Cardiff’s New Theatre kicks off its autumn season with a production of Oscar-winning film, Rain Man, with performances from television stars Matthew Horne and Ed Speleers, writes Alys Jones.
Horne, famous for his role as Gavin in comedy Gavin and Stacey as well as BBC’s The Catherine Tate Show and Jack Whitehall’s Bad Education, takes on the role of Raymond Babbit. The character is an autistic savant with a genius for numbers, who has inherited his family’s entire fortune.
Ed Speleers, whose credits include Downton Abbey and Wolf Hall, will star opposite Horne as Charlie Babbit, Raymond’s self-centred brother who ‘borrows’ Raymond from the institution where he has spent most of his life in order to get his half of the fortune. The brothers take a trip across America where Charlie soon discovers that Raymond is worth more than he could have ever imagined.
The stage show is inspired by the heart-warming 1998 film starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, which won Oscars for best picture, best screenplay, best director and best actor.
This is the first production by Classic Screen to Stage Theatre Company, and will be directed by Jonathan O’Boyle whose credits include Rasheeda Speaking (Trafalgar Studios), This House (UK Tour); Pippin (Hope Mill Theatre/Southwark Playhouse); and Hair (Hope Mill Theatre/The Vaults), winner of the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off West End Production.
Rain Man runs at the New Theatre from 10 – 15 September and tickets are available from the box office on (029) 2087 8889 and here.
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