Roger
May 13 – 14, 2004
The Latchmere 503
Co-star: Linda Park
From Theatre503.com (via the Wayback Machine):
World Premiere of an explosive new play from New York: ROGER & VANESSA. This is ‘shot-gun’ theatre, tickets are free…
London’s Latchmere Theatre joins forces with one of the playwrights from New York’s LAByrinth Theater for a world premiere. It’s ‘gun-shot’ theatre, a crazy idea to put on a show in no time at all…
Brett C Leonard is the playwright, his latest play GUNINEA PIG SOLO has just opened at the PUBLIC THEATER, New York with Stephen Adly Guirgis and John Ortiz.Robert Delamere is the director (currently directing WHISTLING PSYCHE at the Almeida Theatre).
Tom Hardy (who has just finished playing Michael in FESTEN at the Almeida Theatre) and Linda Park (from Star Treks’ ENTERPRISE who is just over from LA) are the stars.
Tickets free. Reservations essential. Donations to UNICEF welcome. Call now 020.7978.7040 before all the tickets are gone….
Synopsis from The British Theatre Guide:
As the name suggests, Roger and Vanessa is a two hander – about a married couple from the underside in Brooklyn. Sensitive Roger is just out of prison and has begun to recapture his relationship with the feisty Latina Vanessa.
Their initial pleasantries are soon interrupted by an explosion that even in a rehearsed reading with scripts in hands is both convincing and absolutely hilarious. This is a credit to the skills of the two actors.
After all of the insults comes a tender reconciliation, aided by real love and the fact that Vanessa is pregnant. The couple’s happiness is apparent, as they seemingly take the first steps towards a new maturity that will see them through the bad times (well maybe).
