The Little Dog Laughed - Garrick Theatre
An all star cast descends upon the Garrick Theatre for a West End show
that emphasises the inner workings of Hollywood and how the biggest
stars in the world maintain the image they wish for us to see. The play
from Douglas Carter Beane is likely to be a big success after already
landing Tony Awards for its appearance on Broadway.
Tamsin Greig and Rupert Friend head up the cast, both of whom are well
known actors of the screen. Greig is best known for her work in
television comedy shows such as “Black Books” and “Green Wing”, whilst
Friend has been seen in a range of movies. Together they are joined by
Gemma Arterton of “St Trinian’s” and “Quantum of Solace” fame alongside
Harry Lloyd from television’s “Robin Hood”.
It is no secret that Hollywood is a place where image is everything;
both in terms of appearance and in terms of lifestyle. People want
Hollywood stars to be beautiful and to appear attainable so that their
movies will sell. But what happens when their lifestyle clashes with the
perceptions that are held of them around the world? This is what The
Little Dog Laughed deals with during the course of the show, with the
Hollywood heartthrob Mitchell (Friend) remaining in the closet in
regards to his sexuality – a secret that he and his agent Diane (Grieg)
want to keep under wraps. Both fear what could happen to their careers
if the truth is known, but matters are complicated when Mitchell
develops feelings for a rent boy (Lloyd), whose girlfriend (Arterton)
completes a love triangle that could spell danger.
Tamsin Greig, whilst appearing regularly on our television screens, is
also a renowned and award winning stage actress. In addition to shows
like “Green Wing” and “Love Soup” she has appeared in the likes of
“Gethsemane” at the National Theatre and “God of Carnage” at the Gielgud
Theatre. Meanwhile, her appearance in “Much Ado About Nothing” earned
her a Laurence Olivier Award in 2007.
Her co star Rupert Friend has appeared in enough films to rival his
onstage counterpart Mitchell, with credits that include “The Young
Victoria” (2009), “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” (2008) and “The
Libertine” (2004).
But it is not only Friend that has appeared in a range of movies and the
last few years have been especially good for Gemma Arterton, who has
been on the rise since her breakout performances in the likes of “Tess
of the D’Urbervilles” and “St Trinian’s”. Since then she has also
appeared in the latest James Bond movie “Quantum of Solace” and Richard
Curtis’s “The Boat that Rocked”, with a performance in “Love’s Labour’s
Lost” at the Globe Theatre amongst her staged credits.
The Little Dog Laughed appears at the Garrick Theatre from Wednesday
20th January 2010 to Saturday 10th April 2010.