Gina Riley will join the existing stellar cast of the return season of North by Northwest at Arts Centre Melbourne in January 2016.
Riley joins the strong ensemble cast as Roger’s mother, unwittingly creating additional drama and bringing laughs with her well-meaning meddling. Matt Day will reprise his role as man on the run, Roger O. Thornhill, alongside Amber McMahon as Eve Kendall, his cool and collected love interest, in the resoundingly successful and critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film.
Matt Hetherington, Nicholas Bell, Ian Bliss, Sheridan Harbridge, John Leary, Tony Llewllyn-Jones, Lucas Stibbard and Lachlan Woods will be returning to the production in 2016. Lyall Brooks is also an exciting addition to the cast.
Riley is currently appearing in Open Slather, a new sketch comedy series for The Comedy Channel. She will soon be seen on air in drama series The Beautiful Lie and comedy series Please Like Me, both for the ABC. Riley has appeared in Fast Forward, Full Frontal, and is the creator, writer, star and executive producer of Big Girl’s Blouse, Something Stupid and four enormously successful seasons of Kath & Kim.
Her musical theatre credits include Duchess Estonia Dulworth in Nice Work If You Can Get It, Matron Mama Morton in Chicago, The Baker’s Wife in Into The Woods, Merrily We Roll Along, Falsettos and the role of Janet in The New Rocky Horror Show.
“I am so thrilled to be returning to the stage in such a triumphant production,” said Riley. “To be working with the brilliant Simon Phillips and such a talented group of cast and creatives is a great coup and I’m extremely excited to be venturing back to drama in 2016.”
Adapted for stage by Carolyn Burns and directed by Simon Phillips, North by Northwest charts the suave Roger O. Thornhill’s serious case of mistaken identity from New York to North Dakota. Clever set design, dynamic projections and an instantly recognisable score bring the film adaption to life.
“North by Northwest continues to go from strength to strength, and the recent confirmation that Gina Riley and Lyall Brooks will be joining the extremely strong existing cast further cements the fact that the 2016 production is an unmissable theatre event,” said Liza McLean from Kay + McLean Productions.
Following a sell-out season in 2015, the celebrated stage adaption of North by Northwest will be returning to Arts Centre Melbourne in the State Theatre from 29 January for a limited time. For more information, visit: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au for details.
Image: Gina Riley to join North by Northwest