Juno and the Paycock

Looking for something poignant and hilarious? Try Juno and the Paycock, Sean O’Casey’s beloved 1924 classic. This big-hearted, black-humoured, tragi-comedy explores a mother’s resilience in the face of life’s most trying moments and has a couple of superstar actors at the helm. Mark Rylance, who plays Jack, has been nominated many times and has won many awards including Tonys and BAFTAs. At the 88th Academy Awards he won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Rudolf Abel in Bridge of Spies. He’s one of eight actors to win the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play twice and one of six to enjoy nominations for two acting categories in the same year.

No wonder this extraordinary revival of O’Casey’s poetic drama is tipped to be the most-talked about production of the West End’s autumn season. Rylance is joined by J Smith-Cameron who has spent most of her career on stage, making her Broadway debut in 1982’s Crimes of the Heart. She won a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Our Country's Good in 1989 and was also nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock in 2014. This is her UK debut.