STALKING THE BOGEYMAN (LONDON)
STALKING THE BOGEYMAN FOLLOWS RENOWNED JOURNALIST DAVID HOLTHOUSE’S SECRET PURSUIT OF JUSTICE FOR A CRIME HIDDEN FOR 25 YEARS.
ABOUT THE SHOW
In the spring of 2003, David Holthouse was an award-winning journalist. But no one knew that David had two incredibly dark secrets — first, that 25 years ago he was the victim of a violent rape, and now, that he was planning the ultimate revenge on the man responsible.
A humanising story of transformation, Stalking the Bogeyman is a tale of healing and forgiveness. Based on the true story first told in the Denver Westword newspaper and subsequently on the popular weekly radio broadcast ‘This American Life’, journalist David Holthouse describes being raped at the age of 7 by a 14-year- old boy and his recently abandoned plans to belatedly kill his now grown-up attacker: “This time last year I had a gun, and a silencer, and a plan.”
The play premiered at North Carolina Stage Company in September 2013 and opened off-Broadway at New World Stages in 2014. In July 2016, London producer David Adkin, along with NewYorkRep, presented the UK premiere of Stalking The Bogeyman at Southwark Playhouse, London.
Stalking the Bogeyman is slated for an Australian premiere in May 2018.
CAST
GERARD McCARTHY (David Holthouse) is probably best known for his award-winning performance as Kris Fisher on Hollyoaks. His TV/Film credits include: The Fall (BBC/Netflix); Puppy Love (BBC); A Nightingale Falling (MB Media); Vikings (MGM); Belonging to Laura (Samson Films); and Titanic: Blood and Steel (Netflix). Recent theatre credits include: Tony in Beautiful Thing (Nottingham Playhouse and Curve, Leicester); Bruce in Joe Penhall’s Blue/Orange (Brighton Theatre Royal); Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare’s Globe); and the West End productions of Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward Theatre) and Saturday Night Fever (Apollo Victoria Theatre).
RUSS BAIN (Bogeyman) is a Scottish actor living and working in London and Los Angeles. His recent TV credits include: US shows: Graceland; Castle; Tut; The Borgias; and Intelligence. His film roles include: Power Rangers; Residue; and The Rack Pack for the BBC. His theatre work includes: Macbeth for the California Shakespeare Ensemble and Miss Julie at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. Russ also does extensive voice-work including a lead in the Game of Thrones video game and narrating William Boyd’s The Vanishing Game.
GLYNIS BARBER (Nancy Holthouse) Theatre credits include: Original London Cast of Beautiful: The Carole King Story (Aldwych Theatre); Love Letters (Dundee Rep); Season’s Greetings (UK Tour); Separate Tables (The Mill at Sonning); The Graduate (UK Tour); Macbeth (Shakespeare Festival); Make Me A Match (The Mill at Sonning); Killing Time (UK Tour); And Then There Were None (Duke of York’s Theatre); High Flyers (Churchill Theatre; Bromley); Same Old Moon (Nuffield Theatre); Summer Breeze (Gate Theatre); Hamlet (Duke’s Theatre; Lancaster); Once In A Lifetime (RSC/Piccadilly Theatre); A Murder Is Announced (Vaudeville Theatre) and Ring Round The Moon; What The Butler Saw; The Norman Conquests; Rebecca; Black Comedy and The Browning Version (all at Theatre Royal Northampton). Television credits include: Eastenders; The Royal; Emmerdale; Agatha Christie’s Marple: Endless Night; Law & Order; Casualty; Bamboo; Dempsey & Makepeace; Blake’s 7; Jane; New Tricks And Trial & Retribution X. Film credits include: the 2015 remake of Point Break; The Edge Of Tomorrow; Hammer Of The Gods; On The Nose; The Fairy King Of Air; Deja Vu; Jekyll & Hyde; The Hound Of The Baskervilles; The Wicked Lady; The Tangier Arrangement; and Yesterday’s Hero. Glynis’ debut book The In-Sync Diet topped the Amazon health & nutrition charts in 2015.
JOHN MORAITIS (Russ Crawford) Theatre credits includes: The title role in King Lear (UK/Ireland/Vietnam/Japan/China); Six Degrees Of Separation (Old Vic); A View From The Bridge (West End/UK Tour/Theatre Clwyd); Willy Loman in Death Of A Salesman (European Tour); Who Do We Think We Are (Southwark Playhouse); Welcome To Ramallah (Arcola); Fragile (Arcola); Crocodile Seeking Refuge (UK Tour); True West (Duke’s Lancaster); Julius Caesar (Gatehouse); USA: Merchant Of Venice; One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest; A Christmas Carol; Breakfast At Tiffany’s and An Enemy Of The People. Television credits includes: Emmerdale; Crossing Lines; New Tricks; The Misfits; Genie In The House; Murder In Paradise; First Degree; Office Gossip; People Like Us; Law And Order; Nypd Blue and As The World Turns. Film includes: We Still Steal The Old Way (2016 release); Woman In Gold; God The Father; The Fifth Estate; United 93; Bunch Of Amateurs; Where The Truth Lies; Booty Call and Goodfellas. John has also done numerous BBC radio plays and records audio books.
GEOFFREY TOWERS (Robert Holthouse) Theatre credits include: Travelling Light and The Veil (National Theatre); The Homecoming; The Ruling Class; The Weir; Passion Play; Rosencratz And Guildenstern Are Dead; Mrs Warren’s Profession; Spring Awakening; Losing Louis and The Graduate (all West End); Henry V (Temple Church); The Importance Of Being Earnest (Regent’s Park); Romeo And Juliet (Jermyn Street Theatre); Monster (Greenwich Playhouse); California Suite (Madinat Theatre; Dubai); The Deep Blue Sea (Northcott Theatre; Exeter); The Shadow Box (Southwark Playhouse); Patience (Finborough Theatre); The Merchant Of Venice (Middle Temple Gardens); The Kisses (Dracula) for Scary Little Girls; Doctor Faustus and Much Ado About Nothing for Oxford Shakespeare Company; and Daisy Pulls It Off; Oh What A Lovely War; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Kent Rep. Television credits include: Doctors; Waking The Dead; EastEnders; Dangerous Health; The Bill; Eroica; and Casualty.
AMY VAN NOSTRAND (Carole Crawford / Molly) Amy has been working in theatre; film and TV for most of her life. Her work has taken her to India; Syria; Australia and she’s now delighted to be making her London debut at Southwark Playhouse. On Broadway she was in the American premiere of Harold Pinter’s THE HOTHOUSE directed by Harold Pinter and Adrian Hall. Off Broadway credits include: The God Committee; Off The King’s Road; and Scrambled Eggs. Regional theatre work includes 8 seasons and the first Peter Kaplan Fellowship award at Trinity Repertory Company. Other regional work includes: at the Guthrie Theater, Six Degrees Of Separation; at The Huntington Theatre, Heartbreak House and What The Butler Saw; at The Shakespeare Theatre, The Taming Of The Shrew; at Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Three Sisters and Dead End. Film credits include Outside Providence; The House of Mirth; The Flood; Partners in Crime; Bereft; Execution of Justice; Deception; and upcoming this Fall, Year By The Sea. TV credits include: Frasier; The Practice; Wings; Cagney and Lacy; Chappelles Show; and Law & Order. She is a member of the Actors Center; Weston Playhouse Board of Directors; and has produced the films 7 Girlfriends and Black Road. Amy is appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association.
CREATIVE TEAM
DAVID HOLTHOUSE (Script Adaptation) is unrepentantly a gonzo journalist. His best-known work has been published in alternative weekly newspapers, including the Chicago Reader, Village Voice, Denver Westword, Austin Chronicle, Miami New Times and Phoenix New Times. His work has also appeared in Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal, The Nation and other national magazines. He’s the winner of numerous journalism and literary non-fiction writing awards, and was senior writer and editor for the Southern Poverty Law Center team that in 2007 won the Utne Reader Independent Press Award for its work exposing right-wing extremism in the U.S. and Europe. Holthouse lives in Alaska. You can contact him via his website. davidholthouse.com
MARKUS POTTER (Script Adaptation / Director) is a NYC based director, and the producing artistic director of NewYorkRep. Recent directing: Stalking the Bogeyman Off-Broadway (Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, NYtimes critics pick), Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods by Tammy Ryan at The Portland Stage Company, Why You Beasting by David Don Miller (Best of FringeNYC – transferred to the Players Theatre Off-Broadway) and productions with North Carolina Stage Company, New Jersey Rep, Pasadena Playhouse and Luna Stage. As an actor: Guthrie Theatre, Long Wharf, American Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Rep, San Francisco Shakespeare, Cherry Lane Theatre, Tour of Death of a Salesman with Christopher Lloyd, Studio Theatre DC, Denver Center. MFA: Columbia University, Proud SDC member, MarkusPotter.com
RACHEL STONE (Set & Costume Designer) Rachel graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts with a First Class Honours Degree in Production Arts. Her Design credits include: Upper Cut (Southwark Playhouse); Sweeney Todd (Twickenham Theatre); Little Shop of Horrors (Stowe School); That Face (Landor Theatre); Up4aMeet? (UK Tour); Short and Stark (Southwark Playhouse); The Hospital at the Time of the Revolution (Finborough Theatre); Carousel (Landor Theatre); Perfect Party (New Wimbledon Studio); Ruffled (Theatre 503); Company (Pleasance Theatre); and My Mother Said I Never Should (Bridewell Theatre). Associate credits include: Handbagged (UK Tour); Bad Jews (Arts Theatre); and The EL Train (Hoxton Hall).
ROB CASEY (Lighting Design) Rob’s credits include: Ariodante (Britten Theatre); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (GSA); Honk! (GSA); I and the Village (Theatre 503); Giove in Argo (Britten Theatre); Sister Act (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre); Ravi Shankar Workshop (Linbury Theatre; Royal Opera House); The Music Man (Arts Ed); Payback (Riverside Studios); These Shining Lives (Park Theatre); Ignition (Frantic Assembly); Rigor Mortis (Finborough Theatre); Misery (Bournemouth Pavilion); and Betwixt! (Trafalgar 2). As Associate Lighting Designer: For the National Theatre: wonder.land; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Also West End/New York/UK Tour); The Light Princess; James I/II/III (Also EIF/UK Tour).
ERIK T. LAWSON (Original Music) Eric’s credits include: New York: Sotto Voce (Theatre for the New City); Sawbones, Diamond Eater (HERE); Nun$ (Brave New World Rep); Nomads, Victor Frange Presents Gas (Incubator Arts); and Feeling (New Ohio). Additional: Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, Luna Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. International Exhibitions: World Stage Design 2013 (Cardiff, UK); and Prague Quadrennial 2011 (Prague, CZ). MFA Carnegie Mellon, School of Drama. www.eriktlawson.com
DAVID GREGORY (Sound Designer) As a sound designer David’s most recent credits include: Luce (Southwark Playhouse); Old Vic New Voices Festival (The Old Vic); These Trees Are Made Of Blood (Southwark Playhouse); Tuxedo Junction (Watermill Theatre); Generation of Z: Apocalypse (Whitechapel); Secret Adversary (Watermill Theatre/UK tour); Contact.com (Park Theatre); Merchant of Venice; The Comedy of Errors; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Taming of The Shrew; Twelth Night; The Winter’s Tale; and Richard III (Propeller Theatre Company); Basement Grotto (Shoreditch Town Hall); Five (NYT Saudi Arabia); But First This (Watermill Theatre); Next Fall (Southwark Playhouse); Private Peaceful and Macbeth (Ambassadors Theatre); Red Forest (Belarus Free Theatre/Young Vic/Italy); Some Girl I Used To Know (UK Tour/Arts Theatre; London); The 24 Hour Plays Celebrity Gala (The Old Vic); Lament (Tête à Tête Festival and Arcola); and Soap Opera (Royal Court).
ANNE VOSSER (Casting) Anne started casting in 1992 whilst at the Apollo Leisure Group. She has cast numerous West End and touring productions. Recent credits include: Guys & Dolls (UK Tour); The Life (English Theatre of Frankfurt); concert versions of Follies at the Royal Albert Hall starring Christine Baranski and How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at the Royal Festival Hall starring Jonathan Groff; Olivier nominated Dance ‘Til Dawn (West End, Aldwych Theatre); WhatsOnStage Award winner Sweeney Todd (Twickenham Theatre); Some Girl(s) (Park Theatre); The Old Vic New Voices Festival (The Old Vic); The Mentalists (West End, Wyndhams); Barking In Essex starring Lee Evans (West End, Wyndham’s Theatre); What The Butler Saw (West End, Vaudeville Theatre); Pygmalion starring Alistair McGowan (UK Tour); and Flare Path by Terence Rattigan (UK Tour). vosser-casting.co.uk
MATTHEW ILIFFE (Assistant Director) Recent directing credits include: The Angel of Peckham (McConnell New Writing Fund, Theatro Technis); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Landor); and Precious Little Talent (Gobstoppers Festival, The Albany). This year Matthew’s work will be seen at the Park and Hen & Chickens Theatres, where he is directing the UK premiere of an off-Broadway musical and a new play, respectively. He is also currently Assistant Director to Hannah Chissick on Brass for National Youth Music Theatre (Hackney Empire). Matthew trained on the StoneCrabs Young Directors Programme, at the University of Bristol and participated in the Bristol Old Vic Young Directors Scheme, taught by Lee Lyford. He is the co-founder of hairofthedog, a new writing theatre company.
ARTHUR LEONE PR is a long-established PR agency specialising in theatre, arts, culture and heritage projects. 020 7836 7660 | anna@arthurleone.com
EMILY MEMARZIA (Partnerships & Engagement Manager)
DAVID ADKIN (Producer/General Manager) is a London based Theatre Producer and General Manager. Current/recent producing credits include: Dusky Warriors – Workshop (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Cabaret (ACT Aberdeen); The Old Vic New Voices Festival (Festival Producer – The Old Vic); Our Friends, The Enemy (UK Tour/New York City); Next Fall starring Charlie Condou (Southwark Playhouse); Sweeney Todd starring David Bedella – Winner of Whatsonstage Award for Best Off West End Production (Twickenham Theatre); Our House The Musical – 10th Anniversary Concert starring Suggs, Tameka Empson and Alistair McGowan, directed by Matthew Warchus (Savoy); and Polly Stenham’s That Face (Landor).
David is a graduate of the Commercial Theater Institute (New York City); a bursary recipient of the Society of London Theatre’s Stage One Producers Scheme; and the Chairman of Cherwell Theatre Company – a charity providing arts based opportunities for young people in his hometown. davidadkin.com @davidadkin
NEWYORKREP (Producer) is committed to developing and producing innovative new plays and musicals. We gravitate towards stories that reveal truths about the universe, stories that expose the travesty and beauty of human kind, stories that create empathy, thus changing the space in which we live. We aim to create a more conscious and compassionate community by telling stories that educate, inform, enhance, stories that have a social, ethical and political relevance, work that is complicated, curious and provocative – stories that hit you in the gut. We approach our work with optimism, earnestness, open hearts and remain unapologetic in our belief that we are changing people’s lives. NewYorkRep.org @NYRepTheatre
ADAM RICHMAN (Associate Producer of NewYorkRep) is perhaps best known worldwide as the host of the highly popular food and travel show “Man versus Food.” Following the success of that show, he has gone on to produce and host several other shows including: “Best Sandwich in America,” “Food Fighters,” “Secret Eats with Adam Richman” and ITV’s “BBQ CHAMP.” He is also author of two books: America the Edible, and Straight up Tasty. He holds a bachelors from Emory University and an MFA from the Yale University School of Drama.
JOEL FISHER (Associate Producer)
PHOTOS & VIDEOS
PRESS
What’s On Stage
What’s in my dressing room? – Gerard McCarthy
Belfast Live
Gerard McCarthy broke down and cried as he takes on darkest role yet
South London Press
Gerard McCarthy tells Kate Gould about his latest role – as award-winning journalist David Holthouse in Stalking The Bogeyman at Southwark Playhouse
The Stage
Gerard McCarthy to star in Stalking the Bogeyman in London
Evening Standard
Stalking the Bogeyman UK premiere announced at Southwark Playhouse
Broadway World
Southwark Playhouse to Stage UK Premiere of Stalking The Bogeyman
REVIEWS
★★★★
“Authentic and searing new drama. Skillfully woven together and expertly played.”
What’s On Stage
★★★★
“A taughtly told story of catharsis and revenge.”
“Unnerving energy with great performances”
“Presented excellently with great depth”
The Reviews Hub
★★★★
“A challenging, thought provoking and vital piece of theatre that demands to be seen and proves not only the cathartic nature of art, but also the importance of storytelling as a vital tool in our emotional and psychological response.”
“Markus Potter’s careful delivery and spirited direction, absorbs the audience and has each of the characters emerge from the auditorium to join the space in the frankest way possible.”
London Theatre
★★★★
“EXTRAORDINARY. The best piece of theatre I’ve seen in years. Beautifully constructed, highly recommended.“
BBC Radio London – Tim Arthur
★★★★
“It keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. It is a play that needs to be seen, a story that needs to be heard.”
The Upcoming
“An Eloquent production. Potter’s unflinching vision makes for deliberately uncomfortable viewing.”
London Evening Standard
★★★★
“Stalking The Bogeyman is emotive, emotional and thought provoking. Powerful and spellbinding”.
Voicing CSA
★★★★
“Stalking The Bogeyman is a brave and challenging play. Well-crafted writing and performance, cleverly staged.”
Jonathan Baz Reviews
★★★★
“A well-written and cleverly paced play…Powerful and precise. Thought provoking and witty piece with superb production values. A redemptive story.”
Plays to See
★★★★
“The cast, set and direction all come together to serve justice to this powerful and moving story. It’s productions like this that demonstrates that the arts do matter and deserves to be seen by many.”
Musical Theatre Musings
★★★★
“Well constructed and very moving.”
“Gripping staging”
“Stunning performances”
British Theatre Guide
★★★★
”Powerful riveting drama with twists and turns that the audience never sees coming, mainly because they are so staggeringly truthful. One of the most important plays you’re likely to see this year”
Boyz Magazine
★★★★
“A play that demands to be seen. Grippingly intense. Astonishing performances…Ultimately this is an incredibly important play – brutal and honest but with a message of hope.”
London News Online