Newcastle’s Live Theatre has announced the casting for Patrick Marber’s The Red Lion which plays at the Quayside venue from 6 April to 6 May.
Joining the already announced Stockton-born Stephen Tompkinson will be John Bowler with whom he co-starred in Harrigan. Bowler started his TV career in the film Ha'way the Lads playing Sunderland footballer Jimmy Seed. He then went on to feature in Auf Wiedersehen Pet and has since starred in The Bill, EastEnders and Coronation Street. He will be making his first appearance at Live Theatre.
Playing the young footballer, Jordan, will be Dean Bone from Gateshead, who played leading roles in Live Theatre's recent productions of David Almond’s The Savage and The Terminal Velocity of Snowflakes by Nina Berry. He started in Live's Youth Theatre.
Stephen Tompkinson previously appeared at Live in Faith and Cold Reading by Shaun Prendergast in 2011.
The production will be directed by Max Roberts and designed by Patrick Connellan.
The Red Lion has been specially adapted by Patrick Marber for Live Theatre and the North East. His plays include Dealers Choice, winner of the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy, and Closer, both at the National Theatre. He adapted Closer into a film, which starred Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Natalie Portman. Marber was also Oscar-nominated in 2006 for his film adaptation of Zoe Heller's novel Notes on a Scandal which starred Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench. His other plays include After Miss Julie, Don Juan in Soho and Three Days in the Country.
The Red Lion had its critically acclaimed first run at the National Theatre in 2015.
Set in the ultra-competitive twilight world of semi-professional football, The Red Lion is a powerful, funny and touching drama that reaches beyond the beautiful game, exploring contrasting ideas about loyalty, ambition and what it takes to win, from three different generations. If you thought that badge-kissing mercenaries, wide-boy agents and dodgy deals were confined to the Premier League, think again.