The Country Girl Comes To The Theatre Royal Nottingham

Description:

Almost three decades ago Bill Kenwright had his first West End hit with Clifford Odets’ The Country Girl at the Apollo Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue, featuring Martin Shaw as the hotshot director of a new Broadway play. This season Kenwright will present the same play in the same theatre and with the same star - only this time Shaw will play the role of former theatrical great Frank Elgin, starring alongside Jenny Seagrove as his long-suffering wife. The part originally played by Shaw will be performed by Mark Letheren.

The Country Girl will play at the Theatre Royal Nottingham from 31 August – 4 September as part of a national tour prior to the show opening in the West End, at the Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, on Monday 11 October.

Taking on the roles played by Morgan Freeman and Frances McDormand on Broadway in 2008, and by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the Oscar-winning 1954 movie version - Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove, stars of the hit BBC drama Judge John Deed, are reunited to appear on the West End Stage together for the very first time.

The Country Girl is the powerful story of washed-up actor Frank Elgin (Martin Shaw), a desperate and demanding alcoholic who is offered a comeback chance to star in the next Broadway play by young director Bernie Dodd (played by Mark Letheren – whose numerous TV and theatre credits include lead roles in Wire in the Blood, Silent Witness and Cloud 9 at the Almeida Theatre). As the ‘Country Girl’ of the title, Jenny Seagrove plays his long-suffering wife Georgie. Believing that Georgie is the reason for Elgin’s career decline, Bernie strikes up a stormy relationship with the actor’s wife - but how far should a woman go to redeem the man she loves?

Check back for our review next week.