U.K. stage and screen stars Stephen Mangan and Kara Tointon will headline a new stage adaptation of the classic Ealing Studios comedy The Man in the White Suit. The production, written and directed by two-time Olivier winner Sean Foley (Do You Come Here Often?, The Play What I Wrote), will play a three-week season at Theatre Royal Bath before transferring to London's West End.
Mangan, a Tony nominee for The Norman Conquests and known for his performance as Sean Lincoln on Showtime/BBC Two's Episodes, will play Sidney Stratton; Tointon, who played Dawn Swann on EastEnders and more recently starred in ITV's live The Sound of Music, will take on the role of Daphne Birnley.
Performances at Theatre Royal Bath will begin September 5 and continue through September 21. The production will subsequently begin previews September 26 and continue through January 11, 2020, at Wyndhams Theatre. Opening night in London is scheduled for October 8.
The world premiere reunites Mangan and Foley, who created the Olivier Award-winning comedy Jeeves and Wooster together. Foley’s forthcoming production will feature a cast of 14, including actor-musicians and a specially written score.
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The Man in the White Suit concerns Sidney Stratton (Mangan), who develops a fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out. Manufacturers and trades unions are terrified by the threat it poses to their industry and their jobs. Only Daphne (Tointon), the mill owner’s daughter, shows Stratton any sympathy as his world gradually falls apart before he finally finds love and a new idea.
Set and costume design will be by Michael Taylor.
The 1951 comedy starred Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, and Cecil Parker. It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing (Screenplay).
