telephone 020 7435 3648

Nearest Rail/Tube:
Hampstead (Northern Line)

Tuesday 31 August -
Saturday 18 September

Tuesday - Saturday at 8.00pm

Sunday matinee at 5.00pm

Press night
Thursday 2 September
at 8.00pm

Tickets: £12.00
(£10.00 concessions)