OVERVIEW

“I didn’t take Raymond. I took half the money”

When 16 year old Charlie Babbit borrows his dads car, he calls the cops. Determined to make it on his own, Charlie leaves.

When his dad dies, Charlie gets the car and some rose bushes – but not the money. Hot on the trail of the cash Charlie discovers an unkown autistic brother, Raymond with an extraordinary talent for numbers. Intent on saving his business, Charlie takes Raymond on a rollercoaster journey involving Las Vegas, gambling, learning to dance, kissing. Raymond discovers a world beyond the hospital gates and Charlie, the meaning of unconditional love.

Based on Barry Morrow’s original Oscar winning screenplay and re-imagined for the stage by Dan Gordon, the play examines the nature of love, understanding and connection. Leading the cast in this funny, heart-warming and touching contemporary story is Hollywood movie actor, Josh Hartnett in his West End debut as Charlie and Olivier nominated actor, Adam Godley as Raymond.

Adapted for the stage by Dan Gordon. Based on the screen play by Barry Morrow & Ronald Bass. Story by Ronald Bass.

cast

Hollywood actor Josh Hartnett makes his West End debut this summer as Charlie Babbitt in a complex, moving and funny stage adaptation of the iconic film RAIN MAN, which opens on Tuesday 9th September at the Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue. Josh is joined on stage by Olivier-nominated British actor Adam Godley as his autistic savant brother Raymond.

Mary Stockley will take on the role of Susan following her performance in The Common Pursuit at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Other theatre credits include Hope in Anything Goes (NT and Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Merrily we Roll Along (Donmar) and Spend Spend Spend. Mary has recently been seen as Miss Jay in the BBC adaptation of Ballet Shoes.

Dr Bruener will be played by Colin Stinton. An internationally renowned actor, Colin has appeared in The Graduate in the West End and on Broadway, whilst appearing in films such as A Mighty Heart starring Angelina Jolie and The Bourne Ultimatum. His West End theatre credits include Man&Boy, The Goat and National Theatre roles in Guys and Dolls and Sweet Bird of Youth, both directed by Richard Eyre. He can be seen in TV hits Harley Street, Doctor Who and House of Saddam.

Other cast members include Charles Daish whose theatre credits include Journeys End (Playhouse and Duke of York) and The Relapse, Romeo and Juliet, A Woman Killed by Kindness and Pain of Youth (all RSC). His TV credits include Cold Feet and Mile High.

Tilly Blackwood will also be joining the cast; her theatre credits include Katarina in Scenes from a Marriage for the Belgrade Theatre directed by Trevor Nunn, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Albery), as well as The Country Wife (RSC) and Julius Caesar (Regents Park).

Creative Team

Director:	Terry Johnson
Producer:	Nica Burns, Jane Walmsley, Michael Braham, Max Weitzenhoffer
Designer:	Jonathan Fensom
Lighting:	Jason Taylor
Sound:	Fergus O’Hare
Press:	Anna Arthur – 020 7637 2994

TICKET PRICES

Stalls:	£47.00, £39.00, £21.00
Dress Circle:	£47.00, £45.00
Upper Circle:	£39.00, £31.00
Balcony:	£21.00, £16.00
Boxes:	£47.00, £21.00

ALL PRICES INCLUDE A £1 RESTORATION LEVY

Group Rates

For Groups of 8+
10% Off £47.00 tickets in the stalls and Dress Circle. 10% Off £39.00 tickets in the Upper Circle
Applies Monday to Thursday and Wednesday matinee

School Rates

School Groups 10+
Best available seats for £17.50 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday matinee perforamances

Concessions
Subject to availability best available on the day for £20.00

Performances

Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm
Wednesday & Saturday at 3pm

Date on sale: Monday 7th July 2008

First Preview: 28th August 2008

First Midweek Matinee: Wednesday 10th September at 3pm

First Weekend Matinee: Saturday 6th September at 3pm

Off Sale Dates: Wednesday August, 1st, 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th September 2008

Press Night: 9th September 2008

Intervals: There is 1 interval

Press Release

Nica Burns, Jane Walmsley, Michael Braham, Max Weitzenhoffer, in association with MGM ON STAGE, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber

Josh Hartnett and Adam Godley
in
‘RAIN MAN’
Adapted for the stage by Dan Gordon based on the MGM motion picture, story by Barry Morrow

Hollywood actor Josh Hartnett makes his West End debut as Charlie Babbitt in this complex, moving and funny stage adaptation of the iconic film Rain Man which opens on Tuesday 9th September at the Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue. Josh is joined on stage by Olivier-nominated British actor Adam Godley as his autistic savant brother Raymond.

Writer Dan Gordon has radically re-imagined the multi Oscar Award winning 1988 film for the stage, resetting this timeless story in the present day. The result is touching, surprising and often laugh-out-loud funny. Definitely funny, as Raymond would say.

Charlie Babbitt (Josh Hartnett) is a self-centred Los Angeles-based automobile dealer and hustler, who is at war with his own life. Relationships are not Charlie’s strong suit and love is quite outside his experience. Raymond (Adam Godley) is the elder brother Charlie never knew he had - an autistic savant who has been hidden away in an institution for most of his adult life. Raymond is dysfunctional in many senses, but – as Charlie is soon to discover – also touched with a kind of stellar genius which Charlie harnesses to save his business. The two brothers embark on a rollercoaster journey together which shows Raymond a world beyond the hospital gates and Charlie the meaning of unconditional love

Josh Hartnettis well known for a range of films from the small independent to the big Hollywood blockbuster including Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, 30 Days of Night,Virgin Suicides,The Black Dahlia and Lucky Number Slevin.

Josh Hartnett said: “It has always been my intent to work on the London stage. While I've had many opportunities it was only when I read the complex and charismatic character of Charlie Babbitt that I knew the time was right. I feel very fortunate to make my London bow with such an esteemed producer and director and I’m also looking forward to working with Adam Godley, who is such an extraordinary talent. Can't wait to live and work in London a city I adore!”

Adam Godley is well known to theatregoing audiences for his Olivier nominated roles in Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick (National Theatre) and Mouth to Mouth (Royal Court). Other productions include Private Lives (West End and Broadway), Paul, The Pillowman and Two Thousand Years (NT). His film credits include Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and the upcoming X-Files: I Want To Believe.

Director Terry Johnson is a Literary Associate at the Royal Court Theatre. At The Court he directed Dumb Show by Joe Penhall and opened his play Piano/Forte. Johnson's stage work has been produced around the world. He has won nine British Theatre awards including the Olivier Award for Best Comedy 1994 and 1999, Playwright of the Year 1995, Critics Circle Theatre Awards for Best New Play 1995, two Evening Standard Theatre Awards, the Writers Guild Award for Best Play 1995 and 1996, the Meyer Whitworth Award 1993 and the John Whiting Award 1991.He has had many West End productions as director and/or writer including: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest starring Christian Slater, Hitchcock Blonde, Entertaining Mr Sloane, The Graduate and Dead Funny. He has worked with Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, directing John Malkovich in The Libertine (nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Awards including Best Production) and Lost Land, both plays by Stephen Jeffreys. He has written and directed television drama that has been broadcast worldwide, most recently Not Only But Always for Channel 4, which won five International Award nominations, Best Film at Banff, and a BAFTA for Rhys Ifans. The film version of his play Insignificance (directed by Nicolas Roeg) was the official British Entry at Cannes Film Festival in 1985.

Dan Gordon has written eleven major feature films including The Hurricane (for which Denzel Washington received an Academy Award nomination), Wyatt Earp (starring Kevin Costner) Murder In The First, The Assignment and Passenger 57. His new play Irena's Vow will open in New York in September starring Tony nominee Tovah Feldshuh. Other theatre credits include the stage adaptation of Terms Of Endearment which recently toured the U.K. starring Linda Gray and will debut in New York in 2009 and the stage adaptation of Murder In The First.

Stage Design is by Jonathan Fensom. Jonathan recently designed The Homecoming for the Almeida Theatre. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his set design for Journey’s End and the production won the Tony Award for Best Revival. Lighting Designer Jason Taylor was resident lighting designer at Nottingham Playhouse between 1985 an 1990 and worked for 14 seasons at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Jason was nominated for a Tony Award in May 2007 for Best Lighting Design for the Broadway production of Journey’s End.
For further information, please contact Anna Arthur or Elly Lacey at Arthur Leone PR on 020 7637 2994

NOTES TO EDITORS
Rain Man, starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, was released by MGM in 1988, and dominated the Academy Awards of 1989. The picture received 8 Oscar nominations and won 4 – the all-important ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Actor’, ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Original Screenplay’ awards which soon catapulted it to the biggest box office success of any previous ‘Best Picture’ Oscar winner.

Rain Man creator Barry Morrow based the character of Raymond on a real-life savant called Kim Peek – a man who is now well into his 50’s, and has been the mesmerizing subject of both TV documentaries and extended medical studies. Like his fictional counterpart, Peek hates being touched, has obsessions which rule his life, avoids eye contact, and remembers just about every detail about everyone he ever meets. He is also the proud possessor of an Oscar – which Barry Morrow presented to Kim after he won it for the screenplay of Rain Man.

The Producers
Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer have been co-producing since 1999 following illustrious solo producing careers - Nica in London and Max on Broadway. Their productions include Medea starring Fiona Shaw directed by Deborah Warner (2001 Evening Standard Awards for Best Actress and Best Director), Feelgood (2001 Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy), My Brilliant Divorce (Apollo) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Gielgud) and Some Girl(s) (Gielgud) and Swimming with Sharks (Vaudeville). Nica and Max are co-owners of Nimax Theatres Ltd which owns the Lyric, Apollo, Garrick, Duchess Theatres and Vaudeville Theatres. On July 3rd 2008 Nica became the third female president of the Society of London Theatres.

Jane Walmsley and Michael Braham founded JAM Pictures in 1997 to produce drama for film, TV and stage. American Jane Walmsley began her career as a broadcaster, presenting shows and series for Capital Radio, BBC Television and ITV prior to forming her own production company. Michael Braham began as a newspaper and television journalist before founding the successful independent production group, Broadcast Communications - which he later sold to the Guardian Media Group. Michael was also a founder director of GMTV. JAM’s recent television projects have included: Hillary’s Choice, based on the best selling biography of Hillary Rodham Clinton; Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story (starring James Woods, who was Emmy-nominated for his performance – JAM Pictures received the International Press Academy Award for ‘Best Motion Picture Made for Television’); From Hollywood to Borehamwood – A Salute to the London Film Studios; the feature film One More Kiss, and the stage plays Killing Time and Bad Blood.

MGM ON STAGE
Darcie Denkert & Dean Stolber
Veteran film and theatre executives Darcie and Dean conceived, developed, and run MGM ON STAGE, the industry leader in developing and licensing film properties for live stage presentation. Dean began his early career as a TV and stage performer with featured and starring roles on Broadway in Bye Bye Birdie and You’re A good Man Charlie Brown. A graduate of Harvard College and NYU Law School he went on to become a top film executive for MGM overseeing the Rocky, James Bond and Pink Panther franchises, among others. Darcie Denkert started her career as a theatrical attorney, and prior to the formation of MGM ON STAGE was head of all entertainment business and legal affairs for MGM. She published her first book, A Fine Romance, in October 2005, about the relationship between Hollywood and Broadway. MGM ON STAGE productions on Broadway include: Legally Blonde, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; in the UK: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Desperately Seeking Susan, Theatre of Blood and Midnight Cowboy; in Australia: Priscilla Queen of the Desert. More than 15 new stage projects are in the works.

LISTINGS INFORMATION
Rain Man Adapted for the stage by Dan Gordon based on the MGM motion picture, story by Barry Morrow

Creative Team

Director:	Terry Johnson
Producer:	Nica Burns, Jane Walmsley, Michael Braham, Max Weitzenhoffer
Designer:	Jonathan Fensom
Lighting:	Jason Taylor
Venue:	Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London
Dates:	28th August – 20th December 2008
Times:	7.30pm evenings; 3pm matinees on Saturday and Wednesday
Ticket prices:	£16 - £47
Press Night	Tuesday 9th September at 7pm
Box Office:	0844 412 4658
Website:	www.rainmanonstage.com

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