The Understudy is a 2008 black comedy from British duo David Conolly

David Conolly

David Conolly is a writer, director, comedian and actor whose production company, Mansion Pictures, produced two feature length films, Mothers & Daughters and The Understudy,-Early life:...

 and Hannah Davis and is their second feature-length film through their Mansion Pictures

Mansion Pictures

Mansion Pictures was established by British husband and wife team Hannah Davis and David Conolly. They also produced drama for the BBC and made the critically acclaimed shorts, A Life In a Day and The Other Side of the Mirror.Their first feature film, which they co-wrote, produced and directed was...

 flagship, which is currently traveling the Film Festival circuit around the world.

Plot

Rebecca is an unemployed actress who is living with an equally unsuccessful screenwriter, Sarfras. Rebecca makes a living by caring for a blind and diabetic woman while going through one disastrous relationship to the next.

Rebecca is invited to understudy the famous movie star Simone Harwin (from the Drive By trilogy), in the play Electra. Although Rebecca's unfulfillment is compounded: despite outshining the Action Star with her own talent, Rebecca is treated as second class, either bullied or ignored by the cast and crew including the director Ian, the stage manager Alison. Her salvation lies within the relationship with the seemingly perfect Firefighter Bobby.

Accidents start to disrupt the leading ladies of Electra and Rebecca's star begins to rise, suspicion surrounds her. Can Rebecca hold onto the leading role and her freedom?

Cast

• Marin Ireland
  Marin Ireland
  Marin Ireland is an American film, stage and television actress.She won the 2009 Theatre World Award and was nominated for a 2009 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in reasons to be pretty.-Education:...
  
  as Rebecca
• Paul Sparks as Bobby
• Aasif Mandvi
  Aasif Mandvi
  Aasif Hakim Mandviwala , known professionally as Aasif Mandvi , is an American actor and comedian. He began appearing as an occasional contributing correspondent on The Daily Show on August 9, 2006. On March 12, 2007, he was promoted to a regular correspondent.-Early life and stage career:Mandvi...
  
  as Sarfras
• Richard Kind
  Richard Kind
  Richard John Kind is an American actor known for his roles in the sitcoms Mad About You and Spin City .- Early life :...
  
  as Ian
• Tom Wopat
  Tom Wopat
  Tom Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.-Life and career:Wopat was born in Lodi,...
  
  as Detective Jones
• Gloria Reuben
  Gloria Reuben
  Gloria Reuben is a Canadian singer and actress of film and television, known for her role as Jeanie Boulet on the popular medical drama ER and for her role of Rosalind Whitman in the TV show Raising the Bar.-Life and career:...
  
  as Greta
• Reiko Aylesworth
  Reiko Aylesworth
  Reiko M. Aylesworth is an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role on the television series 24 as Michelle Dessler.-Life and career:...
  
  as Kinsky
• Kerry Bishé as April
• Jean Boht
  Jean Boht
  Jean Boht is an English actress.She is most famous for the role of Nellie Boswell in Carla Lane's comedy Bread....
  
  as Mrs. Davido