Emma Fielding will play the title role of Emma Bovary in The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary! this spring. The production which will open at the Everyman from 5th to 27th February will then play at co-producing partners Bristol Old Vic, Nuffield, Southampton and Royal & Derngate, Northampton. Joining Fielding will be John Nicholson and Javier Marzan of Peepolykus and Jonathan Holmes who have the unenviable challenge of playing all the remaining roles in Flaubert’s epic tale.

The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary! is lovingly derailed by John Nicholson and Javier Marzan from Gustave Flaubert’s seminal Nineteenth Century novel and is directed by Gemma Bodinetz. Played by a cast of just four – with a fair amount of doubling – this absurd take on the traditional tale includes mesmeric love scenes featuring a stupendous collection of devastatingly handsome men, questions the impotence of women in a Victorian patriarchal society, and you’ll even marvel at how many parts a Spanish man with limited English can play with only one moustache.

Emma Fielding has been nominated for two Olivier Awards, her many stage roles include Private Lives (Albery Theatre and Broadway), In The Republic Of Happiness (Royal Court), Decade (Headlong), The King’s Speech (Wyndham’s Theatre and U.K. Tour), Heartbreak House (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Playing With Fire (National Theatre). Emma’s screen credits include This Is England 90 (Channel 4), Foyle’s War (I.T.V.), DCI Banks (I.T.V.), Cranford (B.B.C.), The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and Fast Girls.

The cast also features Peepolykus’s commander-of-the-absurd Javier Marzan and John Nicholson. Javier and John’s credits for Peepolykus include No Wise Men (Liverpool Playhouse), Spyski (Lyric Hammersmith), The Hound of the Baskervilles (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Let the Donkey Go. Javier’s other credits include Ghost Train (Royal Exchange), And The Horse You Rode On (The Barbican), Paddington and Benidorm (I.T.V.).

John’s other credits include Santa’s Trolls (Tobacco Factory, Bristol), Jekyll and Hydish (Lyric Hammersmith) and The Wrong Door. Canadian actor Jonathan Holmes’ stage credits include DuBarry Was a Lady and By Jupiter (Discover the Lost Musicals/Barbican) and Brief Encounter (Kneehigh/Vancouver Playhouse). For screen he has appeared in Almost Human (Fox), Rogue (Audience Network), The 4400 (CBS) and Stargate SG-1 (Syfy).

The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary! is directed by Everyman & Playhouse Artistic Director Gemma Bodinetz who last collaborated with Peepolykus on No Wise Men in 2010. Gemma has been Artistic Director at e&P since 2003 where her productions include Twelfth Night, Macbeth and Intemperance at the Everyman; The Misanthrope, Tartuffe, The Hypochondriac, A Streetcar Named Desire and Juno and the Paycock at the Playhouse.

Tickets for all performances are priced at £12 – £27. There are matinee performances at 1:30pm on February 25^th and at 2pm on the 13^th, 20^th and 27^th February and a twilight performance on the 17^th February at 5:30pm. Tickets are available to purchase from the Everyman Box office, by telephone on 0151 7094776 or online at www.everymanplayhouse.com.