JULIAN Clary and Matthew Kelly star in Ronald Harwood’s acclaimed drama directed by Olivier-Award winning Terry Johnson and touring to Oxford Playhouse from Tuesday, January 25, to Saturday, January 29.
For 16 years Norman, Sir’s devoted dresser, has been there to fix Sir’s wig, massage his ego, remind him of his opening lines and provide the sound effects in the storm scene. It is down to Norman to ensure that in spite of everything, the show goes on
The Dresser,
Inspired by memories of working as Donald Wolfit’s dresser as a young man, Ronald Harwood’s evocative, affectionate and hilarious portrait of backstage life is regarded as one of the most acclaimed dramas of modern theatre.
It is 1942 and in a war-torn provincial theatre an aging actormanager, known to his loyal acting company as ‘Sir’, is struggling to cling on to his sanity and complete his 227th performance of King Lear. For 16 years Norman, Sir’s devoted dresser, has been there to fix Sir’s wig, massage his ego, remind him of his opening lines and provide the sound effects in the storm scene.
It is down to Norman to ensure that in spite of everything, the show goes on.
Starring as the affectionately known ‘Sir’ is Matthew Kelly. Olivier-Award-winning Kelly is well known for presenting the television series Stars in their Eyes and You Bet! His other West End credits include Waiting For Godot with Ian McKellen and Roger Rees, Funny Peculiar, Sign of the Times, Lend Me A Tenor!, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and as Lennie in
Of Mice and Men (Savoy) for which he received the Olivier Award for Best Actor. His many television credits include the award-winning Cold Blood, Benidorm, Bleak House and Moving On.
Sir’s loyal and devoted dresser Norman will be played by one of the UK’s most unique and best loved entertainers, Julian Clary, whose successes include television, radio, films, writing and stand-up comedy, which he has performed all over the world. His West End starring roles range from London Palladium pantomimes to Taboo. Tickets are priced from £10 and are available from the box office on 01865 305305 or book online at www.oxfordplayhouse.com n Over at the New Theatre Oxford, from Wednesday, January 5, to Saturday, January 8, Saturday Night Fever is spectacularly reimagined in a big new music and dance extravaganza.
While paying homage to the 1977 John Travolta classic, this new stage version promises more drama, more music and hot new choreography, which is sure to have you dancing in the aisles.
The movie soundtrack remains one of the bestselling of all time, featuring the Bee Gees’ greatest hits such as Stayin’ Alive, How
Deep Is Your Love, Night Fever, Tragedy and More Than a Woman as well as 70s favourites Boogies Shoes, Disco Inferno and many more.
THE DRESSER Matthew Kelly (Sir) and Julian Clary (Norman) Photo© Alastair Muir