Thursday 26 May 2022

In 2011 writer Richard Bean took an old Italian comedy and turned it into One Man, Two Guvnors which became a global hit with the National Theatre. Now the smash hit comedy comes to the Playhouse from 29 June to 16 July in a new production created by the Everyman & Playhouse with Octagon Theatre Bolton and Theatre by the Lake.

Set in 1963, One Man, Two Guvnors follows the antics of Francis Henshall who has just been fired from his skiffle band. In search of food and romance, he soon finds himself juggling not one but two new jobs. What Francis doesn’t know is that his first guvnor, small time crook Roscoe Crabbe, is actually Roscoe’s twin sister Rachel, in disguise as her dead brother, who was killed by her boyfriend, Stanley Stubbers. To complicate matters further, Francis’ second boss is none other than Stanley Stubbers, on the run and desperate to be reunited with Rachel. All Francis needs to do is keep his two guvnors apart. What could possibly go wrong?

A talented cast of 11 star in this side-splittingly funny, brand-new production, including actor-musicians who make up a skiffle band playing live music throughout the show. Following in the footsteps of James Corden and Rufus Hound, Jordan Pearson (Ladhood, BBC and Coronation Street, ITV) makes his professional stage debut in the role of Francis. The two ‘guvnors’ – Rachel Crabbe and Stanley Stubbers, will be played by Siobhan Athwal (The Bone Sparrow, Pilot Theatre, Bend It Like Beckham, West End) and Laurie Jamieson (71 Coleman Street, Hull Truck, The Canary and the Crow, Middle Child) respectively.

The cast also includes Alexander Bean (Summer Holiday, Octagon Theatre Bolton, The Jungle Book, Watermill Theatre) as Lloyd; Matthew Ganley (Jack & the Beanstalk, Playhouse, Oliver Twist, Storyhouse, Around the World in 80 Days, Kenny Wax Productions) as Gareth; Polly Lister (The Hound of the Baskervilles, Octagon Theatre Bolton, The Snow Queen, Stephen Joseph Theatre) as Dolly; Qasim Mahmood (Aladdin, Lyric Hammersmith, Trojan Horse, Lung Theatre) as Alan Dangle; Rodney Matthew (The Last Witch, Ten Feet Tall, The Pillowman, Aberdeen Arts Centre) as Charlie.

Completing the cast is Javier Marzan (The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary, Liverpool Everyman/UK tour, The Ghost Train, Royal Exchange Theatre) as Alfie; Karl Seth (East is East, Trafalgar Studios/UK tour, She Loves Me, Sheffield Crucible) as Harry; and Lauren Sturgess (The Present and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Octagon Theatre Bolton) as Pauline.

This new production is directed by Artistic Director of Octagon Theatre Bolton, Lotte Wakeham who commented:
“I can’t wait to bring this feel-good, fast-paced knockabout farce to the stage. It is a modern classic and promises to be a great night out, with hysterical physical comedy and brilliant music which will transport the audience back to the 1960s. I’m certain it will be a real crowd-pleaser. We are delighted to be co-producing the show with our friends at Liverpool Everyman and Theatre by the Lake, so this smash-hit comedy can be enjoyed by audiences across the North West this summer.”

The creative team includes: Colin Falconer (set designer), Katie Scott (associate set designer and costume designer), John Nicholson (physical comedy director), Jordan Li-Smith (musical director), Jane Lallijee (lighting designer) and Andy Graham (sound designer).

Comedy chaos is sure to ensue in this unmissable tale of mistaken identity, murder and mayhem.  One Man, Two Guvnors is at the Liverpool Playhouse from Wednesday 29 June to Saturday 16 July and tickets priced from £10 to £35.