So far 2011 has been a busy year, film-wise, for me. After having just finished up on Coast, I’m delighted to be heading back on to the stage, to take on the role of ‘Curley’ in Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck’s classic, Of Mice and Men. The run, which includes a UK tour, is being directed by the experienced former National Theatre director Alan Cohen.
Of Mice and Men is a novella, first published in 1937. Set against the harsh background of the Great Depression, it tells the story of George and Lennie, two friends with the dream of owning a farm and living off the fat of the land. Lennie, however, is a gentle giant who doesn’t realise his own strength and George feels the burden of looking after him. The pair soon discover the flip-side of their American Dream when a tragic turn of events, centred around Curley and his wife, threatens to destroy George and Lennie’s friendship, leaving George with an impossible choice…
Steinbeck’s hugely popular and compelling story has been performed on the stage a number of times and I am delighted to be taking on a role in this production. The tour includes dates in Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Buxton Opera House, The Harlow Playhouse and the Forum Studio Theatre, Chester.
The production will also travel to Northern Ireland, with dates in the Theatre at the Mill, Newtownabbey, Riverside Theatre, Coleraine, Waterside Theatre, Derry, Down Arts Centre and Ardhowen Theatre. Please check local listings for further details.
PS. If that wasn’t enough I’ll be popping back to Northern Ireland to film a role in Good Vibrations, the story of Terri Hooley, the ‘Godfather of Belfast’s punk scene’. There’s no rest for the wicked!
Chris Patrick-Simpson 