CASTING NEWS: Damien Molony joins new Tom Stoppard play ‘THE HARD PROBLEM’ at The National Theatre

October 3, 2014

Damien has been cast in new Tom Stoppard play ‘The Hard Problem’, due to run at the National Theatre early next year, according to The Mail Online and broadwayworld.com.

He will be appearing alongside Olivia Vinall (King Lear, Othello, Doctor Who), Jonathan Coy (Rumpole of The Bailey, Downton Abbey, Parade’s End), Vera Chok (The World Of Extreme Happiness, Chimerica) Lucy Robinson (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Pride and Prejudice, Being Human) and Parth Thakerar (King Lear).

Sir Tom Stoppard wrote the play for Nicholas Hytner’s directorial finale at the National before he departs the theatre next year. In an interview with Time Out Magazine, the world renowned, award winning and prolific playwright revealed the following about the play:

The play is set in the world of people who do evolutionary biology. It’s essentially a play set among scientists and psychologists. But it has a story. It’s not an essay, you know. It’s about people who are researching.

It takes place over a little span of time. Probably sets off around the millennium. So it’s contemporary but not up to the minute.

It’s really a play in which the characters are concerned with the problem of consciousness—what consciousness is and why it exists. That’s probably all I should say about it.

Damien has previously performed at the National Theatre as the male lead in 2012 production Travelling Light, also directed by Nicholas Hytner. The play had a long run in the National Theatre including a UK tour over a six month period and was also screened across the world as part of National Theatre Live.

His more recent theatre works include roles in Ander Lustgarten’s If You Don’t Let Us Dream, We Won’t Let You Sleep at the Royal Court and Dan O’Brien’s The Body Of An American at The Gate Theatre and the Royal & Derngate, which landed him a nomination in the Off West End Theatre Awards.

The Hard Problem runs at The Dorfman Theatre at the National, end of January 2015. Watch this space for more news as it happens!

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