Harold Brighouse’s much loved classic, Hobson’s Choice, starring Martin Shaw (Inspector George Gently, Judge John Deed, The Professionals) as Henry Hobson with Christopher Timothy (Doctors, All Creatures Great and Small) as Jim Heeler visits the Theatre Royal Nottingham from Monday 21 to Saturday 26 March for one week only, in a brand new production directed by the multi award-winning Jonathan Church, as part of a short UK tour before a West End transfer.
2016 marks the one hundredth anniversary of the first UK production of this timeless English comedy, which is rich with laughter, social commentary, wit and warmth.
Henry Horatio Hobson is one of the greatest comic characters in English drama. Self-made man, shopkeeper, skinflint and boozer, he’s a tyrant to his daughters and a law unto himself. When Maggie, his eldest daughter, defies Hobson’s wishes by marrying Will Mossop, his own boot-maker, a battle of wills begins in which he stands to lose his customers, his girls and his pride, but ultimately it is Hobson’s choice.
One of the UK’s most popular actors, Martin Shaw is known to millions of television viewers for his lead roles in Inspector George Gently and Judge John Deed, and for starring as Bodie opposite Lewis Collins in The Professionals. He also played the lead roles in The Chief and Rhodes, Horatio in Hamlet alongside Richard Chamberlain, John Gielgud and Michael Redgrave, Captain Scott in the series The Last Place on Earth and Jack Butcher in the Italia Prize-winning Cream in My Coffee by Dennis Potter. Some of the highlights in his extensive stage career have included Saturday, Sunday, Monday opposite Laurence Olivier for the National Theatre, The Battle of Shrivings alongside John Gielgud in the West End and Sir Peter Hall’s production of An Ideal Husband on Broadway, for which he was Tony Award-nominated and won a Drama Desk Award. Most recently, his West End credits include a record-breaking run of Twelve Angry Men, The Country Girl and A Man for All Seasons.
Christopher Timothy first became a household name playing vet James Herriot in the long-running BBC series All Creatures Great and Small. He went on to create the lead role of Dr Brendan ‘Mac’ MacGuire in the BBC hospital drama Doctors, performing in 955 episodes, and directing. His numerous guest roles range from recent appearances in Inspector Lewis, The Bill and Casualty to episodes of Some Mothers Do ’ave ’em, The Two Ronnies and The Kenny Everett Show. His stage credits include The Diary of Anne Frank, Season’s Greetings and Quartermaine’s Terms. In the West End, he has starred in All the Fun of the Fair, Underneath the Arches, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Journey’s End.
Bryan Dick plays the role of Willie Mossop. His film credits include Master and Commander and Colour Me Kubrick. On television, he has performed in Wolf Hall, All the Small Things, Silent Witness, Being Human, Lewis, Bleak House and played Ernie Wise in Eric & Ernie. On stage, he has performed with the Royal Court Theatre, National Theatre, Young Vic, and played Mozart in Amadeus for Chichester Festival Theatre.
Naomi Frederick plays the role of Maggie Hobson. She has performed with the National Theatre, the RSC, and Shakespeare’s Globe. Her television credits include My Family, Foyle’s War, and Holby City.
Playing Dr McFarlane, Ken Drury’s many stage credits include, in the West End, The Woman in Black and All My Sons, The Crucible and Macbeth at the National Theatre and Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 at the RSC. His numerous television and film credits include Silent Witness, Fungus the Bogeyman, Only Fools and Horses and Four Weddings and A Funeral.
The cast is completed by Joanna McCallum as Mrs Hepworth, Gabrielle Dempsey as Vicky Hobson, Florence Hall as Alice Hobson, Mark Donald as Albert Prosser, David Shaw-Parker as Tubby, Emily Johnstone as Ada and Ryan Saunders as Freddie Beanstock.
Theatre Royal Nottingham
Monday 21 – Saturday 26 March 2016
Monday – Saturday evenings 7.30pm, Weds matinee 2pm, Sat matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £33.50 – £16.50 plus concessions
Box Office: 0115 989 5555
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