Download thérèse raquin - Finborough Theatre

Press Information
The Finborough Theatre is fully heated and air conditioned
VIBRANT NEW WRITING | UNIQUE REDISCOVERIES
Spring 2014 | February–May 2014
Theatre Bench in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre presents
The World Premiere
Émile Zola’s
THÉRÈSE RAQUIN
Music by Craig Adams. Book and Lyrics by Nona Shepphard.
Directed by Nona Shepphard. Orchestrations by Craig Adams.
A story of paralysing passion…
Following the sell-out success of its workshop as part of Vibrant 2012 - A Festival of Finborough Playwrights, and as part
of the Finborough Theatre's acclaimed Celebrating British Music Theatre series, the world premiere of a new musical
adaptation of the classic French novel Thérèse Raquin opens to the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre for a four
week run, opening Tuesday, 25 March 2014 (Press Night: Thursday, 27 March 2014 at 7.30pm).
1860s Paris. In a small dusty haberdasher’s shop near the Seine in the dank, narrow Passage du Pont Neuf, the young
and beautiful Thérèse Raquin is trapped into a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille.
While her husband is out all day working, Therese spends her days confined behind the counter of a small shop and every Thursday evening - watching her domineering aunt, Madame Raquin, play dominoes with an eclectic group of
ne'er-do-wells.
Until the Thursday evening that her husband Camille brings an old friend to the party – the alluring Laurent – and she
embarks on an illicit affair that leads Thérèse to abandon all her inhibitions and loyalties as their brutal and
overwhelming passion overturns both their lives and has results that nobody could have foreseen...
In keeping with the innovative and challenging nature of the original work, this radical new musical adaptation uses
music and lyrics to heighten and distil the underlying themes, featuring a a company of twelve actor musicians, playing
the main roles of Therese, Laurent, Camille and Madame Raquin, as well as their Thursday night domino playing
companions and a watchful and distrustful chorus.
Émile Zola (1840–1902) was a novelist, playwright and journalist, the most important exemplar of the literary school of
naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism. He was a major figure in the
political liberalization of France and in the exoneration of the falsely accused and convicted army officer Alfred Dreyfus,
which is encapsulated in his renowned letter J'accuse. Zola was nominated for both the first and second Nobel Prize in
Literature in 1901 and 1902.
Thérèse Raquin was Zola's first major work, originally published in serial format in 1867 the journal L'Artiste and – due
to its huge and immediate popularity – in book format in 1868, gaining additional publicity when critic Louis Ulbach
called the book "putrid". In 1873, Zola adapted the novel into a play, although it did not receive its London première until
1891, due to the Lord Chamberlain's censorship. Both the novel and the play have been seen in many stage, screen,
television and radio adaptations including a 2013 Hollywood film.
118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED Telephone 020 7244 7439
e-mail [email protected]
www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk
Artistic Director Neil McPherson
The Finborough Theatre is managed by The Steam Industry. Registered in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee, no. 3448268.
Registered Charity no. 1071304. Registered address: 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED. A member of the Independent Theatre Council.
Press Information
Nona Shepphard (Book, Lyrics and Direction) began her theatrical career as an actor at the Liverpool Playhouse, as a
director at the Nuffield Theatre Southampton, and wrote her first play for the Chester Gateway Theatre. Since then, she
has worked freelance as a writer and director for many companies both in the UK and abroad, with over a hundred and
fifty productions and forty commissioned plays to her credit. Nona is Associate Director of the Royal Academy of Dramatic
Art, Creative Director of RADA Enterprises, and International Consultant at the Lir Academy in Dublin. This year, she has
created two new pieces of work – You in Mid Air at Circus Space and Dreams and Cigarettes at the Alpbach Forum in
Austria - and directed Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Arabian Nights, Scenes from the Big Picture and High Society
in London and Dublin.
Craig Adams (Music) is a composer, lyricist, and arranger. He was Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer at the
Finborough Theatre, facilitated by Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network UK. Craig’s first musical
Lift, developed in association with Perfect Pitch, received its world premiere at Soho Theatre earlier this year and is now
being licenced around the world with an Off-Broadway run in November. Other writing includes DEFECT (as part of
Vibrant 2013 – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights at the Finborough Theatre), Ghosts Of The Past (YMT:UK), Ballet
People (The Place), Battlements (Vanbrugh Theatre), The Watchers (YMT:UK), Let Him Have Justice (Cochrane Theatre),
Spell, The Frog Prince (Wimbledon Studio Theatre and Edinburgh Festival), Alice in Wonderland (Edinburgh Festival and
tour). As an arranger and musical director, Craig has worked on hundreds of shows and albums for Kerry Ellis, Louise
Dearman and Julie Atherton amongst many otehrs. He is currently working an adaptation of the Terry Pratchett novel
Soul Music for YMT, and a dance piece based on acclaimed children’s book Bob Robber and Dancing Jane entitled
Shadowthief which will premiere in summer 2014. www.craigadamsmusic.com
In 2006, the Finborough Theatre began the Celebrating British Music Theatre series with a sell-out production of Leslie
Stuart’s Florodora. Productions since then have included sell-out rediscoveries of Lionel Monckton’s Our Miss Gibbs,
Harold Fraser-Simson’s operetta The Maid of the Mountains, A "Gilbert and Sullivan" Double Bill featuring Gilbert’s play
Sweethearts and Sullivan’s opera The Zoo, Dame Ethel Smyth’s opera The Boatswain’s Mate, Sandy Wilson’s The
Buccaneer, Oscar Asche’s Chu Chin Chow, Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley's The Roar of the Greasepaint – The
Smell of the Crowd, Ivor Novello's Perchance to Dream and Gay's The Word, Gilbert and Sullivan's The Grand Duke,
Edward German's Merrie England and Paul Scott Goodman's Rooms: A Rock Romance. Other productions include the
professional world premiere of Ivor Novello's operetta Valley of Song in January 2014.
The Press on composer Craig Adams' musical LIFT at the Soho Theatre
"Adams' witty and poignant score."  WhatsOnStage
“Adams’ rangy, rocky, highly emotive vocal lines give voice to real feelings urgently expressed in that edgy “now” kind of
way. He has a real gift...for heightening and powering home the text and this bunch of voices – straight from the school
of Rent and Spring Awakening – gave the piece terrific immediacy.” Edward Seckerson, The Independent.
"Delightful songs...vibrant songwriting that fills you with electricity." Huffington Post
"Craig Adams' score has a fresh, unique sound" West End Frame
"Adams' pop score is emotive and catchy." Official London Theatre
The Press on Nona Shepphard
"Shepphard’s work is superlative, creating a gripping tale which pulls apart the myths of mental illness, domestic violence
and female sexuality." The Stage on Crazy Lady
"The play is impeccably well structured and a magnificent twist and strong ending make it a very satisfying piece." BBC
Radio Manchester on Crazy Lady
"This fantastic show deserved the standing ovation it received... Shepphard’s alert and outstanding writing...made for an
exceptionally heartfelt and compassionate play." The Birmingham Post on Signs Of A Star Shaped Diva
"Nona Shepphard’s smart, witty play is part of the next phase of gay theater." San Diego News Network on The Marriage
Bed
"Shakespeare is safe with Nona Shepphard, whose intelligent, ingenious play is a fascinating interpretation of the events
in The Winter’s Tale...A piece of high quality theatre." The Stage on A Tale For Winter at the Tricycle Theatre
PRESS NIGHT: THURSDAY, 27 MARCH 2014 AT 7.30PM
PHOTOCALL: TUESDAY, 25 MARCH 2014 AT 1.00PM-1.30PM
LISTINGS INFORMATION
118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED Telephone 020 7244 7439
e-mail [email protected]
www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk
Artistic Director Neil McPherson
The Finborough Theatre is managed by The Steam Industry. Registered in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee, no. 3448268.
Registered Charity no. 1071304. Registered address: 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED. A member of the Independent Theatre Council.
Press Information
Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED
Box Office 0844 847 1652 Book online at www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk
Tuesday, 25 March – Saturday, 19 April 2014
Tuesday to Saturday Evenings at 7.30pm. Sunday Matinees at 3.00pm. Saturday matinees at 3.00pm (from 29 March
2014).
Prices for Weeks One and Two (25 March – 5 April 2014) – Tickets £16, £14 concessions, except Tuesday
Evenings £14 all seats, and Friday and Saturday evenings £16 all seats. Previews (25 and 26 March) £12 all seats.
£10 tickets for Under 30’s for performances from Tuesday to Sunday of the first week when booked online only.
£12 tickets for residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on Saturday, 29 March 2014 when booked
online.
Prices for Weeks Three and Four (8 April – 19 April 2014) – Tickets £18, £16 concessions, except Tuesday
Evenings £16 all seats, and Friday and Saturday evenings £18 all seats.
Performance Length: Approximately two and a half hours with one interval of fifteen minutes.
For more information, interviews and images, please contact
Neil McPherson on e-mail [email protected] or 07977 173135
Download press releases and images at http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/press-resources.php
118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED Telephone 020 7244 7439
e-mail [email protected]
www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk
Artistic Director Neil McPherson
The Finborough Theatre is managed by The Steam Industry. Registered in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee, no. 3448268.
Registered Charity no. 1071304. Registered address: 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED. A member of the Independent Theatre Council.