NATIONAL THEATRE: NEW PRODUCTIONS, JANUARY – APRIL 2016
Sharon D Clarke plays the title role in August Wilson’s MA RAINEY’S BLACK
BOTTOM, directed by Dominic Cooke
Sarah Kane’s CLEANSED is directed by Katie Mitchell
In the Travelex £15 Tickets season:
Yaël Farber directs LES BLANCS by Lorraine Hansberry
and
THE SUICIDE by Suhayla El-Bushra, after Erdman, is directed by Nadia Fall
Annie Baker’s Pulitzer-winning THE FLICK is directed by Sam Gold
In the Temporary Theatre:
The Sherman Cymru presents IPHGENIA IN SPLOTT;
Graeae Theatre Company and Theatre Royal Plymouth’s co-production of THE SOLID
LIFE OF SUGAR WATER;
Islington Community Theatre’s BRAINSTORM returns
The Guardian + National Theatre Debates
NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE broadcasts Jane Eyre and As You Like It from the NT,
Hamlet from the Barbican, the Donmar Warehouse’s Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and
Of Mice and Men from Broadway
LONDON ROAD now available on DVD and digital release
IMAGINE… MY CURIOUS DOCUMENTARY broadcast on BBC One this autumn
Platforms, Lyttelton Lounge, and Clore Learning Centre events, courses and talks
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
Lyttelton Theatre
Previews from 26 January, press night 2 February, in repertoire until 18 May
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM by August Wilson will be directed by Dominic Cooke,
opening in the Lyttelton Theatre on 2 February. The cast is led by Sharon D Clarke as Ma
Rainey, and also includes Clint Dyer, O-T Fagbenle, Tunji Lucas, Lucian Msamati and Giles
Terera. The production will be designed by Ultz, with lighting by Charles Balfour, music by
Tim Sutton, movement by Coral Messam and sound by Paul Arditti.
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Chicago, 1927. In a recording studio on the city’s South Side, a battle of wills is raging.
Ma Rainey, Mother of the Blues, uses every trick in the book to fight her record producers
for control of her music. Hardened by years of ill-treatment and bad deals, she’s determined
that ‘Black Bottom’, the song that bears her name, will be recorded her way. But Levee, the
band’s swaggering young trumpet player, plans to catapult the band into the jazz age. His
ambition puts them all in danger.
Inspired by the real-life Blues legend and infused with her music, August Wilson’s play
speaks powerfully of a struggle for self-determination against overwhelming odds.
August Wilson (1945-2005)’s many plays include the Pulitzer Prize-winning Fences and The
Piano Lesson, as well as Jitney and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.
Sharon D Clarke won an Olivier Award for her performance in The Amen Corner at the
National in 2013; her other NT appearances include Everyman, 50 Years on Stage and
Guys and Dolls. Her West End work includes the original cast of We Will Rock You, Porgy
and Bess, Ghost, Hairspray, Chicago, The Lion King and Rent; and her extensive TV
appearances include Holby City, The Shadow Line and The Singing Detective.
Dominic Cooke is an Associate Director of the NT. His production of Caryl Churchill’s new
play Here We Go opens in the Lyttelton in November, and he directed The Comedy of Errors
for the National in 2011. He was Artistic Director of the Royal Court from 2007 – 2013, where
his productions included Caryl Churchill’s Identical Twins, This is a Chair, Seven Jewish
Children and Ding Dong the Wicked; and The Low Road, In the Republic of Happiness,
Choir Boy, Chicken Soup with Barley, Clybourne Park, Aunt Dan and Lemon, The Fever,
Wig Out!, Now or Later, The Pain and The Itch and Other People. For the BBC, he has
directed the forthcoming The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses; his production of Teddy
Ferrara is currently at the Donmar Warehouse.
Press night: Tuesday 2 February
Contact: Mary Parker on 020 7452 3234 / mparker@nationaltheatre.org.uk
CLEANSED
Dorfman Theatre
Previews from 16 February, press night 23 February, booking until 2 April with further
performances to be announced.
The playwright Sarah Kane (1971-99) receives her National Theatre debut with an
unflinching new production of CLEANSED directed by Katie Mitchell. It opens on 23
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February, with set design by Alex Eales, costumes by Sussie Juhlin-Wallen, lighting by Jack
Knowles, movement by Joseph Alford, music by Paul Clark and sound by Melanie Wilson.
Tinker practises the art of atrocity, but even he isn’t immune from the need for love. Existing
on the border between beauty and brutality, CLEANSED imagines a world in which
language, human relationships and the body itself are pared away to bare bone.
CLEANSED contains graphic scenes of physical and sexual violence.
One of Britain’s most influential playwrights, Sarah Kane’s first play Blasted opened at the
Royal Court Theatre in 1995. It was followed by the television screenplay Skin and plays
Phaedra’s Love, Cleansed, Crave and 4.48 Psychosis, which was completed shortly before
her suicide in 1999 and performed at the Royal Court the following year.
Katie Mitchell’s previous productions at the National Theatre include Women of Troy, Pains
of Youth, Waves, Some Trace of Her, A Woman Killed with Kindness, The Cat in the Hat,
Beauty and the Beast and Hansel and Gretel.
The Dorfman Partner is Neptune Investment Management.
Press night: Tuesday 23 February
Contact: Martin Shippen on 020 7452 3233 / mshippen@nationaltheatre.org.uk
LES BLANCS
Travelex £15 Tickets, Olivier Theatre
Previews from 22 March, press night 30 March, booking until 4 May with further performances
to be announced
Yaël Farber directs LES BLANCS by Lorraine Hansberry, opening in the Olivier Theatre on
30 March as the first of the year’s Travelex £15 Tickets plays. The production will be
designed by Soutra Gilmour with lighting by Tim Lutkin and movement by Imogen Knight.
This will be the first play by Lorraine Hansberry to be produced at the National Theatre, and
also Yaël Farber’s first production for the National.
An African country teeters on the edge of civil war. A society prepares to drive out its colonial
present and claim an independent future. Racial tensions boil over. Tshembe, returned
home from England for his father’s funeral, finds himself in the eye of the storm. A family and
a nation fall apart under the pressure to determine their own identity as this brave,
illuminating and powerful play confronts the hope and tragedy of revolution.
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Staged eleven years after A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry’s final drama is an
unknown masterpiece of the American stage and a highly theatrical search for the soul of
post-colonial Africa.
Lorraine Hansberry (1930-65) was a playwright, journalist and activist whose work includes
The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window and A Raisin in the Sun (1959), for which she won a
New York Critics’ Circle Award – the first black playwright and the youngest American to do so.
Yaël Farber’s recent work in the UK includes The Crucible for The Old Vic, Nirbhaya at the
2013 Edinburgh Festival, and Mies Julie at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival and Riverside
Studios.
Press night: Tuesday 30 March
Contact: Susie Newbery on 020 7452 3061 / snewbery@nationaltheatre.org.uk
THE SUICIDE
Travelex £15 Tickets, Lyttelton Theatre
Previews from 6 April, press night 13 April, booking until 21 May with additional performances
to be announced
THE SUICIDE by Suhayla El-Bushra, after Erdman, will open at the Lyttelton Theatre on 13
April as part of the Travelex £15 Tickets season, directed by Nadia Fall and designed by
Mark Thompson, with lighting by Paule Constable.
Things are getting tough for Sam. No job, benefits stopped and stuck in a tiny flat with his
girlfriend Maya and her mum. The pressure is building. It feels like there might be only one
way out. But every ending is a beginning and there are plenty of people keen to capitalise on
Sam’s momentous decision. From corrupt local politicians to kids trying to raise the number
of views of their online videos, everyone wants a piece of Sam’s demise. It scarcely matters
what Sam actually wants. Faced with the promise of immortality, what’s his life worth?
Suhayla El-Bashra takes the satiric masterpiece by Nikolai Erdman (1900-1970) and
smashes it into contemporary urban Britain.
Currently Writer in Residence at the NT Studio, Suhayla El-Bushra’s plays
include Pigeons at the Royal Court, Cuckoo at the Unicorn,The Kilburn Passion at the
Tricycle and Fingertips for Clean Break at Latitude; she was a core writer on the TV
series Hollyoaks .
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Nadia Fall’s productions for the NT include Our Country’s Good, Dara, Home, The Doctor’s
Dilemma, Chewing Gum Dreams and Hymn; her other work includes Hobson’s Choice
(Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Disgraced (Bush Theatre), and Alan Ayckbourn’s Way
Upstream at Chichester.
Press night: Wednesday 13 April
Contact: Mary Parker on 020 7452 3234 / mparker@nationaltheatre.org.uk
THE FLICK
Dorfman Theatre
Playing from April 2016; press night to be announced.
Annie Baker’s play THE FLICK arrives at the National Theatre direct from New York, where
it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as the Susan Smith Blackburn Award and the
Obie Award for Playwriting. The production is directed by Sam Gold, with design by David
Zinn, lighting by Jane Cox and sound by Brady Poor. THE FLICK is produced in association
with Scott Rudin and is currently playing at the Barrow Street Theatre, New York, having
originally been produced by Playwrights Horizons.
In a run-down movie theatre in central Massachusetts, three underpaid employees mop the
floors and attend to one of the last 35-millimetre film projectors in the state. Their tiny battles
and not-so-tiny heartbreaks play out in the empty aisles, becoming more gripping than the
lacklustre, second-run movies on screen.
With keen insight and a finely-tuned comic eye, THE FLICK is a hilarious and heart-rending
cry for authenticity in a fast-changing world.
Annie Baker’s other plays include John (currently running at the Signature Theatre, New
York), Circle Mirror Transformation and The Aliens (which jointly won the Obie Award for
Best New American Play), and an adaptation of Uncle Vanya. All were directed by Sam
Gold, who recently won a Tony Award for his direction of the Broadway musical Fun Home;
his other work includes The Real Thing, The Realistic Joneses, The Village Bike and Look
Back in Anger.
The Dorfman Partner is Neptune Investment Management.
Contact: Martin Shippen on 020 7452 3233 / mshippen@nationaltheatre.org.uk
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IPHIGENIA IN SPLOTT
Temporary Theatre
Previews from 27 January, press night 29 January, playing until 20 February.
Suitable for 14 years+
Sherman Cymru presents IPHIGENIA IN SPLOTT by Gary Owen in the Temporary Theatre
from 27 January – 20 February, following lauded runs in Cardiff and Edinburgh. It is directed
by Rachel O’Riordan, with Sophie Melville recreating her award-winning performance as
Effie. The designer is Hayley Grindle, with lighting by Rachel Mortimer and sound by Sam
Jones.
Effie’s life spirals through a mess of drink, drugs and drama every night, and a hangover
worse than death the next day – till one night gives her the chance to be something more.
IPHIGENIA IN SPLOTT is suitable for 14yrs+. Contains strong language and themes of an
adult nature.
For the NT Gary Owen has written The Shadow of a Boy. His other work includes Violence
and Son at the Royal Court; Perfect Match and Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian for Watford
Palace Theatre, where he is a creative associate; Love Steals Us From Loneliness (National
Theatre Wales & Sherman Cymru); Amgen:Broken, A Christmas Carol (Sherman Cymru)
and The Drowned World (Paines Plough).
Rachel O’Riordan is the Artistic Director of the Sherman Theatre, where she has directed
Romeo and Juliet, Arabian Nights and Sherman Cymru’s co-production with Òran Mór A
Play, A Pie and A Pint: Leviathan. Before joining the Sherman, she was Artistic Director at
Perth Theatre.
Sherman Cymru is one of three key producing houses in Wales, working in both English and
Welsh with a particular remit for the development and presentation of new writing.
The NT’s Partner for New Audiences is Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Press night: Friday 29 January
Contact: Susie Newbery on 020 7452 3061 / snewbery@nationaltheatre.org.uk
THE SOLID LIFE OF SUGAR WATER
Temporary Theatre
Previews from 26 February; press night 29 February, playing until 19 March.
THE SOLID LIFE OF SUGAR WATER, a Graeae Theatre Company and Theatre Royal
Plymouth co-production, written by Jack Thorne and directed by Amit Sharma, plays in the
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Temporary Theatre from 26 February – 19 March. It is a fully accessible production,
integrating captions and audio description at all performances.
Phil and Alice are in love. Phil and Alice are healing wounds. Phil and Alice are desperate to
communicate.
Candid, uninhibited and visceral, this is an intimate, tender portrait of loss, hurt and recovery.
THE SOLID LIFE OF SUGAR WATER was winner of the Accessible Theatre Award 2015. It
contains strong language and scenes of an adult and sexual nature.
Jack Thorne’s theatre work includes Hope (Royal Court), Let The Right One In (Dundee
Rep/Royal Court/West End, NTS) and an adaptation of The Physicists (Donmar
Warehouse). His new play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will open in the West End in
2016. His television work includes Glue, This is England 88 and 86, Skins and Shameless.
Amit Sharma is an Associate Director for Graeae. He co-directed Prometheus Awakes in
2012, marking the first large-scale outdoor production to be artistically led by Deaf and
disabled people in the UK. His other work for Graeae includes Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man
and Rhinestone Rollers in Sequins and Snowballs (co-directed with Jenny Sealey at
Southbank Centre).
Graeae breaks down barriers, challenges preconceptions and places Deaf and disabled
artists centre stage. Artistically led by Jenny Sealey MBE, Graeae’s signature characteristic
is the compelling creative integration of sign language, audio description and captioning,
which engages with both disabled and non-disabled audiences.
The NT’s Partner for New Audiences is Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Press night: Monday 29 February
Contact: Susie Newbery on 020 7452 3061 / snewbery@nationaltheatre.org.uk
BRAINSTORM
Temporary Theatre
Playing from 29 March – 2 April
Islington Community Theatre, one of the UK’s leading companies making theatre with young
people, presents BRAINSTORM by Ned Glasier, Emily Lim and the company, returning to
the Temporary Theatre from 29 March – 2 April following a sell-out run in 2015.
A fearless company of teenagers investigate the workings of the adolescent brain. Created
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with leading cognitive neuroscientist Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore and drawing upon
the life experiences of the cast, BRAINSTORM is an exploration of the most frustrating,
chaotic and exhilarating changes that will ever happen to us.
Islington Community Theatre trains and supports a permanent ensemble of theatre-makers
aged 11-19, all of whom are referred by teachers, youth workers or social workers as
someone who will benefit from long-term involvement in the programme. BRAINSTORM was
originally presented at Park Theatre and supported by the Wellcome Trust.
The NT’s Partner for New Audiences is Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Contact: Susie Newbery on 020 7452 3061 / snewbery@nationaltheatre.org.uk
THE GUARDIAN + NATIONAL THEATRE DEBATES
Lyttelton Theatre
28, 30 November, 9, 10, 16 December at 8.30pm (90 mins)
The National Theatre and the Guardian come together for a brand new series of currentaffairs panel discussions, inspired by plays from the current repertoire and featuring
Guardian and Observer journalists. Further guests to be announced (all appear subject to
availability), please see the NT website for updates.
The Red Lion: The Future of Football
Saturday 28 November
Tackling corruption, globalization and inequality in the struggle for the soul of the beautiful
game, football’s biggest issues are explored by a panel including sports writer David Conn;
chaired by Evan Davis.
As You Like It: London’s Housing Crisis Monday 30 November
Sky-high prices and short supply; has living in the city become unattainable? With architect
Richard Rogers, David Lammy MP, Caroline Lucas MP, Campbell Robb (CEO of Shelter),
Jon Gooding (CEO of Dolphin Living) and architecture critic Rowan Moore, chaired by Evan
Davis.
Waste: A New Political Age
Wednesday 9 December
Is our economic system broken enough to justify electoral protest? Discuss the growing
support for political extremes with columnist Owen Jones, American economist and historian
Deirdre McCloskey, and chair Evan Davis.
Jane Eyre: The New F Word
Thursday 10 December
Feminism has more cultural power than ever – but what does this mean for women’s rights?
Appropriation, public platforms and the quest for gender quality, with comedian Bridget
Christie and blogger and feminist campaigner June Eric Udorie.
wonder.land: The Digital Mirror
Wednesday 16 December
Generations are now growing up with technology at their fingertips. How has tech affected
the way we record experiences, build relationships, and perceive our own identity? With
digital pioneer Martha Lane Fox, film director Beeban Kidron and psychologist Professor
Robin Dunbar, chaired by Emily Maitlis.
Contact: Martin Shippen on 020 7452 3233 / mshippen@nationaltheatre.org.uk
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CASTING UPDATES
The full cast for Roger Michell’s production of WASTE by Harley Granville Barker, opening in
the Lyttelton on 10 November, is: Christopher Birch, Hubert Burton, Martin Chamberlain,
William Chubb, Charles Edwards (as Henry Trebell), Michael Elwyn, Laura Fitzpatrick, Tom
Forrister, Andrew Havill, Paul Hickey, Louis Hilyer, Ian Jervis, Fleur Keith, Sylvestra Le
Touzel, Gerrard McArthur, Doreen Mantle, Emerald O’Hanrahan, Stephen Rashbrook, Lucy
Robinson, Claire Vousden and Olivia Williams.
I WANT MY HAT BACK by Jon Klassen, with book and lyrics by Joel Horwood and music
by Arthur Darvill, opens in the Temporary Theatre on 16 November. Directed by Wils Wilson,
the cast is: Naana Agyei-Ampadu, Oliver Birch, Richie Hart, Natalie Klamar, Marek Larwood,
Pieter Lawman, Adam Pleeth and Steven Webb.
Wallace Shawn will appear in his own new play, EVENING AT THE TALK HOUSE, which
opens in the Dorfman Theatre on 24 November, directed by Ian Rickson. The full cast is:
Anna Calder-Marshall, Josh Hamilton, Sinead Matthews, Stuart Milligan, Joseph Mydell,
Wallace Shawn, Simon Shepherd and Naomi Wirthner.
Caryl Churchill’s new play HERE WE GO, directed by Dominic Cooke and opening in the
Lyttelton Theatre on 27 November, has a cast including Susan Engel, Patrick Godfrey, Hazel
Holder, Joshua James, Amanda Lawrence, Eleanor Matsuura and Alan Williams.
wonder.land, created by Damon Albarn, Moira Buffini and Rufus Norris, music by Damon
Albarn, book and lyrics by Moira Buffini and directed by Rufus Norris, opens in the Olivier
Theatre on 10 December. A co-production with Manchester International Festival, the NT
cast includes: Simon Anthony, Sam Archer, Carly Bawden, Lois Chimimba, Leon Cooke,
Nadine Cox, Hal Fowler, Ivan De Freitas, Anna Francolini, Adrian Grove, Paul Hilton, Joshua
Lacey, Daisy Maywood, Enyi Okoronkwo, Lisa Ritchie, Stephanie Rojas, Golda Rosheuvel,
Cydney Uffindell-Phillips, Ed Wade and Witney White.
BEYOND THE SOUTH BANK
NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE
Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title role in HAMLET, produced by Sonia Friedman
Productions, directed by Lyndsey Turner and broadcast live from the Barbican on 15
October (varying dates internationally).
The hit Broadway production OF MICE AND MEN by John Steinbeck, starring James
Franco and Chris O’Dowd, was filmed on stage in New York last year and will be screened
in the UK on 19 November at 7pm.
JANE EYRE, a co-production with Bristol Old Vic, directed by Sally Cookson, devised by the
company and based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë, will be broadcast from the Lyttelton
Theatre on 8 December.
The Donmar Warehouse production of LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES, Christopher
Hampton’s stage adaptation of Laclos’ 1782 novel of sex, intrigue and betrayal in prerevolutionary France, will be broadcast from the Donmar Warehouse on 28 January (dates
vary internationally). Directed by Josie Rourke, the cast includes Adjoa Andoh, Michelle
Dockery, Janet McTeer, Una Stubbs and Dominic West.
Polly Findlay’s production of AS YOU LIKE IT, with Rosalie Craig as Rosalind, will be
broadcast live from the Olivier Theatre on 25 February (varying dates internationally).
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For venue information and booking details, please visit ntlive.com
Contact: Mary Parker on mparker@nationaltheatre.org.uk or Martin Shippen on
mshippen@nationaltheatre.org.uk
LONDON ROAD on DVD and digital release
LONDON ROAD, the feature film adaptation of the critically acclaimed stage production, is
now available both as a DVD and as a digital release on iTunes. Reuniting the original
award-winning team, with script by Alecky Blythe, music by Adam Cork and directed by
Rufus Norris, the film’s ensemble cast includes Olivia Colman, Anita Dobson, Tom Hardy
and all the original cast members from the National Theatre runs.
Hailed as a remarkable, ground-breaking work, LONDON ROAD documents the events that
shook Suffolk in 2006, when the quiet rural town of Ipswich was shattered by the discovery
of the bodies of five women. The residents of London Road had struggled for years with
frequent soliciting and kerb-crawling on their street. The film follows the community who
found themselves at the epicentre of the tragic events. Using their own words set to an
innovative musical score, LONDON ROAD tells a moving story of ordinary people coming
together during the darkest of experiences.
A Cuba Pictures / National Theatre production, presented by BBC Films, the British Film Institute and
National Theatre in association with Lip Sync and Arts Council England.
Distributed by Picturehouse Entertainment and National Theatre.
Contact: Lucinda Morrison on 020 7452 3232 or lmorrison@nationaltheatre.org.uk
IMAGINE... MY CURIOUS DOCUMENTARY
The world of autism is explored through the National Theatre's hit production of The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, based on Mark Haddon's bestselling book, in a new
documentary to be broadcast as part of BBC One’s Imagine series this autumn. Meeting
many of the people involved in the play from earliest research and rehearsals through to the
stage in both London and New York, their interviews are interweaved with moving testimony
from families on the challenges they face as they live with autism. Imagine... My Curious
Documentary is part of BBC On Stage, a season of programming across the BBC that
celebrates all of Britain's theatre talent, from world-class actors to cutting-edge regional
theatre; with filmed theatre productions, specially created performances for television,
drama, documentaries, online and radio content. bbc.co.uk/arts
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME is on the final leg of its 31city tour of the UK and Ireland, with forthcoming visits to Dublin, Belfast, Bath, Milton Keynes
and a return visit to Salford to end the tour in November. Curious Incident also continues its
runs at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End and at the Barrymore Theatre in New York. Its
official card partner is American Express.
After eight record-breaking years, WAR HORSE will have a final extension to its West End
run, with a last performance at the New London Theatre scheduled for 12 March 2016. It will
have played over 3,000 performances and been seen by over 2.7 million people in London,
and has won 25 awards. A second major UK tour will begin in autumn 2017. A Chineselanguage production is playing in Beijing, moving to Shanghai in November, as part of the
NT’s new partnership with the National Theatre of China.
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Celebrate War Horse
A series of free platforms will celebrate War Horse’s final six months at the New London
Theatre, with further events to be announced for 2016. To book tickets, email
warhorseevents@nationaltheatre.org.uk.
Inside the Horse
Sat 24 October, 11am
Puppetry Director Jimmy Grimes talks about the development of War Horse from original
concept, through workshops to first performances and, with the help of the show’s iconic
horses, gives audiences a look inside professional puppeteering.
Meet The Puppeteers
Tues 17 November, 9.30pm
A post-show Q and A with Team Joey and Team Topthorn.
Michael Morpurgo on War Horse
Thurs 10 December, 7.30pm
The celebrated author of the original novel makes an appearance in War Horse, and stays at
the New London Theatre for a post show Q&A
Contact: Nada Zakula on nzakula@nationaltheatre.org.uk or 020 7452 3046
PLATFORMS
An eclectic programme of talks, discussions and interviews, offering the chance to learn
more about the National’s work and the arts in general.
6pm (45 mins), £4/£3 unless stated; BS = Platform followed by book signing
Geraldine McEwan Remembered
Fri 30 October, 6pm, Dorfman
Actors Delena Kidd and Alan Rickman, and former theatre critic Michael Ratcliffe, join
Richard Digby Day to celebrate the life and career of the much-loved actress, whose work
ranged from Feydeau and Brecht to award-winning performances in The Rivals and The
Way of the World at the NT and The Barchester Chronicles on TV.
As You Like It on Screen
Wed 4 November, 6pm, Temporary BS
Daniel Rosenthal, author of 100 Shakespeare Films, looks at the enduring appeal of
Shakespeare's pastoral comedy, using clips from film and TV adaptations of the play.
Charlotte and Jane
Fri 13 November, 5.30pm, Lyttelton BS
Charlotte Bronte was a literary visionary, a feminist trailblazer and the driving force in her
family, and in Jane Eyre she created a new kind of independent heroine. Her biographer
Claire Harman and journalist Lucy Mangan explore two modern Victorian women with Kate
Mosse.
Ian Rickson and Wallace Shawn on Evening at the Talk House
Wed 25 November, 6.30pm, Dorfman
The director and writer/actor discuss the play.
Dominic Cooke on Here We Go
Mon 30 November, 5.30pm, Lyttelton
The director talks to Fiona Mountford about Caryl Churchill’s new play.
Marianne Elliott and Ben Power on Husbands & Sons
Thu 3 December, 5.30pm, Dorfman
Ben Power discusses his adaptation of DH Lawrence’s trilogy with the director Marianne
Elliott.
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The Jocelyn Herbert Lecture: Sian Thomas – Lions and Nightingales
Fri 11 December, 6.30pm, Dorfman
While working on Tony Harrison's play The Kaisers of Carnuntum, designed by Jocelyn
Herbert, actor Sian Thomas had unique access to the creative process and relationship
between this poet/director and designer. She talks about this and her friendship with Herbert.
An Evening with Private Eye
Mon 14 December, 5.45pm (1hr), Lyttelton BS
The annual treat for fans of the satirical magazine, as Editor Ian Hislop looks back on the
past year with regular guests Craig Brown, Harry Enfield, Lewis Macleod, Jan Ravens and
John Sessions.
The Theatre Quiz
Tue 22 December, 5.30pm, Lyttelton
A reinvented quiz, with new rounds and unexpected challenges, but the competition is a
fierce as ever. With Emma Freud.
Roger Michell on Waste
Mon 4 January, 6pm, Lyttelton
Roger Michell discusses his new production of Harley Granville Barker’s play.
Moira Buffini and Rufus Norris on wonder.land Tue 5 January, 6pm, Olivier
The playwright and director talk about the new musical version of Lewis Carroll’s book.
Polly Findlay on As You Like It
Fri 8 January, 6pm, Olivier
The director discusses her production of Shakespeare’s play.
Lawrence and Work
Wed 13 January, 5.30pm, Dorfman
Alongside the production of Husbands & Sons, an investigation into the labour market in the
early 20th century, the opportunities open to both men and women, and how Lawrence’s own
experience of work influenced his characters and writing. Guests include Andrew Harrison,
Director of the DH Lawrence Research Centre at the University of Nottingham.
Harley Granville Barker’s Agnes Colander Thu 14 January, 2.30pm (90mins),
Lyttelton £5/£4
A rehearsed reading of an unpublished and unperformed three-act play, written between The
Marrying of Ann Leete and The Voysey Inheritance, recently re-discovered by Colin
Chambers; directed by Laurence Boswell, with members of the NT Company. With permission
of The Society of Authors as the Literary Representative of the Estate of Harley Granville Barker.
Anne-Marie Duff on Husbands & Sons
Mon 18 January, 3pm (1hr), Dorfman £5/£4
The actor reflects on the challenges and rewards of playing Lizzie Holroyd in Husbands &
Sons.
Visions of Alice in Wonderland
Fri 29 January, 6pm, Olivier BS
In its 150th anniversary year, the story of Alice and her adventures remains relevant and yet
of its time. Guests including author Gillian Beer and Grahame Baker-Smith, illustrator of the
Royal Mail’s Alice in Wonderland anniversary stamps, reflect on the many visual
interpretations of the character through the years.
On Iphigenia in Splott Thu 4 February, post-show (30mins), Temporary Theatre, Free
Director Rachel O’Riordan and playwright Gary Owen talk about the play, and its journey
from Cardiff. Free but booking is required.
Talking As You Like It: Rosalind and Celia Mon 8 February, 3pm (1hr), Olivier £5/£4
Rosalie Craig and Patsy Ferran, playing Rosalind and Celia, discuss the roles and the
production of As You Like It.
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Dominic Cooke on Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Thu 11 February, 6pm, Lyttelton
The director talks about his new production of August Wilson’s play.
Shakespeare Retold with Howard Jacobson
Mon 15 February, 6pm, Olivier BS
The Booker-Prize winning author discusses Shylock is My Name, his new version of The
Merchant of Venice, in which he asks what it means to be a father, a Jew, and a merciful
human being in the modern world.
Joan Bakewell
Mon 29 February, 6.30pm, Dorfman BS
Stop the Clocks is the distinguished broadcaster’s thoughtful and spirited new book, a
collection of musings on her life and times – from the smaller skills of how to darn and make
a bed with hospital corners, to bigger lessons of politics, lovers and betrayal; of the present,
and of what she will leave behind.
Katie Mitchell on Cleansed
Wed 2 March, 6pm, Dorfman
Katie Mitchell talks to Dan Rebellato about her new production of Sarah Kane’s play.
Poems That Make Grown Women Cry
Fri 4 March, 6pm, Olivier BS
As a sequel to their ‘Grown Men’ version of 2014, Anthony and Ben Holden introduce a
selection of poems which haunt and move a throng of eminent women, who explain their
choices before reading the poems themselves. Guests include Kate Mosse and Edna
O’Brien.
Ben Miller
Mon 7 March, 6.30pm, Dorfman BS
Discover the fascinating and cutting-edge science behind the greatest question of all: is
there life beyond Earth? The actor, comedian and science writer takes us on a fantastic
voyage of discovery in his new accessible and entertaining guide, The Aliens are Coming!.
On The Solid Life of Sugar Water
Thu 10 March, post-show (30mins),
Temporary Theatre, Free
Graeae Associate Director Amit Sharma and playwright Jack Thorne talk about the
production. Free but booking is required.
Waste and Scandal
Mon 14 March, 6pm, Lyttelton BS
Medical historian Richard Barnett and novelist Frances Osborne explore medical, political
and sexual scandals of the Edwardian era, how differently they affected men and women of
all classes, and modern parallels.
On Brainstorm
Thu 31 March, post-show (30mins), Temporary Theatre, Free
Neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore joins directors Ned Glasier and Emily Lim to talk
about the production and the science behind it. Free but booking is required.
Suhayla El-Bushra and Nadia Fall on The Suicide
Thu 21 April, 6pm, Lyttelton
The playwright and the director discuss this new version of Nikolai Erdman’s play.
Celebrating Shakespeare
Fri 22 April
th
A day of talks, debates and events marking the 400 anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
Further details to be announced.
AfterWords
Informal and lively post-show discussions bringing together people from the
production with people from the real world of the play.
Clore Learning Centre /Cottesloe Room; £4/£3 includes wine and soft drinks
Evening at the Talk House
Fri 27 November
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Contact: Malika Isles on 020 7452 3236; misles@nationaltheatre.org.uk
LEARNING
Nationaltheatre.org.uk/learn
The Clore Learning Centre is a dedicated centre at the heart of the NT for people of all
ages to get involved in theatre and learn about every aspect of theatre-making, often direct
from the artists and staff of the National Theatre. There are new courses and events for
adults; regular workshops for families; and new programmes for schools and young people:
all designed to inspire participants with the skills of our backstage production departments
and the work on our stages.
For Adults:
An eclectic programme for everyone from the first-timer to the expert. Develop a deeper
understanding of the NT repertoire, or try your hand at a practical aspect of theatre-making.
nationaltheatre.org.uk/adultlearning
Black Plays Series
31 Oct – 5 Dec, 10.30am – 12.45pm
This six-week series explores a diverse collection of plays from dramatists of African and
Caribbean heritage. Combining performances, clips of past productions and lively
discussion, each session examines a topic – from teenagers and revolutions to sport and
traditional rituals.
Introduction to Model-Making for Theatre
2 – 30 Nov, 10.30am – 5pm
Theatre designers use a 3-D model of the set to communicate their vision and help turn their
designs into reality. Learn some of the practical techniques for model-making in this fiveweek course.
Film screening: Women in Love
Wed 4 November, 6.30pm
Ken Russell’s screen adaptation of D H Lawrence’s novel explores the nature of
commitment and love. Starring Alan Bates, Oliver Reed, Glenda Jackson and Jennie Linden,
the film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Writing, and Glenda
Jackson won for Best Actress. Free, booking required
In Depth: The Theatre of D H Lawrence
Thu 5 November, 10.30am – 4.30pm
An exploration of D H Lawrence’s plays with readings, talks and panel discussions.
In Context: Censorship in British Theatre
Fri 20 November, 2 – 5pm
Until 1968 the Lord Chamberlain’s Office censored all new plays and those considered
unsuitable were refused a licence. A look at some well-loved plays initially thought too
offensive by the censors.
Talk: Designing wonder.land
Tue 8 December, 3.30 – 5pm
Meet the designers responsible for creating the world of wonder.land. Rae Smith (set
design), Katrina Lindsay (costume design) and Lysander Ashton of 59 Productions
(projections) talk about their inspiration and the process of collaboration.
In Context: The Virtual World on Stage
Fri 15 Jan, 2 – 4.30pm
An exploration of the innovative ways playwrights, directors and designers have depicted a
virtual realm on stage.
In Context: As You Like It
Mon 8 Feb, 2 – 5pm
An in-depth introduction to As You Like It led by Dr. Abigail Rokison (Shakespeare Institute,
University of Birmingham) with members of the company.
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Sarah Kane Explored: Staging the Unstageable Fri 11 March, 10.30am-3.30pm
Through talks, discussions and performed extracts, this event will explore how theatremakers have overcome challenges to bring Sarah Kane’s plays to the stage and how
audiences have responded to them.
Film screening: My Dinner with Andre
Tue 15 March, 5pm
Louis Malle’s captivating film, co-written by Shawn and Gregory, captures a conversation
between actor and playwright Wallace Shawn and theatre director Andre Gregory at a
Manhattan restaurant. Free, booking required
In Context: Katie Mitchell
Sat 19 March, 10am – 1pm
This event explores and celebrates Katie Mitchell’s work at the National Theatre including
landmark productions Waves, Women of Troy, Some Trace of Her and Attempts on her Life.
For Families:
Family workshops are designed for children aged 6–12 and adults to enjoy together.
Discover the skills and secrets behind productions at the National Theatre; have a go at
designing a costume or making a prop; or meet some of the team who work behind the
scenes to bring NT productions to life.
Sat 24 October, Tues 27 – Sat 31 October,
11am – 1pm
Discover who’s who and what’s what in The Comedy of Errors. Take part in a playful preshow workshop and get into the spirit of Shakespeare’s hilarious farce.
The Comedy of Errors Explored
The Comedy of Errors: Slapstick and Clowning Sat 24 October, Tues 27 – Sat 31
October 1.30 – 3pm
Play the fool with your family, stage a funny fight and find out how the comic moments in The
Comedy of Errors were created. With Sophie Russell (Physical Comedy Director on the
production).
Design and Make: I Want My Hat Back
Sat 7 November 11am – 1pm, 2.30 – 4.30pm
Become a theatre designer for the day. Using Jon Klassen’s illustrations for I Want My Hat
Back as inspiration, design a set and make a model for a scene from the play.
For Young People (16-21-year-olds):
An exciting mix of Q&As, short courses, skills workshops, talks and events.
Introduction to Playwriting Course
26 – 28 October, 10 – 5pm
Want to learn how to create characters, story, dialogue and develop your own ideas? This
three-day course, led by Evan Placey, will equip you with the tools to start writing for the
stage.
Special Effects Make-up Course
5, 12, 19 & 26 November, 5 – 8pm
Learn the basics of creating make-up effects like cuts, bruises and burns using every-day
items.
Stage Management Course
27 Oct, 3, 10 & 17 November, 5 – 8pm
Work with professional stage managers and find out about the huge variety of jobs done by
a Stage Management team.
How to...Work in Costume and Wardrobe Q&A Mon 5 October 5 – 6.30pm
The Costume and Running Wardrobe Department look after the show once the play is on
stage, from cleaning and repairing to quick changes backstage. Put your questions to the
Wardrobe Supervisors and Dressers
How to... Design a Set Q&A
Wed 8 October 6 – 7.30pm
How do you turn a stage into a forest? Or a pirate ship? Theatre designer Lizzie Clachan
talks about how she designs a production, from the first ideas to the final stages.
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How to...be a Lighting Designer Q&A
Fri 23 October 5 – 7pm
Put your questions to Lighting designer Prema Mehta, as she introduces the basics of
lighting and talks about how it contributes to the Director’s vision for a production.
For Secondary Schools and Colleges:
National Theatre: On Demand in Schools makes three acclaimed, NT productions
available free in every secondary school classroom in the UK. Danny Boyle’s production of
Frankenstein by Nick Dear, based on the novel by Mary Shelley, with Benedict
Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller alternating the roles of Frankenstein and the Creature;
and Nicholas Hytner’s productions of Shakespeare’s Hamlet with Rory Kinnear, and Othello
with Adrian Lester and Rory Kinnear, are free to stream on demand in the classroom for the
next three years. Comprehensive learning resources support each play, and the recordings
are chaptered so teachers can find key scenes or show the full production over a number of
lessons. The project is delivered in partnership with Frog Education Ltd, and supported by
Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the Sidney E. Frank Foundation.
Creative Choices
Friday 4 December
An insight into the range of career opportunities backstage and off-stage – from costume
and props to marketing and front of house. Suitable for KS4+. Free event for London state
schools.
Shakespeare Student Conference
Tuesday 26 January, Olivier Theatre
A series of onstage talks and masterclasses exploring Shakespeare’s comedies for KS4 and
KS5 students, with members of the As You Like It company and creative team and academic
speakers.
Technical Theatre Masterclasses
An insight into professional practice for Technical Theatre and Production Arts students with
leading technicians, artists and designers.
Paule Constable Lighting Masterclass
Monday 1 February
Next Stage Days: a chance for students bring a piece of work in progress to the NT and get
specialist input on voice and movement from NT staff and artists.
Workshops, designed to support drama and theatre studies at KS3, KS4 and post-16, are
available on acting, directing or design and can focus on any production in the current NT
repertoire.
Archive Learning Days: free sessions exploring key NT productions and genres.
King Lear
Thursday 12 November and Tuesday 1 March
Greek Theatre
Thursday 4 February
Verbatim Theatre
Monday 16 November
Drama Teacher Conference
Thursday 18 and Friday 19 February
Two days of inspiring professional development for teachers during February half term.
Exploring theatre practice through workshops, talks and masterclasses with a variety of
theatre-makers, including NT artists and staff.
For Primary Schools:
Make Theatre Days
An active and exciting introduction to theatre-making and the backstage world of the
National Theatre for Years 4 – 6
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I Want My Hat Back
A creative learning programme for Nursery and Primary Schools combining CPD for
teachers and classroom resources with tickets to a performance of I Want My Hat Back.
The Comedy of Errors
An in-depth creative learning programme for Primary Schools with a focus on literacy for
Years 4 – 6 accompanies the production.
Playmakers: Emil and the Detectives
A new project combining a cross-curricular creative learning programme, teacher training in
theatre-making plus a specially adapted version of Emil and the Detectives for schools to
create their own productions.
Contact: Martin Shippen on mshippen@nationaltheatre.org.uk
LYTTELTON LOUNGE
The Lyttelton Lounge is a place to explore the NT’s past and present, where visitors can
browse exclusive digital content from the NT Archive, including interviews, prompt scripts
and early recordings; and see related exhibitions of props, costumes and other objects from
past and present productions. Situated on the Lyttelton Circle level, the Lounge is free and
open all day.
Revolution in Design: Jocelyn Herbert
A new exhibition on the archive of the celebrated stage designer Jocelyn Herbert (1917 –
2003) is now open, running until 22 November and returning in early January. Herbert
designed her first production in 1957, when post-war audiences were hungry for politically
engaged and emotionally charged plays and theatre was experiencing radical change.
Jocelyn Herbert was at the centre of this revolution; her collaborations with some of the best
playwrights and directors of the late 20th century put design at the centre of storytelling on
stage.
This exhibition features set, costume and mask designs, examining the process behind
Herbert’s ideas through her sketchbooks and correspondence with directors and writers
including Lyndsay Anderson, Peter Hall and Tony Harrison, amplified by digital content
exclusively available online in the Lyttelton Lounge.
Linbury Prize for Stage Design
30 November – 4 January
The Linbury Prize for Stage Design, founded by Lady Anya Sainsbury in 1987 as a
springboard for recent graduates from theatre design courses around the UK, offers 12
graduating designers an opportunity to win a professional commission. It gives applicants an
unparalleled opportunity to work with professional arts companies and to collaborate with
writers, directors and technical teams at a crucial stage in their careers. Previous winners
include some of the most important stage designers working today, including Tim Hatley,
Anthony Ward and Vicki Mortimer.
The exhibition will showcase the work of the twelve finalists, who have worked with four
production companies: The Royal Court, The Lyric Theatre Belfast, Nuffield Theatre
Southampton and The Traverse Theatre Edinburgh. Four of the twelve finalists will win a
commission to realise their designs with the participating companies, and one designer is
awarded the overall winner's title. On the judging panel this year are renowned designers
Sophie Jump, Tom Piper and Tom Scutt.
The Linbury Prize for Stage Design is sponsored by the Linbury Trust, one of the Sainsbury
Family Charitable Trusts.
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The Lyttelton Lounge is supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.
ENDS
6 October 2015
Booking information:
Public booking for Les Blancs, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,The Suicide, Cleansed, Iphigenia
in Splott, The Solid Life of Sugar Water and Brainstorm will open on 22 October. Booking
dates for The Flick are to be announced.
Book tickets online at nationaltheatre.org.uk Box Office: 020 7452 3000
Twitter: @nationaltheatre #NTnewseason
Facebook: national.theatre.london
YouTube: NationalTheatre
THE NATIONAL’S SPONSORS
The National Theatre would appreciate an acknowledgement in the body of the text and/or
as a separate footnote following editorial copy.
The National Theatre is supported using public funding by
Arts Council England.
Travelex £15 Tickets sponsored by
The National Theatre is working in partnership with American Express
NT Future is supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch
The National Theatre’s partner for new audiences is Bloomberg Philanthropies
The National Theatre’s partner for connectivity is Cisco
The National Theatre’s photographic images partner is Corbis
The National Theatre’s UK touring hotel partner is Intercontinental Hotels Group
The National Theatre is a J.P. Morgan Partner
The Dorfman Partner is Neptune Investment Management
A National Theatre IT partner is Nimble Storage
The National Theatre’s pouring partner is Nyetimber
The National Theatre’s partner for Lighting and Energy is Philips
The official hotel partner of the National Theatre is Radisson Blu Edwardian
National Theatre Live’s 4K Technology Partner is Sony Digital Cinema
The National Theatre wishes to acknowledge its partner National Angels Limited
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THE NATIONAL’S REPERTOIRE as of 6 October 2015
NATIONAL THEATRE PRESS OFFICE
Tel: 020 7452 3235 Fax: 020 7452 3230 Email press@nationaltheatre.org.uk
PLAY
OUR COUNTRY’S
GOOD
PEOPLE, PLACES
AND THINGS
POMONA
JANE EYRE
THE COMEDY OF
ERRORS
HUSBANDS & SONS
AS YOU LIKE IT
WASTE
I WANT MY HAT
BACK
EVENING AT THE
TALK HOUSE
HERE WE GO
GUARDIAN + NT
DEBATES
WONDER.LAND
IPHIGENIA IN
SPLOTT
MA RAINEY’S BLACK
BOTTOM
CLEANSED
THE SOLID LIFE OF
SUGAR WATER
BRAINSTORM
LES BLANCS
THE SUICIDE
THE FLICK
WAR HORSE
THE CURIOUS
INCIDENT OF THE
DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME
PLATFORMS
CLORE LEARNING
CENTRE
THEATRE
Olivier Theatre
PRESS NIGHT
26 August
CONTACT
Mary Parker
Dorfman Theatre
1 September
Temporary Theatre
Lyttelton Theatre
Temporary Theatre
14 September
17 September
From 21 October
Martin Shippen /
Clióna Roberts
Martin Shippen
Susie Newbery
Mary Parker
Dorfman Theatre
Olivier Theatre
Lyttelton Theatre
Temporary Theatre
27 October
3 November
10 November
16 November
Martin Shippen
Mary Parker
Susie Newbery
Martin Shippen
Dorfman Theatre
24 November
Mary Parker
Lyttelton Theatre
Lyttelton Theatre
27 November
From 28 November
Mary Parker
Martin Shippen
Olivier Theatre
Temporary Theatre
2 December
29 January
Susie Newbery
Susie Newbery
Lyttelton Theatre
2 February
Mary Parker
Dorfman Theatre
Temporary Theatre
23 February
29 February
Martin Shippen
Susie Newbery
Temporary Theatre
Olivier Theatre
Lyttelton Theatre
Dorfman Theatre
New London Theatre
Gielgud Theatre
From 29 March
30 March
13 April
Tbc
Susie Newbery
Susie Newbery
Mary Parker
Martin Shippen
Nada Zakula
Nada Zakula
UK tour
Malika Isles
Martin Shippen
Lucinda Morrison, Head of Press: lmorrison@nationaltheatre.org.uk 020 7452 3232
Mary Parker, Senior Press Officer: mparker@nationaltheatre.org.uk 020 7452 3234
Martin Shippen, Press Manager: mshippen@nationaltheatre.org.uk 020 7452 3233
Susie Newbery, Press Officer: snewbery@nationaltheatre.org.uk 020 7452 3061
Malika Isles, Press Assistant: misles@nationaltheatre.org.uk 020 7452 3236.
Nada Zakula, Head of Press War Horse/Curious Incident nzakula@nationaltheatre.org.uk 020 7452
3046
Clióna Roberts for Headlong: cliona@crpr.co.uk 020 7704 6224
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