Full Casting & Further Venues Announced for UK Tour of STILL ALICE
by Best of Theatre Staff on Tuesday 10 July 2018, 10:50 am in Cast Changes and Announcements
Eva Pope, Martin Marquez, Mark Armstrong, Ruth Ollman, Micah Balfour and Anna Andresen will join the previously announced Sharon Small in Christine Mary Dunford’s newly adapted version of Lisa Genova’s best-selling novel, STILL ALICE, directed by David Grindley.
The tour will open at the Sheffield Lyceum, running from 12 to 15 September. The newly announced venues are Cambridge Arts Theatre from 16 to 20 October, Theatre Royal Plymouth from 30 October to 3 November, Liverpool Playhouse from 6 to 10 November and Glasgow Theatre Royal from 13 to 17 November. There will be a national press night on Wednesday 19 September in Richmond.
Eva Pope most recently played Matron Bottomly in Hetty Feather (CBBC) and DI Heather Ashton in Silent Witness (BBC 1). Her other recent TV credits include regular character Rachel Mason in Waterloo Road (BBC 1), for which she received a nomination for Best Actress at the NTS Awards, Tanya Pooley in Coronation Street (ITV) from 1993 to 1994, and Laura Edison in Holby City (BBC 1).
Martin Marquez has had a prolific stage and television career. His notable TV roles include the leading role of Gino Primirola in two series of Hotel Babylon (BBC 1), Paul Franks in The Job Lot (ITV2) opposite Russell Tovey, and Hunter Russell in Modus (BBC 4) opposite Kim Cattrall and Greg Wise. His theatre roles include Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare’s Globe), Charles Holroyd in Husbands and Sons(National Theatre), Captain Dana Holmes in From Here To Eternity (West End), and Moonface Martin in Anything Goes (National Theatre and West End).
Mark Armstrong is best known for playing series regular Spanner opposite Michelle Keegan in Our Girl, which is currently airing on BBC 1. He played Rab in Frankenstein (National Theatre) opposite Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, and appeared in Design for Living(Salisbury Playhouse) and Men Should Weep (National Theatre).
Ruth Ollman has recently graduated from Guildhall School of Acting and her roles whilst training include Irene in Crazy For You, Mrs Hubble in Great Expectations, Jessica in The Merchant of Venice and Dionysus in The Bacchae.
Micah Balfour played series regulars Jermaine Bailey in Emmerdale (ITV) from 2015-16 and PC Benjamin Gayle in The Bill (ITV) from 2007-10. Micah is reprising the role of Doctor Davis in Still Alice, having played it at West Yorkshire Playhouse earlier this year. His other theatre credits include Frank Barber in Mr Foote’s Other Leg (Hampstead Theatre and West End) and Market Boy and The Royal Hunt of the Sun (National Theatre).
Anna Andresen’s theatre credits include Mary Sidney in Emilia (Shakespeare’s Globe), Mollie Ralston in The Mousetrap (West End) and The 39 Steps (West End). Her television credits include Silent Witness (BBC 1) and Fortitude (Sky Atlantic).
STILL ALICE follows 50 year-old Alice Howland, a renowned linguistics professor at Harvard University, as she battles with early-onset dementia and explores the effects the disease has on identity, family and relationships in this uncompromising yet tender portrayal. In 2014, Genova’s novel was adapted into a film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin and Kristen Stewart, for which Moore won the Academy, BAFTA, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Actress.
Television and stage star, Sharon Small, reprises the role of Alice, her first UK tour in almost twenty-five years, having played it at West Yorkshire Playhouse earlier this year. She is best known for playing Barbara Havers in The Inspector Linley Mysteries (BBC1), Trudi Malloy in Mistresses (BBC 1), Christine opposite Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette in the film adaptation of About A Boy, and most recently as Brigitte Rayne in Trust Me opposite Jodie Whittaker (BBC 1).
STILL ALICE has set and costume design by Jonathan Fensom, lighting design by Jason Taylor, sound design by Gregory Clarke and is produced by Michael Park.