Coming to YAT: The Handyman with Timothy West

Published on: 12 Sep, 2012
Updated on: 12 Sep, 2012

Timothy West is returning to the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre with a production of ‘The Handyman’ as part of a national tour this autumn. It opens at the YAT on 25 September and runs until Saturday 6 October.

The play is written by Academy award winning playwright Ronald Harwood, best known for his screenplay to hugely successful Second World War epic ‘The Pianist’, and also stars Caroline Langrishe and Adrian Lukis.

The play tells the story of Cressida and Julian Field, who live comfortably in the Sussex countryside with their elderly Ukranian odd job man and friend of the family, Romka. He cooks, mends fences, trims hedges and grows vegetables. Cressida calls him her ‘life-saver’. Then suddenly two police officers from the War Crimes Squad Arrive…

What has Romka done? Is he guilty? Is there a time limit on punishment?

The Yvonne Arnaud’s cast of ‘The Handyman’.

An intelligent and stimulating story about law justice and revenge, it’s sure to leave the audience wondering about many issues. When interviewed about the play by the Bench Theatre Company, Ronald Harwood said, ‘I don’t believe in using the theatre to teach but rather to provoke, intrigue and leave them wondering. I like the play to have grey areas.’

The tour will visit Wales, Cambridge, Oxford, Richmond, Cheltenham and Malvern, but a third of the way through will visit its home territory, and will be performed at the Yvonne Arnaud between 25th September and the 6th October.

The cast includes Timothy West, who has many stage credits including, Ronald Harwood’s Quartet, Beecham; When We Are Married, The Winslow Boy and King Lear at the Old Vic. He has also has a large television presence including: Edward VII, Brass, A Very Peculiar Practice.

Caroline Langrishe has recently been seen on stage in Country (Southwark Playhouse); and Private Lives (Theatre Royal, Windsor). Her numerous television credits include roles as Marilyn Fox in the BBC medical drama Casualty and Georgina Channing – alongside Martin Shaw – in Judge John Deed.

Adrian Lukis’ most recent theatre credits include: The Taming of the Shrew (RSC); As You Like It and The Winslow Boy (Theatre Royal Bath). Among his many television credits are: Sergeant Douglas Wright in ITV’s The Bill; Marc Thompson in Judge John Deed (BBC); and George Wickham in the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

The production is directed by Joe Harmston, who has had a long association with Ronald Harwood since being Assistant Director at Chichester Festival Theatre.

The play certainly promises to be thought provoking and when it comes to Guildford, we shall certainly look forward to reviewing it. Look out for a review from the Stage Dragon, when the play visits town.