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THE PERMANENT WAY:
WHO'S WHO

On this page, writer David Hare and director Max Stafford-Clark talk about The Permanent Way. Plus: meet the cast who between them play over 30 characters. Click these links:

Max Stafford-Clark

“In February 2003, I began a two week period of research with David Hare and a group of actors. There was no script at this point, just a list of phone numbers and contacts with people who had been involved at different levels in the railway industry.

“We met bankers and civil servants involved in the original privatisation. We talked to several directors of major train operating companies. We talked to the bereaved and survivors of train crashes. Some of the actors spent time working as ticket collectors, clad in train uniforms; and others observed and talked to a track gang for several days. Everybody was happy to talk and keen to tell their story. At the start of each day, we would each report our encounters to the whole group. From these stories and these meetings David crafted this compelling play.

“It’s been a challenging journey of discovery for all of us, and David’s play is a record of some of the extraordinary and inspiring people we met.” .

David Hare
“We've all lived with the privatisation of the railways for the last ten years, and we've all lived with its sometimes disastrous consequences. Yet nobody has yet put the whole story of that privatisation together in the span of one evening, so that we can all look at the facts together, and see what they tell us about our railways, our rulers - and ourselves.”

David Hare is one of Britain's most internationally performed playwrights. His long association with the National Theatre includes the now legendary production of his trilogy about the church, the law and the Labour Party – Racing Demon, Murmuring Judges and The Absence of War.

Nine of his plays have been presented on Broadway, including Plenty, The Secret Rapture, Skylight, The Blue Room, Amy’s View and Via Dolorosa, in which he also performed. He recently wrote the film The Hours, which starred Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman. His most recent play was The Breath of Life, with Maggie Smith and Judi Dench.

the 9 actors

FLAMINA CINQUE Flaminia trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and was a member of the Cambridge Footlights. Selected theatre includes Edward Hall's Othello (Watermill/Japan) and Push Up (Royal Court). Flaminia also guests at the Comedy Store with the Comedy Store Players. Read an interview here.

NIGEL COOKE Nigel appeared with Out of Joint in She Stoops to Conquer/A Laughing Matter and Feelgood. Other work includes The Iceman Cometh (Almeida), All My Sons (National Theatre) and extensive work for the RSC.

MATTHEW DUNSTER Matthew played Ryan Sykes in Coronation Street. His theatre includes the acclaimed Plasticine and Under the Whaleback at the Royal Court. Matthew is also a successful writer with credits including You Used To (Contact) and Tell Me (Northern Stage/Donmar Warehouse). He is a founder member of The Work.

SOUAD FARESS Theatre includes Cheek by Jowl's Homebody/Kabul, and for the RSC Antony and Cleopatra and The White Devil. Souad acted in the films Bhaji on the Beach and My Beautiful Launderette, and plays regular character Usha Gupta in The Archers(Radio 4)

SAM GRAHAM Theatre includes A Month in the Country and Troilus and Cressida for the RSC, and the title role in Macbeth for Chester Gateway. On television Sam was a regular in Preston Front, two series of Footballer's Wives and has appeared in Doctors and Tipping the Velvet.

LLOYD HUTCHINSON Previous Out of Joint shows include Shopping and Fucking, The Break of Day and Three Sisters. Lloyd has worked frequently with the RSC and NT, appeared in West End productions of Stones in his Pockets and One for the Road, and played Petrucio in the Royal Exchange's Taming of the Shrew. On television he was a regular in Lloyd and Hill.

KIKA MARKHAM Kika was nominated for Best Solo performance at the 2002 Whats On Stage awards for Homebody/Kabul, in a monlogue written specially for her. Other theatre include The Vagina Monologues and Song at Twilight (winner Clarence Derwent Award). TV highlights include The Basement with Harold Pinter and Dennis Potter?s Double Dare

BELLA MERLIN Trained in Guildford and Moscow. Out of Joint productions include include She Stoops to Conquer/A Laughing Matter and The Queen and I. Bella is also a lecturer in Drama and a writer with publications including Stanislavsky. She performed in her first play Hit alongside collaborator Alexander Delamere at the Bolton Octagon.

IAN REDFORD This is Ian’s sixth appearance with Out of Joint following She Stoops to Conquer/A Laughing Matter, Rita, Sue and Bob Too / A State Affair, Some Explicit Polaroids, Shopping and Fucking and Our Country’s Good. He played Princess Seraphina in Mother Clapp's Molly House (National Theatre). Film includes The Remains of the Day.

THE PERMANENT WAY: WHO'S WHO

THE PERMANENT WAY:
WHO'S WHO