The Little Dog Laughed opens this week. Naima Khan takes a look at the Theatreland hot shots behind this star-studded show.
Photo: Gemma Arterton by Johan Presson
The Little Dog Laughed is the satirical story of movie star Mitchell who's in love with rent boy Alex. Alex (Harry Lloyd) has a girlfriend (Gemma Arterton) and Mitchell (Rupert Friend) may as well be married to his agent (Tamsin Greig) for all the power she wields over him. Click here to read the full preview.
Diana – Tamsin Greig
Though best known for her television roles in Black Books and Green Wing, Greig's theatre performances have not gone unnoticed. For her part as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, she won the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Drama Actress. Playing the heartless PR agent, in this Hollywood satire, expect Greig to deliver her own brand of venom. We're pretty big fans of her at Spoonfed and though we've faith in the other pretty faces, we wouldn't be surprised if she carries this show.
Mitchell – Rupert Friend
This is Friend's stage debut, and heat magazine fodder that makes its way to Theatreland often gets a raw deal from critics (not completely uncalled for). His film credits serve him well and being spotted by Hollywood hot shots as an emerging talent after his début in The Libertine can't have hurt. He's shown versatility as Prince Albert in The Young Victoria and Lieutenant Kotler in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The pressure is seriously on for this guy and we predict he'll get better as the run continues.
Writer – Douglas Carter Beane
Carter Beane described The Little Dog Laughed as 'an American comedy', a simple summation of his work which touches on a number of themes. At the heart of the story is falling in love and all the trouble it brings. Alex and Mitchell are both in denial about their sexuality and assessing their priorities in life. The dominant theme in Carter Beane's story is a universal one that explores the lengths people will go to for fame and money. The worry is that this American comedy may not fare so well in London.
Known for his sparkling sarcasm, Carter Beane aspires to write plays that make theatre fat cats say “no one's going to get that!” and likes throwing it in their faces when audiences do. He is drawn to playwriting as opposed to screen writing for the storytelling quality and the anticipation of the audience. He's a fan of obscurity in writing, so expect something unformulated.
Director – Jamie Lloyd
Jamie has described his approach to directing as 'practical and instinctive rather than heavy and academic'. This guy has no problem being ambiguous and asking unanswerable questions. Having trained at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, his roots in drama make him quite the actors' director, often praised for drawing impressive performances. His past credits including working with James McAvoy and Nigel Harman in Three Days of Rain. After The Little Dog Laughed he will be directing Polar Bears at Donmar Warehouse.
The Little Dog Laughed runs at Garrick Theatre until 10th April 2010
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