MARC WARREN TO STAR IN COOL HAND LUKE AT THE ALDWYCH

Posted on 10 June 2011

With Dirty Dancing going on a National Tour, the Aldwych Theatre will be home to a new play, an adaptation of Donn Pearce's novel Cool Hand Luke, famously adapted into the iconic 1967 film starring Paul Newman.  Marc Warren currently on screen in Mad Dogs on Sky One is taking on the role with previews from 23rd September, officially opening on 3rd October.
 

Marc Warren is known for his British television roles as Danny Blue in Hustle, Dougie Raymond in The Vice and Dominic Foy in State of Play, but he won't have any problem with American accent since he was also part of the starry cast in Stephen Spielburg's Band of Brothers playing an American Marine.

Cool Hand Luke is an American crime drama telling the story of Luke Jackson, a decorated World War II veteran who refuses to conform to life in a Florida prison camp and frequently tries to escape. Marc has stressed that he is playing the role from the book not the film and will take tips from his Mad Dogs co star, Max Beesly to learn how to play the banjo.  The play is said to contain a lot of music and gospal singing.  He’s less OK with is the idea of eating 50 eggs, one of the signature moments in the book and the film.  Marc Warren has described his character as like an anti-Christ figure: he’s always getting out and then coming back. The other inmates try to live vicariously through him.

Directing the play is Andrew Loudon, whose recent West End directing credits include the 2004 production of Little Women at the Duchess - a project he also brought to the stage with writer Emma Reeves.  Cool Hand Luke has design by Edward Lipscomb with lighting by Matthew Eagland and is presented in the West End by Novel Theatre.

Marc Warren was most recently seen on stage in October 2009 to January 2010 in the West End revival of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice playing the role of Ray Say alongside Diana Vickers and Leslie Sharp.

Book Cool Hand Luke tickets online now.

[posted by Louise, 10/06/2011]