Presented by London Classic Theatre, this production marks The Birthday Party’s first significant touring revival of the twenty-first century. Director Michael Cabot has assembled an excellent cast including West End veteran Cheryl Kennedy and Northern Irish actor Declan Rodgers.
Jonathan Ashley plays Goldberg. For the company, he has appeared in Waiting for Godot, Entertaining Mr Sloane, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Double Inconstancy. His other theatre credits include The Tempest and Hansel and Gretel (Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds), Abigail’s Party, Arsenic and Old Lace, Dick Barton and the Secret of the Pharoah’s Tomb, One for the Pot, Ladies in Retirement, Hay Fever and Salad Days (Southwold Summer Theatre), The Hooligan Clown (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith), Scapin’s Tricks and The Winter’s Tale (Wimbledon Studio Theatre), Waiting for Godot and The Dumb Waiter (Albany Empire) and Landscape (Finborough Theatre).
Gareth Bennett-Ryan plays Stanley. His theatre credits include The History Boys, Macbeth (Mercury Colchester), Farm Boy (New Perspectives), As You Like It, Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe), Generation of Z Apocalypse (Royale Productions), Much Ado About Nothing, Antony and Cleopatra (Cambridge Shakespeare Festival), Dick Whittington, Mother Goose (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds), The Mermaids Curse (SKiP), The Shoemakers Holiday (The Rose) and NewsRevue (2008 Season tour) For television, he has appeared in Shakespeare Uncovered, Word on the Street (BBC), Arthur & Merlin (Movieworks), Woodfalls (Tales from the Motherland), Mercenaries (ABC), 7th Soldier, From This Day (Fireinthehole Productions), Wounded (Bigview Films), Dead Unicorns (Luxurious Dread).
Cheryl Kennedy plays Meg. She has appeared in many West End shows such as the 1967 revival of The Boy Friend, ‘Victoria’ in Half a Sixpence where she starred alongside Tommy Steele at the Cambridge Theatre, ‘Winnie’ in The Matchgirls, ‘Belinda’ in Jorrocks at the New Theatre and Alan Ayckbourn’s Absent Friends at the Garrick Theatre. In 1977 she appeared as Maggie in Teeth ‘n’ Smiles at the Oxford Playhouse. She starred alongside Michael Crawford in a production of Flowers for Algernon at the Queen’s Theatre and features on the original London cast recording of the show. Other theatre credits include 1776 (New Theatre), Time and Time Again (West End), Absent Friends (Garrick Theatre), The Mousetrap (St Martins Theatre), My Fair Lady (US tour), First Impressions, You Never Can Tell, Brand, Time and the Conways, Mrs Warren’s Profession, Moll Flanders, Great Expectations, How the Other Half Loves, Man of the Moment, Heartbreak House and Season’s Greetings (all UK tours). Cheryl’s TV credits include The Sweeney, The Professionals, What Every Woman Knows and Brookside.
Ged McKenna plays Petey. His theatre work includes A Skull in Connemara (Nottingham Playhouse), Inherit The Wind, Kes, Toad of Toad Hall, Big Maggie, Second From Last in The Sack Race, Translations, Cleo Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick (New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme), Much Ado About Nothing, Hercules (Chester), Hysteria (English Theatre of Frankfurt), Faith Healer (Library Theatre, Manchester), To Kill A Mockingbird, Wuthering Heights (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Katherine De Souza, Forward (Birmingham Rep), The Lonesome West (Hull Truck), Strangers On A Train, Ghosts, Sailor Beware! (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick), Iron (Traverse, Edinburgh/Royal Court, London), The Farmer’s Bride by Ged McKenna (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough/Tour), The Tempest, Desire Under The Elms (Shared Experience), Macbeth (Cheek By Jowl) and Yard (Bush). His film credits include Shirley Valentine and Awaydays.
Declan Rodgers plays McCann. A native of Dundrum, Co Down, Declan trained at LAMDA. His theatre credits include I’m With The Band (Traverse Theatre & UK Tour), Can’t Forget About You (Lyric Theatre), Shoot The Crow (Trafalgar Studios), Carousel (Bush), Service (Nilon Productions/Theatre 503), Hope Dies Last (Arcola Theatre) and City (Encounter Productions). Television credits include Six Degrees and In Cold Blood (both BBC). His film credits include Shooting for Socrates (New Black Films), You Looking At Me? (Besom/Channel 4) and The Minnits of Annabeg (Krown Films).
Imogen Wilde plays Lulu. She finished her training at Drama Studio in 2015. Since then she acted in Scrooge (Bill Kenwright Productions), Punk Rock (D&M Productions), Puss in Boots and White Feathers (Bread & Roses).
London Classic Theatre present
The Birthday Party
Thursday 26 May at 8pm
Book now!
