Full ensemble casting has been announced for the Almeida Theatre’s rare revival of Tennessee Williams’ classic play Summer And Smoke, which explores vital themes of love, loneliness and self-destruction.
Joining the previously announced Patsy Ferran (Critics’ Circle Theatre Award-winner for Most Promising Newcomer in 2014) as Alma are Seb Carrington (The Crown) as Archie Kramer, Nancy Crane (Against, Almeida) as Mrs Winemiller/Mrs Bassett, Eric MacLennan (The Night Manager) as Papa Gonzales/Vernon, Forbes Masson (Big Fish, The Other Palace) as Rev Winemiller/Dr Buchanan, Matthew Needham (The Twilight Zone, Almeida) as John Buchanan, Tok Stephen (Boudica, Shakespeare’s Globe) as Roger Doremus/Dustry, and Anjana Vasan (King Lear, Shakespeare’s Globe) as Rosemary/Rosa Gonzales/Nellie.
In Summer And Smoke, a girl finds herself trapped between desire and fear in a life of obligation, as the heat of a searing summer blazes down and she desperately seeks salvation. In the process, her world turns upside down.
Williams’ play centres on the explosive ramifications of Alma’s attraction to the young doctor who lives next door, John Buchannan. The show made its London premiere in 2006, nearly six decades after its initial Broadway run, with a cast led by Rosamund Pike and Chris Carmack.
Now in a rare London revival, featuring a stunning ensemble cast and direction from Rebecca Frecknall (Idomeneus; What Are They Like?), Summer And Smoke is a touching and heart-breaking tale of transformation.
The show runs from Saturday 24 February – 7 April 2018. Tickets can be booked through the Almeida Theatre website.