HEROES
By GERALD SIBLEYRAS
Translated by TOM STOPPARD
Directed BY ROSS JOLLY
BEST COMEDY – Olivier Awards 2006
CIRCA Theatre’s sell-out comedy HEROES travels to Expressions in Upper Hutt.
This is the first full-production season to be taken from Circa to Expressions and HEROES will be playing a strictly
limited season from 8th – 19th July 2008.
HEROES is Tom Stoppard’s award-winning adaptation of Gerald Sibleyras’ enchanting and delightfully whimsical comedy Le
Vent des Peupliers, that took Paris by storm. HEROES which opened in the West End to ecstatic reviews and went on to win
the Olivier Award for Best Comedy, had its NZ premiere at CIRCA TWO on 31st March 2007.
It's 1959 and three First World War veterans are residents of a French Military Hospital.
Young and mischievous at heart, and still with an eye for the ladies, Gustave, Philippe and Henri meet every morning on
their quiet terrace, spending their days looking over to the poplars on the horizon beyond and dreaming of escape. Will
today be the day they finally make it to Indochina - or perhaps only as far as the top of the hill?
Starring: KEN BLACKBURN, GEORGE HENARE, RAY HENWOOD
Starring a dream cast of three of New Zealand’s top senior actors, HEROES is directed by award-winning director Ross
Jolly – ART, Waiting for Godot, An Inspector Calls, Master Class, The Underpants, The Shape of Things, Democracy, Fat
Pig, The Winslow Boy, Who Wants to be 100?.
For Ken, George and Ray, HEROES provides fantastic roles that are great fun to play, and a wonderful script by master
wordsmith, Tom Stoppard.
It was also Heroes that finally gave them the chance to realise a dream of their own – to work together in the same
play. Although each of them had worked with the others in differing combinations over the years - on stage and in film
and TV – this play was the first time that all three worked together at the same time – a combination they have since
revisited in Roger Hall’s Who Wants to be 100? which was Circa’s production for the International Festival of the Arts
this year.
Ken Blackburn is Philippe. Winner Best Actor for Vladimir in Waiting for Godot, Ken’s other recent stage credits include
Milos’ Wake, The Cherry Orchard, Democracy, and Death of a Salesman.
George Henare is Henri. Winner of Actor of the Year 2006 for his portrayal of Willy Loman in Circa multi-award-winning
production of Death of a Salesman, George’s other stage appearances have included Fagin in Oliver at The Court, Sir Toby
Belch in Twelfth Night for ATC, and Dracula, I’m Not Rappaport and Urinetown at Downstage.
Ray Henwood is Gustave. One of the founding members of Circa Theatre, Ray’s recent roles have included Playing Burton
(for which he won Best Actor), Willy Brandt in Democracy, Stalin in Master Class and Under Milk Wood and I’m Not
Rappaport at Downstage.
“THREE HIGHLY EXPERIENCED AND SKILLED OLD TROUPERS …MARVELOUSLY ENTERTAINING, VERY FUNNY
AND PERFECTLY PERFORMED” –THE DOMINION POST
“ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS; A GREAT SCRIPT, SUPERB ACTING
… A FANTASTIC PRODUCTION OF AN EXCELLENT PLAY … A PERFECT PIECE OF THEATRE.” – LUMIERE NZ
“STOPPARD’S BRILIANT TRANSLATION MAKES HEROES A MUST – THIS KIND OF QUALITY NEVER GETS OLD” - THE TIMES
“LAUGHTER GALORE PLUS A TEAR OR TWO
IN 90 MINUTES OF SHEER CLASS”– SUN
HEROES
Opens TUESDAY 8th July at 8pm
and runs until 19TH July 2008.
Performance times: Monday - Saturday 8pm
Sunday 4pm
Prices:* Adults $35 Concessions $30 Group 6+ $30 Group 20+ $25
“A booking fee may apply
BOOKINGS:
Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre
836 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt
www.expressions.org.nz
ENDS