James Dreyfus will star as Elwood P. Dowd in a new production of Mary Chase’s Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy Harvey, which will open at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 6th February 2015, running until 21st February, prior to a UK Tour and the West End. The production will be directed by Lindsay Posner.
James Dreyfus’s more recent theatre roles include Dr Pangloss in Candide (Menier Chocolate Factory), Pauncefort Quentin in The Vortex (Rose Theatre Kingston), OJ Berman in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Haymarket Theatre), Humphrey in The Common Pursuit (Menier Chocolate Factory), Emcee in Cabaret, (Lyric Theatre), Quince in Donkey’s Years (Comedy Theatre), and Carmen Gia in the original cast of The Producers (Theatre Royal Drury Lane). He won an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for his role as Russell Paxton in The Lady in the Dark at the National Theatre. On television, he has starred in the series Mount Pleasant, My Hero, Gimme Gimme Gimme and The Thin Blue Line, and played opposite Bette Midler in the American sitcom Bette. His films include Notting Hill.
Lindsay Posner was associate director at the Royal Court Theatre from 1987 to 1992, where his production of Death and the Maiden won two Olivier Awards.
Elwood P. Dowd has only one character flaw: an unwavering friendship with a six-foot tall, invisible rabbit named Harvey. In order to save the family’s reputation, Elwood’s sister Veta takes him to see psychiatrist Dr William Chumley. But when the doctor mistakenly commits anxiety-ridden Veta instead of her brother, it sets off an hilarious whirlwind of confusion and chaos as everyone tries to catch a man and his invisible rabbit.
The 2015 national tour of Harvey is produced by Don Gregory in association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with Julian Stoneman Associates and Paul Tyrer and Jamie Clark for The Booking Office.
See www.birmingham-rep.co.uk and www.harveyonstage.co.uk for more details.
