Maureen Lipman and Harry Shearer will star in the West End transfer of Oliver Cotton's Daytona. Directed by David Grindley, the show will begin performances at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on June 28 and play a limited engagement through August 23. Opening night is set for July 7.
Set in New York in 1986, Joe (Shearer) and Elli (Lipman) share a love of ballroom dancing and are practicing their routines for the next big competition. Despite constant bickering, the love they have shared for nearly fifty years is clear. Then one night, out of the blue, Joe's long-lost brother Billy bursts back into their lives with an extraordinary story to tell.
Lipman’s stage credits include When We Are Married, A Little Night Music, Oklahoma! and School for Scandal. Her screen credits include Ladies of Letters, Skins, He Kills Coppers, Sensitive Skin, The Pianist and Educating Rita. Shearer is making his West End debut; he has provided character voices for The Simpsons since it began in 1987, including the role of Mr Burns. Cotton’s writing credits include Wet Weather Cover for the stage and A Touch of Frost for the small screen.
Starring Lipman, Daytona had its world premiere at London’s Park Theatre in 2013. This production marks the Theatre Royal Haymarket’s first collaboration with an off-West End theatre venue.