SYNOPSIS
The Little Dog LaughedDouglas Carter Beane is an American playwright who has penned a number of plays and movies, winning awards and acclaim along the way.
But whilst he is well known for work such as “To Wong Fu” and “The Country Club”, it is his Tony Award nominated play “The Little Dog Laughed” that the Garrick Theatre has chosen to portray from this January.
The production will feature the acting talents of both Rupert Friend and Tamsin Greig in lead roles, two performers who are well known stars of the stage and the screen.
Friend has appeared in countless movies, with the upcoming production being his West End debut. His credits include “The Libertine” (2004), “Pride & Prejedice” (2005), “Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont” (2005), “The Moon And The Stars” (2007), “The Last Legion” (2007) and “The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas” (2008), whilst he has been seen in both “Cheri” and “The Young Victoria” this year. He was also one of the contenders for the current James Bond, meaning that we came close to seeing him step into both “Casino Royale” and “Quantum Of Solace” instead of Daniel Craig.
It is fitting therefore that his stage debut will involve taking on a character who is a star of the screen. He plays the role of Mitchell, a heartthrob of Hollywood who secretly lives his life as a closeted star. It is a secret that is further hidden by his agent Diane (Greig), who comes up with the idea of finding him a woman to whom he can get married, keeping both of their careers on the right track without having the public or the press wising up to them.
Therefore, “The Little Dog Laughed” portrays a world where Tinsel Town is full of questionable moral judgements; it is a satire that questions these morals and shines a light on a hidden world.
Tamsin Greig is best known for her television work in the UK, which has included comedy shows such as “Black Books” and “Green Wing”. However, she is also a Laurence Olivier Award winning stage actress, having landed the award following her appearance in a 2007 production of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”. Her other stage credits take the form of “God Of Carnage” at the Gielgud Theatre and “Gethsemane” at the National Theatre.
“The Little Dog Laughed” makes its appearance at the Garrick Theatre from Wednesday 20th January 2010.
