LONDON WALL to Open at Finborough Theatre, Jan 29

Graham Cowley for Two's Company in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre presents the first London production for more than 80 years of LONDON WALL by John Van Druten. Directed by Tricia Thorns. Designed by Alex Marker. Lighting Design by Duncan Coombe.

The Finborough Theatre's remarkable series of rediscovered plays from the early 20th century continues with John Van Druten's London Wall, opening on 29 January 2013 (Press Night: Thursday, 31 January 2013 at 7.30pm) for a strictly limited four week season, and presented by the acclaimed Two's Company, returning to the Finborough Theatre following their sell-out 2005 production of the Great War classic Red Night.

London Wall is a wryly comic look at the life of women office workers in the 1930s. In a solicitor's office in the City, Brewer, the office manager, sees pretty new 19-year-old typist Pat as fair game. As some of the more experienced secretaries try to warn her, and others leave her to her fate, her steady boyfriend - an idealistic young writer - desperately tries to win her back. Meanwhile, cynical Miss Janus' romantic life seems to be over as she is jilted by her lover at the desperate age of 35...

First performed in the West End in 1931 starring a young John Mills, filmed in 1932, televised in 1963, but unseen since then, London Wall is a surprisingly modern look at men's continuing inability to see women as professional equals and colleagues.

Playwright John Van Druten (1901-1957) was one of the most successful West End and Broadway playwrights of the 1930s and 1940s. He was known for his witty and urbane observations of contemporary life and society. His first play Young Woodley was originally banned in London by the Lord Chamberlain, but went on to have successful runs in the West End and on Broadway. It was revived at the Finborough Theatre in 2006. He later emigrated to America where his plays included The Voice of the Turtle (1943) which ran for three seasons in New York and was filmed with Ronald Reagan. He remains best known for his 1951 play I Am a Camera, based on Christopher Isherwood's short stories, which formed the basis of the musical Cabaret.

Director Tricia Thorns started her career as an actor in John Neville's company at the Fortune Theatre following a Classics BA from Nottingham University. As an actor, she performed widely on stage, in films and in television. As a director, her work includes My Real War 1914-? (Trafalgar Studios and National Tour), Red Night (Finborough Theatre), The Searcher (Workshop production at Greenwich Theatre), What the Women Did (Southwark Playhouse), Forgotten Voices of the Great War (Pleasance London), Ex and Black 'Ell (Soho Theatre), Twelfth Night (Dulwich Picture Gallery), Peer Gynt (Alleyn's Theatre) and Passion Play 2000, a huge community play which she also wrote.

Two's Company was founded by Graham Cowley (producer for Out of Joint since 1998), Tricia Thorns and Ian Talbot OBE (former Artistic Director of the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park) in 2003. Its main concern as a company has been to uncover forgotten gems of 20th Century Theatre, noted in their day but forgotten as the tides of fashion changed. The Forgotten Voices of the Great War series of nine plays written during the First World War or soon after brought great acclaim. Graham Cowley says "It continues to surprise us that plays written over 80 years ago can speak to us with such relevance and clarity."

Finborough Theatre is located at 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED. Box Office 0844 847 1652 Book online at www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk. The show runs Tuesday, 29 January - Saturday, 23 February 2013, Tuesday to Saturday evenings at 7.30pm. Sunday matinees 3.00pm. Saturday matinees at 3.00pm (from the second week of the run).

Ticket Prices for Weeks One and Two (29 January - 10 February 2013) - Tickets £14, £10 concessions, except Tuesday evenings £10 all seats, and Saturday evenings £14 all seats. Previews (29 and 30 January) £9 all seats. £6 tickets for Under 30's performances from Tuesday to Sunday of the first week when booked online only. £10 tickets for residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on Saturday, 2 February 2013 when booked online.

Ticket Prices for Weeks Three and Four (12 - 23 February 2013) - Tickets £16, £12 concessions, except Tuesday evenings £12 all seats and Saturday evenings £16 all seats.

Performance Length: Approximately two hours with one interval of fifteen minutes.

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