The Nose

In the late 80s actor and Hove resident Peter Thomson, together with actors Malcolm Ward and Robert McCulley, developed a 2-man play, The Nose, based on Gogol’s famous short story - about a man who wakes up one morning to find his nose has disappeared from his face.They put it on at lunchtimes at the King’s Head in Islington – London’s premiere fringe venue. The reviews were ecstatic (‘There can be few cleverer short plays in London’), the run sold out and The Nose won Production of the Year in the Charrington London Fringe Awards.Nearly 40 years later, things are very different in Russia and the Ukraine. So with Robert now in Australia, Peter and Malcolm have got together again – and reworked The Nose to reflect the current situation.‘Peter and I were having a coffee a while ago’ said Malcolm. ‘A couple of days later Peter rang me up: ‘I’ve been thinking – why don’t we do The Nose again?! It was such a gas last time, and everything out there’s SO different now, we could really do something special.’ So we have!’
The new version of The Nose makes its debut in Brighton - then it will visit some more small scale venues before another run in London next year.As well as a prolific acting career, Peter has written and directed over thirty plays for BBC radio, and fifteen stage plays in theatres around the UK. His work as a playwright includes adaptations of The White Devil and Richard II for the World Service, and the original plays Sweet William, Love is Strange, and Larry the Lamb for Radio 4. Larry the Lamb, based on Kafka’s story The Hunger Artist, was subsequently adapted for the stage and produced at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast.
Peter has also interviewed many well known actors for his Youtube channel, including Ian McKellen, Mark Rylance and Hollywood and Broadway star Michelle Williams.Malcolm has played countless leading roles in theatres all over the UK, including Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Dominion Tottenham Court Road, Theatresports improv comedy at the Donmar Warehouse and 1 man play Hovering at the Edinburgh Festival – for which he was nominated Daily Express New Name of ’93.He has also appeared in many featured TV roles, including in The Kennedys, Not Going Out, Holby City, Eastenders, Peak Practice, Canary Wharf, The Bill, Manchild, Target, Lazarus & Dingwall and, most recently, Doctors.10% of profits will be going to charity British-Ukrainian Aid.