Press Release - The Thomas Hardy Society

Premiere of a new musical from the creative team behind the
critically acclaimed musical The Remains of the Day
Photo: Michael Brydon
Stepping Out in association with Partisan and Fallen Angel Theatre presents
the world premiere of a new musical
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
by Alex Loveless from the novel by Thomas Hardy
Book, Music and Lyrics by Alex Loveless
Director Chris Loveless
Set against the beautiful backdrop of nineteenth century Wessex, Thomas Hardy’s masterpiece is brought thrillingly to the stage in a new full-length
musical adaptation, full of drama, colour and passion.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles, by Alex Loveless from the novel by Thomas Hardy, Book, Music and Lyrics by Alex Loveless, directed by Chris Loveless,
will play at New Wimbledon Studio Theatre from 2 - 27 September.
Press performances are Thursday September 4 at 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Nick Hayes is Angel. His many West End musical theatre roles include Ren in Footloose, Ghost, Saturday Night Fever, Legally Blonde, and Fame
and The Wedding Singer on UK tour. He was also Orson Buxton, courier to the modelling agency, in Hollyoaks: In the City on E4.
Martin Neely is Alec. Martin’s West End musicals include Les Misérables, Scrooge and Taboo. On tour he was in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang, Whistle Down the Wind. He was Paris and Lady Montague in the film Shakespeare in Love.
Jessica Daley is Tess. Her musical theatre credits include Mamma Mia! in the West End, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Guys and Dolls, Smokey Joe’s
Cafe. She was a finalist in the ‘Over the Rainbow’ BBC1 TV search for Dorothy
.
The rest of the cast are: Luka Bjelis, Catherine Digges, Marc Geoffrey, Emma Harrold, Sarah Kate Howarth, Guy Hughes, Jessica Millward, Alex
Wingfield. A dynamic and exciting cast of actor musicians will be playing more than 20 instruments between them.
This is the fourth large scale musical that brothers Alex Loveless and Chris Loveless have worked on together, including an adaptation of the Booker
Prize winning The Remains of the Day which they worked on with author Kazuo Ishiguro. Musical Director is Chris Ash, who has worked on the phenomenal Showstopper – The Improvised Musical for the last seven years. Choreography will be by Lucy Cullingford who has worked on dance and
movement for the RSC, including on Matilda.
Press contact: Kevin Wilson at KWPR 07884 368697
email: [email protected]
49 Western Lane London SW12 8JS T: 020 8673 0658
M: 07884 368697
E: [email protected]
www.kevinwilsonpublicrelations.co.uk
Chris Loveless (Director)
Chris trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Recent work includes
Bel-Ami (Charing Cross Theatre), Diary of a Madman (national tour),
Peregrine (tour), Dominic (tour), Five Kinds of Silence (White Bear). Other
work includes Lullabies of Broadmoor - A Broadmoor Quartet (Edinburgh,
Finborough, & tour), The Remains of the Day (Union), Normal, Othello
(Tobacco Factory), Dracula, Moonshadow, The Custom of the Country
(White Bear). Chris is Artistic Director of Fallen Angel Theatre Company, and
Associate Director of both Stepping Out Theatre and The Ashton Group. He
was Associate Director of the White Bear from 2009 - 2013. His
productions have received widespread critical acclaim, with several having
been named critics’ choice by the Evening Standard or Time Out. He has on
three occasions been awarded Arts Council individual funding for his work,
and in 2010 was nominated for the Off West End Theatre Award for Best
Director. Later this/early next year, he will direct Diary of a Madman in New
York and Toulouse.
www.chrisloveless.com
Alex Loveless – Composer (Book / Lyrics / Music)
Alex trained in musical composition at the London College of Music and is
the composer / lyricist / librettist of Bel-Ami (Watermans Theatre / Charing
Cross Theatre, 2014), The Remains Of The Day (Union Theatre, 2010 –
Evening Standard’s Critics’ Choice / Time Out’s Best Theatre This Month
September 2010), Dracula (White Bear Theatre, 2008) plus a number of
works for youth theatre. Alex’s work has been performed at the Park Theatre,
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the Duchess Theatre, Royal Academy of Music
and on BBC Radio 4.
Alex is the recipient of a Vivian Ellis Prize for most promising newcomer, the
Howard Goodall Award for composition, and is a professional writer associate
of and reader for Mercury Musicals Development.
Alex is published by Palgrave Macmillan and the London College of Music
where he works as a lecturer in musical theatre. His work has been generously supported by Arts Council England and the Big Lottery Fund.
LISTINGS INFO
TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES
New Wimbledon Studio Theatre
93 The Broadway,
London
SW19 1QG
Tuesday 2 - Saturday 27 September
Tuesday - Saturday at 7.30pm
Thursday & Saturday matinee at 2.30pm
Press performances:
Thursday 4 September
at 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Tickets: £15.40 (concessions available
(prices include booking fees)
Tickets:
0844 871 7646
www.atgtickets.com/wimbledon
49 Western Lane London SW12 8JS T: 020 8673 0658
M: 07884 368697
E: [email protected]
www.kevinwilsonpublicrelations.co.uk