Nikolai Foster’s new production of Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing will visit three Midlands theatres on its 2015 tour.
Beautiful Thing is an urban love story between two young men and is set on an inner city housing estate. It tells the story of teenager Jamie’s relationship with classmate and neighbour Ste. Together the two boys find comedy, warmth and the music of Mama Cass through their loud-mouthed next door neighbour Leah.
Executive producer Tom O’Connell said, “Having produced the original anniversary production, I am honoured now to partner with Nottingham Playhouse and Curve Theatre, Leicester to bring Jonathan's hit comedy to the stage one more time.
“Nikolai and I made a promise to each other that if we ever re-visited his production it would play cities and theatres that it hadn't been to before. We feel with this new cast and with some new elements added to the show, this new production will have audiences smiling all the way home.”
Charlie Brooks, best known for her role as Janine Butcher in EastEnders, will lead the cast as Sandra. Thomas Law will play Ste and Sam Jackson, who recently played Billy Casper in Kes at Derby Theatre, will be Jamie.
Director Nikolai Foster was recently appointed artistic director of Leicester’s Curve. His work includes the UK tour of Calamity Jane in 2014 and Flashdance at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End in 2010.
Jonathan Harvey wrote Beautiful Thing when he was only 24. It premièred at the Bush Theatre in 1993 and sold out its five-week run before transferring to the Donmar Warehouse. It earned Harvey an Olivier Award nomination and the John Whiting Award.
Beautiful Thing will be a co-production between Nottingham Playhouse, Leicester’s Curve and Tom O’Connell for QNQ Ltd. It will visit Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Centre from 30 March until 11 April, Nottingham Playhouse from 20 April until 9 May and the Studio at Curve, Leicester from 25 until 30 May.