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Waste
By Harley Granville Barker
Directed By Samuel West
Ticket prices: £6 - £29.50
production information
'A scandal half-stifled is worse than a scandal'
Radical politician Henry Trebell sees his personal and political lives collide.
An affair with a married woman threatens Trebell’s power and passionate ideals; her insistence on a woman's right to choose bring private scandal into the public spotlight.
Controversially banned by the Lord Chamberlain on its release, Waste is a rich portrait of early 20th Century society with strong resonances and relevance for today.
Widely regarded as the founder of modern British theatre, Harley Granville Barker’s work includes The Madras House and The Voysey Inheritance, recently revived at the National Theatre.
Samuel West’s directing credits include The Romans In Britain, Insignificance and As You Like It for Sheffield Theatres and Dealer’s Choice at the Trafalgar Studios. As an actor his extensive work on stage includes Betrayal for the Donmar Warehouse and Hamlet and Richard II for the RSC.
Dates & Tickets
Talkback 28 October 2008
Stay in the auditorium after the performance to have your questions answered by members of the Waste company. Free to same day ticket holders.
Evening perfomances 7.30pm
Sat matinees 3pm
Wed matinees (29 Oct & 12 Nov) 2.30pm
Bruce Alexander
Gilbert Wedgecroft
Bruce Alexander appeared at the Almeida Theatre in The Tempest in 2000; his other extensive theatre credits include All’s Well That Ends Well, Cymbeline, Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, and The Merry Wives of Windsor for the RSC; The Reporter, The History Boys, The Mandate, and A Fair Quarrel for the National Theatre; Life After Scandal at Hampstead Theatre, Pericles at the Lyric Hammersmith, The Beggar’s Opera for the Orange Tree Theatre,and King Lear at The Globe Theatre. His television work includes Heartbeat, Midsomer Murders, The Brittas Empire, Peak Practice, Poirot, Thatcher: The Last Days, Keeping Up Appearances, and A Touch of Frost. His films include Churchill at War, A Christmas Carol, Ladybird Ladybird, and Nostradamus.
Max Bennett
Walter Kent
Max Bennett trained with the National Youth Theatre and L’Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris. He has recently finished filming for the upcoming film The Duchess, and appeared on stage in Cymbeline directed by Trevor Nunn at Cambridge Arts Theatre and a national tour of Under The Blue, Blue Moon with Cambridge Footlights.
Nancy Caroll
Amy O' Connell
Nancy last appeared at the Almeida Theatre in Jonathan Kent’s production of King Lear. Her other extensive theatre credits include Coward, Cocktails and Cabaret for Chichester Festival Theatre and The Enchantment, Man of Mode, The Voysey Inheritence, The False Servant and The Talking Cure all for the National Theatre. For the RSC her credits include Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, As You Like It, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and The Winter’s Tale. Sam West has previously directed her in The Lady’s Not for Burning for Chichester Festival Theatre. Her film credits include Iris and An Ideal Husband and on television she has been seen in Cambridge Spies, Doctors and Midsomer Murders.
Richard Cordery
Russell Blackborough
Richard Cordery’s theatre credits include Michael Boyd’s productions of Henry VI Parts 1, 2 and 3, Richard II and Richard III, Nancy Meckler’s production of The Comedy of Errors and Lindsey Posner’s production of Volpone, all for the RSC. His other theatre credits include Othello for Michael Attenborough in Stratford Ontario, The Winter’s Tale for the Young Vic and The Front Page for Chichester Festival Theatre. His film credits include The Loss Adjuster and Lorenzo’s Oil. On television his work includes Midsomer Murders, Absolute Power, The Falklands Play and Trauma.
Patrick Drury
Justin O'Connell
Patrick Drury’s theatre credits include Fram, Major Barbara, and The Enchantment for the National Theatre, Mother Courage and Her Children, Hamlet, Twelfth Night and King Lear for English Touring Theatre, Someone Else’s Shoes for English Touring Theatre and Soho Theatre, Afore Night Come for the Young Vic and Silas Marner for The Orange Tree Theatre. His film work includes Laughterhouse, The Awakening and The Nightingale Saga, while his television credits include Silent Witness, Judge John Deed, Cold Blood, Father Ted and Midsomer Murders.
Peter Eyre
Lord Charles Cantilupe
Peter Eyre’s Almeida Theatre credits include Camera Obscura, Chère Maître in which he played opposite Irene Worth and Hamlet in which he played Polonius. His other, more recent, theatre credits include Ring Round the Moon at the Playhouse, The Cherry Orchard for Sheffield Crucible, Terre Haute for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, on tour nationally and in the West End, The Wild Duck for the Old Vic and Don Carlos for Sheffield Theatres and The Gielgud. His film credits include The Affair of the Necklace, Surviving Picasso, Remains of the Day and Maurice. His television credits include Question of God, Cambridge Spies, Don Quixote, Bertie and Elizabeth and Friends.
Will Keen
Henry Trebell
Will Keen was last at the Almeida Theatre as T S Eliot in Tom and Viv. His other theatre credits include The Arsonists for the Royal Court, Kiss of the Spider Woman for the Donmar Warehouse, Five Gold Rings - also for the Almeida, Cheek by Jowl’s The Changeling at the Barbican, The Rubenstein Kiss for the Hampstead Theatre, Peter Hall’s productions of Don Juan and Man and Superman for the Theatre Royal Bath, Tom Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia at the National Theatre, and Neil Bartlett's production of Pericles at the Lyric Hammersmith. His film work includes Love and Other Disasters and The Nine Lives of Thomas Katz. On television he has been seen as Francis Bacon in C4’s Elizabeth and Cezanne in The Impressionists for the BBC.
Helen Lindsay
Countess Mortimer / Bertha
Helen Lindsay has previously appeared at the Almeida Theatre in Chatski directed by Jonathan Kent; her other extensive theatre credits include Granville Barker’s The Voysey Inheritance at the National Theatre, An Ideal Husband at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, An Inspector Calls on the West End, Les Liaisons Dangereuse for the RSC, Thark at the Lyric Hammersmith, Habeus Corpus for Nottingham Playhouse and The Rivals and Charley’s Aunt for Oxford Playhouse Tour. Her film credits include Leningrad, The Wedding Date, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, AKA, Secrets and The Tribe, and her television work includes Poirot, Foyle’s War, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Ella and Her Mothers and Misomer Murders.
Phoebe Nicholls
Frances Trebell
Phoebe Nicholls has recently appeared in The Vortex in the West End and on national tour, Three Women and a Piano Tuner at the Hampstead Theatre, Hysteria at the Royal Court, An Inspector Calls and Pravada at the National Theatre, Three Sisters and The Seagull in the West End, and The Cherry Orchard at Chichester Festival Theatre. Her film credits include Cuckoos, Persuasion, Fairy Tale, Heart of Darkness and The Elephant Man, and her extensive television work includes Clapham Junction, The Trial of Tony Blair, All About Me, Spooks, The Brief, Hawking, Foyle’s War, Prime Suspect VI, Shackleton, and Second Sight.
Hugh Ross
Cyril Horsham
Hugh Ross’ recent theatre credits include Bent at Trafalgar Studios, 5/11 at Chichester Festival Theatre, Pyranees at the Tron Theatre Glasgow, Menier Chocolate Factory and Watford Palace Theatre, Love Me Tonight at Hampstead Theatre, The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre, West End, Hare Trilogy at the Birmingham Rep, and A Prayer for Owen Meany and Battle Royal for the National Theatre. His film work includes Young Hannibal, Charlotte Grey, The Four Feathers, Gooseberries Don’t Dance and Trainspotting. His television credits include The Palace, Mine All Mine, Sea of Souls and The Cazalet Chronicles.
Jeany Spark
Lucy Davenport
Jeany Spark trained at RADA where she appeared in productions including A Mouthful of Birds, Scenes From the Big Picture, and Rabbit. She has also appeared in Twelfth Night at Houghton Hall (Theatre Royal Norwich Fundraiser). Her television credits include Wallander, Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Lewis.
Giles Taylor
Butler / Vivian Saumarez
Giles Taylor’s theatre credits include The Music Man at Chichester Festival Theatre, Othello and Relative Values at Salisbury Playhouse, The Wizard of Oz at Birmingham Rep/West Yorkshire Playhouse, numerous productions at the Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park including Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Longitude at Greenwich Theatre, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Merchant of Venice and Talk of the City for the RSC. His film credits include Tom and Viv and Orlando, whilst on television he has appeared in Stuart: A Life Backwards, Friends and Crocodiles, Secrets of the Psychics and Karaoke. He has also performed several radio plays.
Michael Thomas
George Farrant
Michael Thomas previously appeared in Festen at the Almeida Theatre and its West End transfer; his other extensive theatre credits include St Joan, Pillars of the Community, A Winter’s Tale, The Rivals and Oresteia for the National Theatre, Women Beware Women, Edward III, The Roman Actor, The Comedy of Errors, Henry V and Henry IV Part 2 for the RSC, Our Country’s Good at the Liverpool Everyman Playhouse, In Praise of Love and King Lear at Chichester Festival Theatre, Under The Curse for the Gate Theatre, and Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet for the Actors’ Shakespeare Company. His television credits include Holby Blue, Trial and Retribution, Ultimate Force III and EastEnders, while his film credits include Paper Mask.
Jessica Turner
Lady Julia Farrant
Jessica Turner recently appeared in the national tour of Present Laughter, as well as Girl in the Goldfish Bowl at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, and King Lear for English Touring Co/Young Vic. She has appeared in numerous productions at the National Theatre including Speer, Equus, and Animal Farm, whilst her other theatre credits include Good at the Donmar Warehouse, Haiti/Rwanda at the Tricycle Theatre, That Summer at the Hampstead Theatre, and In Order of Appearance, Much Ado About Nothing and The Last Mrs Cheney at Chichester Festival Theatre. Her television credits include Countdown to War: Iraq, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Waking The Dead, Spooks, The Cazalet Chronicles and Polterguests. Her film work includes Deeply and The Mill on the Floss.
Samuel West
Director
Samuel West’s directing credits include The Romans In Britain, Insignificance and As You Like It as Artistic Director for Sheffield Theatres, Patrick Marber’s Dealer’s Choice at the Trafalgar Studios and Menier Chocolate Factory, Cosi Fan Tutte for English National Opera and Three Woman and a Piano Tuner for the Minerva Theatre Chichester and Hampstead Theatre. As an actor his extensive work on stage includes Betrayal for the Donmar Warehouse, A Number and Much Ado About Nothing for Sheffield Theatres, Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita for Chichester Festival Theatre, the title roles in Hamlet and Richard II for the RSC and The Sea and Arcadia for the National Theatre. His many film credits include Iris, Jane Eyre and Persuasion, whilst on television his credits include Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley, Foyles War and Cambridge Spies.
Peter McKintosh
Design
Peter McKintosh’s extensive design credits for theatre includes his work on The 39 Steps in London, on international and UK tour, and on Broadway for which he was nominated for two TONY awards. His other credits for theatre design include Cloud Nine and Romance for the Almeida Theatre, Fiddler on the Roof, The Dumb Waiter, Summer and Smoke, Donkeys’ Years, The Home Place, The Birthday Party, Ying Tong, and A Woman of No Importance all in the West End, King John, Brand, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Pericles, and Alice in Wonderland for the RSC, Honk! and Widowers’ Houses for the National Theatre, and The Chalk Garden, John Gabriel Borkman and The Cryptogram for the Donmar Warehouse. His opera work includes The Silent Twins for Almeida Opera, the world premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale for Royal Danish Opera, English National Opera and Canadian Opera, and the UK premiere of Michael Nyman’s Love Counts. His design for dance includes Cut To The Chase for English National Ballet.
Guy Hoare
Lighting
Guy Hoare’s theatre credits for lighting design include Amadeus, The Little Fir Tree, Fen, Far Away and Macbeth for Sheffield Theatres, The Lion,The Witch & The Wardrobe, Bollywood Jane, Macbeth, and How Many Miles to Basra? for West Yorkshire Playhouse, Season's Greetings for Liverpool Playhouse, Of Mice and Men for Mercury Theatre, Colchester, A Streetcar Named Desire for Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Accidental Heroes for the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, and UK tours of Old Times, The Caretaker, and Closer amongst many others. His work on musicals includes The Witches of Eastwick, All The Fun of The Fair and Aspects of Love all on UK Tour and Assassins for Sheffield Theatres, whilst he has designed for numerous operas with companies including English Touring Opera, Longborough Festival Opera, and Opera UK. His dance credits include Havana Rakatan for Sadler’s Wells, Mischief for Theatre Rites, And Who Shall Come To The Ball? for Candoco.
John Leonard
Sound
John Leonard has previously worked on sound design at the Almeida Theatre for The Homecoming, Big White Fog, Dying For It, Hedda Gabler, Macbeth, Brighton Rock, Whistling Psyche, Five Gold Rings, The Mercy Seat, and I.D. He has also worked extensively on productions for the National Theatre including the recent Much Ado About Nothing and The Enchantment, productions for the RSC including Antony and Cleopatra, The Prisoner's Dilemma, and Romeo and Juliet, and extensive work for the Druid Theatre Galway/Dublin, Soho Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Birmingham Rep, Oxford Playhouse and Liverpool Playhouse. His work in the West End and on Broadway includes In Celebration, Kean, Glengarry Glen Ross and Translations.
"Another forgotten gem unearthed by the Almeida… Sam West’s production is superlative, with a 15-strong cast without a weak link… sharp-eyed and, in many ways, timeless"
Independent on Sunday
Additional information
Running Time: 2 hours 40 mins plus 20 minute interval
Cast & Creatives
Bruce Alexander
Max Bennett
Nancy Carroll
Richard Cordery
Patrick Drury
Peter Eyre
Will Keen
Helen Lindsay
Phoebe Nicholls
Hugh Ross
Jeany Spark
Giles Taylor
Michael Thomas
Jessica Turner
Director Samuel West
Design Peter McKintosh
Lighting Guy Hoare
Sound John Leonard