Ben Brown’s compelling political drama, A Splinter Of Ice, is set to visit the Theatre Royal Bath from Monday 28th June to Saturday 3rd July. Starring Oliver Ford Davies (Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Kavanagh QC), Stephen Boxer (The Crown, Doctors, Poldark) and Karen Ascoe (Emmerdale, The Armando Iannucci Shows, French Fields), this UK touring production is directed by Alan Strachan with Alastair Whatley.
From the writer of the award-winning West End play Three Days in May, which inspired the Oscar-winning film Darkest Hour, Ben Brown’s coruscating new drama A Splinter of Ice explores an unlikely friendship; yet a friendship woven of deceit as well as loyalty.
Moscow 1987. As the cold war begins to thaw, Britain’s greatest living novelist Graham Greene meets with his old MI6 boss, Kim Philby, Britain’s greatest spy… and traitor.
After declining his offer for more than 30 years, novelist Graham Greene travels into the heart of the Soviet Union for a reunion with Kim Philby. Under the watchful eye of Rufa, Russian memoir writer and Philby’s last wife, the two men set about catching up on old times. With a new world order breaking out around them, how much did the writer of The Third Man know about Philby’s secret life as a spy? Did the Red Spy Philby betray his friend as well as his country?… and who is listening-in in the next-door room?
Oliver Ford Davies, who plays the role of Graham Greene, won the Best Actor Olivier Award for his role in Racing Demon at the National Theatre in 1990 and was nominated for Hamlet in 2009 and Absolutely! (Perhaps) in 2003. Amongst his numerous stage performances for the RSC, National Theatre, in the West End and on UK tour, he performed in Richard II, Henry IV Part II and Henry V for the RSC in London and New York, and played the title role in Goodnight Mister Tom in the West End and on tour - a production which won the 2013 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment. Oliver’s many screen roles include playing Sio Bibble in Star Wars: Episodes I, II and III; Maester Cressen in Game of Thrones; Peter Foxcott QC in all six series of Kavanagh QC; and roles in the films Johnny English, The Deep Blue Sea, Mrs Brown, Heidi, Sense and Sensibility and Mrs Dalloway. He also appeared in television’s Father Brown in both 1974 and 2013. He last performed at Bath’s Theatre Royal in the RSC’s Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 in 2014.
Stephen Boxer, who plays the role of Kim Philby, has theatre credits ranging from Macbeth at the National Theatre to The Remains of the Day on tour nationwide. He has performed in a host of stage productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as starring in many plays in London and on tour, and recently appeared in Original Theatre’s online production of Birdsong. His recent screen roles include playing Denis Thatcher in The Crown, the Chief Inspector in Small Axe, David Elster in Humans and Judge Wentworth Lister in Poldark. From 2006 to 2010 he played Dr Joe Fenton in Doctors. His many television credits also include playing DCI Thorndyke in three series of Prime Suspect and guest roles in primetime series ranging from Humans and Toast of London to Luther, Poirot and The Quatermass Experiment. This will be the sixth production Stephen has performed in at the Theatre Royal Bath since 1986, with previous credits including God and Stephen Hawking in 2000 and Love & Marriage in 2003.
Karen Ascoe appears as Rufa Philby. Her many theatre credits include Switzerland for English Theatre in Frankfurt; How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Manchester’s Lowry Theatre and on tour; and The Letter in the West End. On film and television she has appeared in A Brixton Tale, Holby City, Coronation Street, Drifters, My Mad Fat Diary, Cuckoo, W1A, Emmerdale, Peep Show and EastEnders. Earlier in her career, Karen played the role of Emma in French Fields and appeared in The Armando Iannucci Shows on a regular basis. During the first lockdown, Karen recorded the web series Housebound and voiced characters on video games, alongside recording the audiobooks for children’s adventure series Below the Green.
A Splinter of Ice was written by Ben Brown in 2020. His earlier plays include Three Days in May (2011), which won the WhatsOnStage Best New Play Award; The Promise (2010); Larkin With Women (2000), which won the TMA Best New Play Award, and All Things Considered in 1996. His writing for film and television includes adaptations of L.P. Hartley’s The Go Between and Ian Rankin’s Rebus: The Hanging Garden.
A Splinter of Ice is directed by Alan Strachan with Alastair Whatley and designed by Michael Pavelka, with original music composed and sound designed by Max Pappenheim and lighting designed by Jason Taylor. A Splinter of Ice comes from The Original Theatre Company the award-winning producers of hit online productions of Birdsong and Apollo 13: The Dark Side of the Moon and stage productions including the five-star revival of Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art.
A Splinter of Ice appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Monday 28th June to Saturday 3rd July. Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk
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