BAFTA Award-winning television star and writer Ruth Jones is making her highly anticipated return to the stage in The Nightingales at Cardiff’s New Theatre this November.
The production, directed by RSC Associate Artist Christopher Luscombe and written by William Gaminara is a thought-provoking, bittersweet play which follows the lives of a small community acapella group in their weekly singing practice, and the impact of new arrival, Maggie.
Ruth Jones (Maggie) is best known for playing Nessa in the BBC’s multi award winning Gavin and Stacey which she co-wrote and created with James Corden. She also took the title role in Sky 1’s Stella made by her own company Tidy Productions, which ran for six seasons, gaining Ruth a BAFTA nomination for Best Female Performance in a comedy.
Ruth Jones and the cast of The Nightingales which plays Cardiff’s New Theatre from onday 19 – Saturday 24 November.
Ruth’s last stage performance was in Educating Rita at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff in 2006. Before that she’d worked with Dominic Cooke in The Marriage of Figaro, Roger Michell in the National Theatre’s Under Milk Wood as well as the RSC’s world tour of The Winter’s Tale. Ruth’s debut novel Never Greener is a Sunday Times number one bestseller.
In The Nightingales Steven the choirmaster keeps a watchful eye over Connie, Ben, Diane and Bruno as they gather every week in the village hall to practise their accomplished acapella singing. They are a motley crew, but whatever their differences, whatever the problems they may have at home, all are happily bound together in their shared love of music. Until one day Maggie knocks on the door… Soon she is urging them to enter Talentfest, a potentially life-changing route to Britain’s Got Talent. In the weeks that follow, loyalties will be tested, tempers will fray and lives will indeed be changed – but not in the way that any of them had quite anticipated.
The cast of The Nightingales also includes Steven Pacey (Steven) whose most recent stage appearances include The Knowledge (Charing Cross Theatre), Loves Labour’s Lost / Much Ado About Nothing (West End and Chichester Festival Theatre), Travels with my Aunt and King Lear (Chichester Festival Theatre).
Director Christopher Luscombe is an associate artist of the RSC, where his productions include Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing, both of which transferred to the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
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Ruth Jones in The Nightingales is presented by Jenny Topper and Bath Theatre Royal Productions. It plays at Cardiff’s New Theatre from Monday 19 – Saturday 24 November. Tickets are available from the Box Office on 029 2087 8889 and newtheatrecardiff.co.uk.