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THE NATIONAL ’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF

BEGINNING a new play by David Eldridge

WILL TRANSFER TO THE AMBASSADORS THEATRE IN THE WEST END FOR A LIMITED 10-WEEK SEASON FROM 15 JANUARY 2018.

Thousands of seats priced at £18 are available across the run

The National Theatre’s critically acclaimed, sold-out production of BEGINNING, ‘the (anti) romance for 21st-century life’ (Evening Standard), will transfer to the Ambassadors Theatre for a strictly limited 10-week run from 15 January 2018, with a press on Tuesday 23 January.

BEGINNING is a tender and funny look at the first fragile moments of risking your heart and taking a chance. Reprising their highly praised roles as Laura and Danny, Justine Mitchell (Bodies, Royal Court; Mr Burns, ) and Sam Troughton (, National Theatre; The Hollow Crown, BBC; and The Ritual), are directed by Polly Findlay (Limehouse, ; As You Like It, Protest Song and Antigone, National Theatre) in this season’s must-see hit by David Eldridge (Festen, Market Boy, Under the Blue Sky, In Basildon).

Every story starts somewhere. It’s the early hours of the morning and Danny’s the last straggler at Laura’s party. The flat’s in a mess. And so are they. One more drink?

Acclaimed by critics and audiences during its sold-out run, BEGINNING received its world premiere on 12 October 2017 in the NT’s Dorfman Theatre.

With design by Fly Davis, lighting design by Jack Knowles, sound design by Paul Arditti and movement by Naomi Said. BEGINNING is produced in the West End by the National Theatre.

Tickets will go on sale to the public on Monday 20 November at 10am, with a priority booking period for NT members from Friday 10 November.

BEGINNING is supported by the NT's Official Card Partner, American Express.

ENDS

For further information and images, contact Susie Newbery on 020 7452 3155 / 07725 198 751 or email [email protected]

Twitter: @nationaltheatre Facebook: National Theatre Instagram: nationaltheatre

BOOKING INFORMATION

BEGINNING a new play by David Eldridge

Monday 15 January – Saturday 24 March 2018 Press night: Tuesday 23 January 2018 The Ambassadors Theatre, West St, London, WC2H 9ND

Thousands of seats priced at £18 are available across the 10-week run nationaltheatre.org.uk / 020 7452 3000 theambassadorstheatre.co.uk / 020 7395 5405

NOTES TO EDITORS

 BEGINNING received its world premiere in the NT’s Dorfman Theatre on 12 October 2017 where the sold-out run continues until 14 November.

 BIOGRAPHIES

David Eldridge’s theatre credits include Market Boy for the National Theatre; Holy Warriors at Shakespeare’s Globe; Miss Julie and The Lady from the Sea at the Royal Exchange; In Basildon and Incomplete and Random Acts of Kindness at the Royal Court; Under the Blue Sky at the Royal Court and in the West End (winner of the Time Out Live Award for Best New Play and the WhatsOnStage Theatergoers Choice Award for Best New Play); Something, Someone, Somewhere (part of Sixty-Six Books), MAD and Serving It Up at The Bush; The Knot of the Heart at the Almeida; Festen at the Almeida, in the West End and on Broadway (winner of the WhatsOnStage Theatregoers Choice Award for Best New Play); The Stock Da’wa and Falling at Theatre; A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky (with Robert Homan and ) at the Lyric Hammersmith; Babylone at the Belgrade Coventry; and , and Summer Begins at the Donmar Warehouse. TV includes Killers, Our Hidden Lives and The Scandalous Lady W. In 2007 the University of Exeter conferred on David Eldridge an Honorary Doctorate of Letters recognising his achievement as a playwright. He is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Polly Findlay has previously directed As You Like It, Treasure Island, Protest Song, War Horse (Berlin), Antigone, and Double Feature (The Swan and The Nightwatchman) for the NT. In 2018 she will direct for the RSC, where her previous work includes The Alchemist, The Merchant of Venice and Arden of Faversham. In the West End she has directed Derren Brown: Svengali (Olivier Award for Best Entertainment). Other theatre includes Limehouse at the Donmar Warehouse; Ghosts at HOME, Manchester; Krapp's Last Tape and A Taste of Honey at Sheffield Crucible; Twisted Tales at the Lyric Hammersmith; and The Country Wife and at the Royal Exchange. Polly Findlay won the JMK Award for Young Directors in 2007.

Justine Mitchell’s theatre credits include The Plough and the Stars, Children of the Sun, The White Guard, Philistines and The House of Bernarda Alba at the NT, in a long association with Associate Director , as well as appearing in his productions of Wild Honey at and For Services Rendered at Chichester Festival Theatre (Best Supporting Actress, UK Theatre Awards). Other theatre includes Detroit, The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, Coram Boy, and The Night Season for the NT; Bodies and Gastronauts at the Royal Court; The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and King Lear at the Donmar Warehouse; Love for Love and at the RSC; Man: Three Plays by and at the ; and Mr Burns at the Almeida. TV includes The Suspicions of Mr Whicher; Amber, Sleep With Me, Afterlife, Your Bad Self and The Painted Lady. Film includes The Stag, I Want Candy, A Cock and Bull Story, Imagine Me and You and Rory O’Shea Was Here.

Sam Troughton has most recently appeared on film in The Ritual. His work in theatre includes King Lear, Buried Child, The Coast of Utopia and Tartuffe for the NT. For the RSC he has appeared in Morte d'Arthur, Romeo and Juliet, The Grain Store, , The Winter's Tale, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III, Henry VI parts 1, 2 and 3 and The Taming of the Shrew. Other theatre includes La Musica, at the Young Vic; Bull at Sheffield Crucible, 59E59, New York and the Young Vic; Mint, Death Tax, The President Has Come to See You and Love, Love, Love at the Royal Court; at Liverpool Playhouse; As You Like It at Sheffield Crucible; and Nathan the Wise at Hampstead Theatre. TV includes George, Duke of Clarence in The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, Dancing on the Edge, The Town and Robin Hood. Film includes Slumber, Spirit Tap, Alien vs. Predator, Vera Drake and Sylvia.

 ABOUT THE NATIONAL THEATRE At the National Theatre, we make world-class theatre that is entertaining, challenging and inspiring, and we make it for everyone. In 2016-2017, the NT staged 26 productions and gave 2,585 performances at our home on the South Bank. The NT’s award-winning programme had a UK paying audience of 1.8 million, 400,000 of which were NT Live audiences.

The work the National Theatre produces appeals to the widest possible audiences with new plays, musicals, reimagined classics and new work for young audiences. The NT’s work is seen in the West End, on tour throughout the UK and internationally, and in collaborations and co-productions with partners across the country. Through NT Live, we broadcast some of the best of British theatre to over 2,500 venues in 60 countries around the world.

Our extensive Learning programme offers talks, events and workshops for people of all ages, and reaches nationwide through programmes such as Connections, our annual festival of new plays for schools and youth . In 2016-2017 there were 196,826 participations through the NT Learning events programme. Over 3,000 schools have signed up to the free streaming service, On Demand. In Schools, since its launch in September 2015. nationaltheatre.org.uk @nationaltheatre