Sewell, Townsend, Hughes, and Nobbs to Star in Shining City

Rufus Sewell, Stanley Townsend, Geraldine Hughes, and Keith Nobbs will star in the American premiere of Shining City, written and directed by Conor McPherson. The show will play at San Francisco’s Curran Theater from September 13 through October 9 before beginning Broadway previews at the Schoenfeld Theatre on October 18 in advance of an official opening on November 10.

First presented at London’s Royal Court Theater, Shining City is set in the office of Ian, a Dublin therapist. A new patient, John, comes in claiming to have seen the ghost of his recently deceased wife — an encounter that will change both of their lives. McPherson’s previous plays include The Weir (which won the Olivier Award for Best New Play), St. Nicholas, and Dublin Carol. The production will feature scenic design by Santo Loquasto, costume design by Ann Roth, and lighting design by Paul Gallo.

Sewell, who will play Ian, was previously seen on Broadway in Brian Friel’s Translations. His big-screen credits include A Knight’s Tale, A Man of No Importance, and Carrington, along with the upcoming The Legend of Zorro and The Illusionist. Townsend will repeat his London role of John, for which he earned an Evening Standard Award nomination. He has worked frequently at Dublin’s Gate Theater.

Hughes, who will play Nessa, is best known for her solo show Belfast Blues, which played Off-Broadway earlier this year. For the L.A. production of that show, she won the Los Angeles Ovation Award for Best Solo Performance, the Los Angeles Garland Award for Performance, and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Writing. Nobbs, who will play Laurence, was most recently seen Off-Broadway in Romance. Among his other New York credits are The Lion in Winter, Fuddy Meers, Four (for which he won a Lucille Lortel Award), and Dublin Carol.

For more information on the Broadway production of Shining City, click here.