18th March 2016

THE FLICK Dorfman Theatre Previews from 13 April, press night 19 April, final performance 15 June

Annie Baker’s play 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, which opens 19 April and runs until 15 June, 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 previously played at the Barrow Street Theatre, New York, having originally been commissioned and produced by .

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.

Matthew Maher and Louisa Krause will reprise their roles as Sam and Rose created for the Barrow Street Theatre, . They will be joined by Jaygann Ayeh as Avery and Sam Heron as Skylar.

Annie Baker’s other plays include John, 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 Flick is suitable for ages 14+. Contains strong language and themes of an adult nature.

The Dorfman Partner is Neptune Investment Management.

ENDS

Contact: Emma Hardy on 020 7452 3231 / [email protected]

Notes to Editors

1. The Flick is performed by Jaygann Ayeh, Sam Heron, Louisa Krause and Matthew Maher. The production is written by Annie Baker and directed by Sam Gold, with Lighting Design by Jane Cox, Sound Design by Bray Poor and Design by David Zinn. The Flick is produced in association with Scott Rudin. 2. The Flick will run for 43 performances between 13 April and 15 June. 3. The talk ‘35mm to Digital- The Changing Face of Film Projection’ will take place 18 May at 5.15pm. 4. Captioned performances will take place on 12 and 18 May at 7pm. A pre-show Touch Tour will take place on 4 June at midday, with Audio Described performances on 4 June at 1.30pm and 6 June at 7pm.

The National Theatre is dedicated to making the very best theatre and sharing it with as many people as possible. We produce up to 30 productions at our home on the South Bank in London each year, ranging from re-imagined classics – such as Greek tragedy and Shakespeare – to modern masterpieces and new work by contemporary writers and theatre- makers. The work we make strives to be as open, as diverse, as collaborative and as national as possible. Equally we are committed to education, with a wide-ranging Learning programme for all ages in our new Clore Learning Centre and in schools and communities across the UK.

The National’s work is also seen on tour throughout the UK and internationally, and in collaborations and co-productions with regional theatres. Popular shows transfer to the West End and occasionally to Broadway. The National Theatre Live programme of cinema broadcasts is now regularly available in over 2,000 cinemas in 55 countries around the world. nationaltheatre.org.uk @nationaltheatre