Nicholas Farrell, Ruby Bentall and Olly Alexander will join Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw in the world premiere of John Logan’s Peter And Alice at the Noël Coward theatre on 9th March this year.

 

Last seen on the West End stage in South Downs and The Browning Version at the Harold Pinter theatre, Farrell, who plays author Lewis Carroll in the production, has appeared in productions including Stuff Happens and Dinner at the National Theatre, The Lady In The Van at the Queen’s theatre and Birdsong at the Comedy (now Harold Pinter) theatre.

 

Bentall, who is currently starring in Hansel And Gretel at the National Theatre, will leave behind her trail of breadcrumbs for a world of mad hatters and white rabbits when she takes on the title role of Alice. A regular at the National Theatre, having appeared in Grief, The Miracle, DNA and Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat, Bentall is well known for her on screen credits in TV series including The Paradise, Larkrise To Candleford and New Tricks.

 

Taking on the role of another of British literature’s well-known characters, Alexander will play Peter Pan alongside Bentall’s Alice. Best known for his on screen roles in films including Great Expectations, God Help The Girl, Gulliver’s Travels and Le Weekend, Alexander’s stage credits include Aliens at the Bush theatre.

 

The actors will be joined in Michael Grandage’s production by Stefano Braschi and Derek Riddell. Stefano, who has previously worked with the acclaimed director on productions of Richard II and King Lear at the Donmar Warehouse, has appeared in television series including Miranda, Benidorm and Secret Diary Of A Call Girl. Taking on the role of Scottish dramatist J M Barrie, Riddell has appeared on screen in TV shows including DCI Banks, Ugly Betty, State Of Mind and Clocking Off, while his stage credits include Victoria for the RSC.

 

Peter And Alice, which is the second production to play as part of the newly formed Michael Grandage Company, explores an encounter between the real life inspirations for Alice In Wonderland and Peter Pan who meet at the opening of a Lewis Carroll exhibition in 1932.

 

Playing from 9 March to 1 June, the production will follow Grandage’s current production of Peter Nichols’ comedy Privates On Parade into the Noël Coward theatre, which plays until 2 March.