Casting has been announced for Alexis Michalik’s play Intra Muros at London’s Park Theatre which features and is directed by Ché Walker.
Ageing thespian Richard is preparing to direct his first theatre class in a maximum security prison, assisted by his former-actress ex-wife Jane and an inexperienced social worker called Alice. When only two inmates turn up he decides to go ahead with the class nonetheless – and so begins a captivating and darkly comic exploration of life, within the walls.
Full of Michalik’s trademark sharp wit and extraordinary method of storytelling, this metatheatrical production will be directed by Ché Walker (writer of Been So Long, Flesh Wound, Crazy Love and The Frontline) who will also feature as the director within the play, Richard. The full cast will include Summer Strallen as Alice, Victor Gardener as Angel, Emma Pallant as Jane and Declan Perring as Kevin. Popular jazz artist Rio Kai will provide live music and digital sound mixing as an on-stage DJ.
Award-winning writer, director and actor Ché Walker made theatrical history with The Frontline (2008), the first contemporary-set new play to be performed at Shakespeare’s Globe in London. His play Klook’s Last Stand premiered at Park Theatre in 2014, before playing at the NAMT Festival in New York in 2017. His musical adaptation of Been So Long, which he also directed, premiered at the Young Vic and his own feature film adaptation starring Michaela Coel and Arinzé Kene (bought by Netflix) opened last year’s BFI London Film Festival. Further writing credits include Crazy Love (Paines Plough) and Flesh Wound (Royal Court, winning both the George Devine Award and the Arts Council Writer of the Future Award 2003) which has been translated and produced world-wide.
Olivier Award-nominated actress Summer Strallen is known for leading West End stage roles in Top Hat, The Sound of Music, Young Frankenstein, The Drowsy Chaperone, Guys and Dolls, The Boy Friend, Love Never Dies, Cats, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. On TV, her credits include Hollyoaks in which her character Summer Shaw auditioned for and won the role of Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music which Strallen went on to play on stage.
Victor Gardener’s recent theatre credits include But Still It Goes On and Fog (Finborough Theatre), Frank Sent Me (Soho Theatre), Enjoy(Theatre Royal Bath) and Journey’s End (Mercury Theatre Colchester). He appeared on television in Les Miserables, Press, True Horror, and as a series regular in Hollyoaks and Mr Selfridge II. His film work includes Misbehaviour, Farming and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Declan Perring’s theatre credits include Sam, The Good Person (Bunker Theatre), Our Boys and Early Birds (Q Productions), The Revenger’s Tragedy (Nottingham Playhouse), Screens (Theatre503) and Belfast Boy (Arcola Theatre).
Emma Pallant’s recent theatre credits include A Christmas Carol (RSC), Lava (Nottingham Playhouse), Wind in the Willows (Rose Theatre, Kingston) and Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Comedy of Errors and Macbeth(Shakespeare’s Globe). Her television work includes Casualty, Father Brown, Holby City and Doctors.
Award-winning bassist Rio Kai is a prolific fixture in the London jazz scene, playing in such bands as SEED Ensemble and Nerija, as well as hosting a jazz night at Grow, Hackney. A recent winner of the Best Newcomer of the Year Award with Nerija, Rio’s playing style includes foundations of jazz coupled with energetic rhythmical phrases and blistering lines as well as bowed work.
Intra Muros is translated by Pamela Hargreaves.
Running at the Park Theatre from 3 April – 4 May 2019
BOOK TICKETS FOR INTRA MUROS
