Wild Honey: Casting announced

‘Are you really such a terrible Don Juan? You look so handsome in the moonlight!’

Hampstead Theatre presents Michael Frayn’s Wild Honey, directed by Hampstead’s Associate Artist Howard Davies. Geoffrey Streatfeild will make his Hampstead Theatre debut in the role of Platonov.

The cast also includes Bruce Alexander, Joe Bannister, Gunnar Cauthery, Simon Chandler, Kammy Darweish, Joe Evans, Matthew Flynn, Jo Herbert, Rebecca Humphries, Justine Mitchell, Adrian Richards and Sophie Rundle.

This comedy of errors, drawn from Chekhov’s untitled – and posthumously discovered - early play, is a tale of nineteenth century Russian life replete with classic misunderstandings, irrepressible desires and nostalgia for a vanishing world. 

Village schoolmaster Platonov has it all: wit, intelligence, a comfortable and respectable life in provincial Russia, and the attentions of four beautiful women - one of whom is his devoted wife… As summer arrives and the seasonal festivities commence, the rapidly intensifying heat makes everyone giddy with sunlight, vodka – and passion. 

Geoffrey Streatfeild plays Platonov. Theatre credits include Young Chekhov: Ivanov and The Seagull, The Beaux Stratagem, Children of the Sun, Earthquakes in London, The Pains of Youth, The History Boys, Bacchae (National Theatre), My Night with Reg (Donmar Warehouse/West End), Macbeth, Copenhagen (Crucible Theatre), Henry V, Henry IV: Part 1, Henry IV: Part 2, Henry VI Part 1, 2 and 3, Richard III (RSC), Merchant of Venice, Nathan the Wise (Chichester Festival Theatre), Journey's End (Comedy Theatre). Television credits include Tennison, The Hollow Crown, New Worlds, Endeavour, The Thick of It, Spooks, Above Suspicion, Ashes to Ashes, Hunter, Elizabeth, The Other Boleyn Girl, Love in a Cold Climate. Film credits include Making Noise Quietly, The Lady in the Van, Girls Night Out, Spooks: The Greater Good, Rush, Private Peaceful, City Slacker, Kinky Boots, Angel and Match Point. 

Bruce Alexander plays Gerasim Kuzmich Petrin. Theatre credits include A View From Islington North (Out of Joint/Arts Theatre), Accolade (St James’ Theatre), Ciphers (Out of Joint/Bush Theatre), The White House Murder Case, The Company Man (Orange Tree Theatre), Waste, The Tempest (Almeida), Life After Scandal (Hampstead Theatre), The Reporter, The History Boys, The Mandate (National Theatre), King Lear (Shakespeare’s Globe). Television credits include A Touch of Frost, Doc Martin, Love and Marriage, A Short Stay in Switzerland, New Tricks and film credits include Churchill at War, A Christmas Carol and Ladybird Ladybird,Nostradamus.

Joe Bannister plays Sergey. Theatre credits include Hobson’s choice (Vaudeville Theatre), King John (Rose Theatre Kingston), As You Like It (National Theatre), Mad World My Masters (ETT Tour/The Barbican), The Witch of Edmonton, The Roaring Girl, Arden of Faversham (RSC Roaring Girls Season), Chariots of Fire (Hampstead Theatre and Gielgud Theatre) and his television credits include Endeavour.

Gunnar Cauthery plays Dr Triletzky. Theatre credits include Another World: Losing Our Children to Islamic State, The Suicide, This House, The White Guard (National Theatre), Mack and Mabel (Chichester Festival Theatre & Tour), Little Shop of Horrors (Royal Exchange Theatre), Privacy (Donmar Warehouse), Wonderland, The Empty Quarter (Hampstead Theatre), The Winter’s Tale, Henry V (Propeller), As You Like It (Shakespeare’s Globe), A View from the Bridge (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh), The House of Special Purpose (Chicester Festival Theatre) and Harvest (Oxford Playhouse/Tour). Television credits include The Tudors, The Demon Headmaster, Just William and his film credits include War Horse and Benjamin Dove.

Simon Chandler plays Porfiry Semyonovich Glagolyev. Recent theatre credits include Red Velvet (Garrick Theatre/Tricycle Theatre/St Ann's Warehouse New York), For Services Rendered (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Letter of Last Resort (Traverse Theatre), The Bomb season (Tricycle Theatre), Persuasion (Salisbury Playhouse), Cause Celebre (The Old Vic), Women, Power & Politics season (Tricycle Theatre), Democracy (Wyndhams Theatre). Television credits include The Crown, Call The Midwife, Casualty, Wallander, The Enfield Haunting, Mr Selfridge, The Bletchley Circle, Judge John Deed and film credits include 55 Steps, The Mercy, The Theory of Everything, Mr Turner, The Iron Lady, The Kings Speech, Perfume and The Commissioner. 

Kammy Darweish play Marko. Theatre credits include East is East (UK Tour), Holy Warriors, Anthony & Cleopatra (Shakespeare’s Globe), Marat/ Sade, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, City Madam (RSC), Bloody and Gifts (National Theatre). Television credits include 50 Ways to Kill Your Lover, Hollyoaks, Doctors, What Remains, and film credits include Skyfall,31 North/ 62 East.

Joe Evans plays Vassily. Theatre credits include Hapgood (Hampstead Theatre), Three Winters (National Theatre), The Late Henry Moss (Southwark Playhouse), Chicken Dust (Leicester Curve), Love on the Dole (Finborough), Game (Arcola), Final Whistle (The Old Red Lion), Les Misérables (Queens Theatre), Beauty & The Beast (UK & International Tour), Dirty Dancing (UK Tour).

Matthew Flynn plays Osip. Theatre credits include I am Walrus (Young Vic), War Horse (National Theatre/ West End), Children of the Sun (National Theatre), Mare Rider (Arcola), 55 Days (Hampstead Theatre), Henry V, Troilus and Cressida (Globe Theatre), A Streetcar Named Desire (Liverpool Playhouse). Television credits include Innocent, Lawful Killing, Coronation Street, Lucan, Holby City, Midsomer Murders, Foyles War and film credits include Pride, Broken Lines, Franklyn and Sahara.

Jo Herbert plays Marya Yefimovna Grekova. Theatre credits include For Services Rendered (Chichester Festival Theatre), Three Winters (National Theatre), East of Berlin (Southwark Playhouse), Eternal Love (ETT/Shakespeare’s Globe), Candida (Theatre Royal Bath), Hello/Goodbye (Hampstead Theatre), Anne Boleyn (Shakespeare’s Globe/Tour), As You Like It (Shakespeare’s Globe). Television credits include Josh, The Crown, Home Fires, Casualty 1909, and Lewis.

Rebecca Humphries plays Sasha. Theatre credits include The Argument (Hampstead Downstairs), Pomona (National Theatre/ Orange Tree), Temple (Donmar Warehouse), Open Court: Primetime (The Royal Court), The Kitchen (National Theatre), I am a Camera (Southwark Playhouse). Television credits include The Agency, Cockroaches, Big Bag World, Sean Walsh World, Come Fly With Me, and Cardinal Burns.

Justine Mitchell plays Ana Petrovna. Theatre credits include The Plough and the Stars, Detroit, Children of the Sun, The White Guard, Philistines, Coram Boy, The House of Bernarda Alba, The Night Season (National Theatre), For Services Rendered (Chichester Festival Theatre), Love for Love, Twelfth Night (RSC), Man – Three Plays by Tennessee Williams, Uncle Vanya (Young Vic), Gastronauts, The Stone (The Royal Court), Mr. Burns (Almeida). Television credits include The Suspicions ofMr Whicher II, Harry and Paul, Amber, Doctors, New Tricks, Wild at Heart,Your Bad Self and film credits include The Stag, A Cock and Bull Story, Imagine Me and You.

Adrian Richards plays Yakov. Credits include The Suicide (National Theatre), Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail (Glyndebourne), Advice for the Young at Heart (Theatre Centre).    

Sophie Rundle plays Sofya. Theatre credits include Three Winters (National Theatre) and The Vortex (Rose Theatre). Television credits include Jamestown, Brief Encounters, Peaky Blinders, Dickensian, An Inspector Calls, Not Suitable for Work, Happy Valley, Call The Midwife, Shetland, Bletchley Circle, Merlin, Titanic and film credits include The Face of an Angel and Great Expectations.

Michael Frayn has written sixteen plays, including Copenhagen, Afterlife, Benefactors, Donkeys’ Years, and Democracy. He has also translated for the theatre, mostly Chekhov and other plays as well as Wild Honey from the Russian. He has written a number of screenplays, including Clockwise, starring John Cleese. His eleven novels include The Tin Men, Towards the End of the Morning, Headlong, Spies, and Skios. He has also published various collections of articles, including Collected Columns, Stage Directions, and Travels with a Typewriter; two works of philosophy, Constructions and The Human Touch; and a memoir, My Father’s Fortune.  His most recent book, Matchbox Theatre, a collection of thirty short entertainments, was produced on the stage by Hampstead Theatre in May 2015. Roundabout Theatre Company presented a revival of Noises Off on Broadway this year at the American Airlines Theatre.

Howard Davies, Hampstead Theatre’s Associate Artist, returns to Hampstead Theatre following the acclaimed Hapgood by Tom Stoppard, Drawing the Line and 55 Days by Howard Brenton. Recent directing credits include An Enemy of the People (Chichester), Temple (Donmar), The White Guard which won an Olivier Award for Best Director, Mourning Becomes Electra which received the Olivier Award for Best Revival and Critics’ Circle Award for Best Director (National Theatre). His Broadway credits include The Iceman Cometh which was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director and Les Liaisons Dangereuses which received the Drama Desk Award for Best Director. Howard Davies has been Associate Director for the National Theatre, Almeida Theatre and the RSC. He established and ran the Warehouse Theatre for the RSC.

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