Australian diving star Matthew Mitcham – the first openly gay athlete to win an Olympic Gold Medal – will make his UK acting debut in ‘Strangers in Between’ in Camberwell.
‘Strangers in Between’, a captivating Australian classic from Tommy Murphy, is an unflinching look at the highs and lows of growing up gay in modern Australia, bursting with laugh-out-loud one-liners, simmering sexual tension and heartfelt confessions.
Joining Matthew Mitcham in the cast are Stephen Connery-Brown and Alex Ansdell.
Fleeing his family in regional Goulburn, Shane finds himself in Sydney’s Kings Cross district.
Attempting to build a surrogate family in the city, he confuses the two families. The city lover he worships morphs into the brother he fears. Meanwhile, Peter, an older man who is dealing with the imminent death of his elderly mother, is himself rendered maternal by the needs of runaway Shane.
Matthew Mitcham (Ben/Will) is a retired Australian diver and trampolinist, born in Brisbane. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Matthew executed a two-and-one-half somersault with two-and-one-half twists in the pike position for his final dive, scoring four 10s, giving him not only the highest score on a single dive ever, but the gold medal – the first openly gay athlete to win an Olympic gold medal. He wrote his autobiography, ‘Twists and Turns’, in 2012, adapting it into a cabaret show, that toured Australia to great reviews.
Stephen Connery-Brown (Peter) was born and raised in Sydney. This is Stephen’s fourth time playing Peter in ‘Strangers in Between’ (King’s Head Theatre/Trafalgar Studios 2). His other roles include Dad in ‘The Sum of Us’ (Above the Stag), Henry Higgins in ‘Pygmalion’ and ‘Scrooge’ in ‘A Christmas Carol’
Alex Ansdell (Shane) is making his professional debut.
Director – Adam Spreadbury-Maher.
Golden Goose Theatre, 146 Camberwell New Rd, London, SE5 0RR from 19th September to 7th October. Times: Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Saturday matinees 3pm. Admission: £18 (£13 Conc, VIP Front row seats £22)
Preview prices, 19th to 21st Sep £15 (£12 Conc, VIP Front row seats £18).
Booking: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/strangers-in-between
Further information is available on: www.lambcoproductions.co.uk
