19 February 2020 NATIONAL THEATRE PROGRAMME Olivier THE VISIT, OR THE OLD LADY COMES TO CALL Based on the play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt Adapted by Tony Kushner Original English version by Maurice Valency Director: Jeremy Herrin Set Designer: Vicki Mortimer Costume Designer: Moritz Junge Lighting Designer: Paule Constable Movement Director: Aletta Collins Composer: Paul Englishby Sound Designer: Paul Arditti Music Director: Malcolm Edmonstone Playing until May 13 The New American Work Programme is supported by The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Lawton W Fitt & James I McLaren Foundation and Kathleen J Yoh Official Hotel Partner: Edwardian Hotels The classic tale of revenge, with a cast including Lesley Manville as Clare Zachanassian, the world’s richest woman, and Hugo Weaving as her former lover. JACK ABSOLUTE FLIES AGAIN By Richard Bean and Oliver Chris Based on Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The Rivals Director: Thea Sharrock Set and Costume Designer: Mark Thompson Lighting Designer: Bruno Poet Music: Adrian Johnston Sound Designer: Paul Arditti Video Designer: Jeff Sugg Choreographer: Lizzi Gee Physical Comedy Director: Toby Park for Spymonkey From 15 April, press night 28 April, playing until 25 July A riotous new comedy based on Sheridan’s The Rivals and set against the backdrop of the Battle of Britain, with a cast including Caroline Quentin and Richard Fleeshman. 1 PARADISE by Kate Tempest A new version of Philoctetes by Sophocles. Director: Ian Rickson Set and Costume Designer: Rae Smith Lighting Designer: Hugh Vanstone Movement: Coral Messam Sound Designer: Ian Dickinson Fight Director: Terry King From 30 June, press night 7 July, until 1 August with further performances to be announced Production supported by Areté Foundation, Betsy & Ed Cohen Kate Tempest’s powerful new version of the Greek Tragedy Philoctetes with a cast including Lesley Sharp and Lorna Gayle. ROMEO & JULIET By William Shakespeare Director: Simon Godwin Set and Costume Designer: Soutra Gilmour Lighting Designer: Lucy Carter Movement Directors: Jonathan Goddard and Shelley Maxwell Composer: Michael Bruce Sound Designer: Christopher Shutt Fight Director: Kate Waters Opening in August Production supported by Leila Maw Straus This new production is set in modern Italy in a world where Catholic and secular values clash - Jessie Buckley and Josh O’Connor play the star-crossed lovers. SMALL ISLAND Adapted by Helen Edmundson Based on the novel by Andrea Levy Director: Rufus Norris Set and Costume Designer: Katrina Lindsay Projection Designer: Jon Driscoll Lighting Designer: Paul Anderson Composer: Benjamin Kwasi Burrell Sound Designer: Ian Dickinson Movement Director: Coral Messam Fight Director: Kate Waters Music Consultant: Gary Crosby From late October The critically-acclaimed stage production of Andrea Levy’s epic novel Small Island returns following a sold-out run in 2019. STANDING AT THE SKY’S EDGE A co-production with Sheffield Theatres in association with Various Productions Music and Lyrics: Richard Hawley Book by: Chris Bush Director: Robert Hastie Set and Costume Designer: Ben Stones 2 Choreographer: Lynne Page Musical Supervisor, Arranger and Orchestrator: Tom Deering Musical Director: Will Stuart Lighting Designer: Mark Henderson Sound Designer: Simon Baker Opening in January 2021 A soaring musical, featuring new and classic songs, tells the story of three families living in Park Hill, Sheffield’s concrete utopia. Lyttelton SEVEN STREAMS OF THE RIVER OTA By Ex Machina / Robert Lepage Director and Designer: Robert Lepage Creative Director: Steve Blanchett Dramaturg: Gérard Bibeau Music and Sound Designer: Michel F. Côté Set Designer (Original): Carl Fillion Set Designer (Adaption): Ariane Sauvé Lighting Designer: Sonoyo Nishikawa Images Designer: Kevin Dubois Costume Designer: Virgine Leclerc Properties Designer: Claudia Gendreau From 6 – 22 March First staged at the National Theatre in 1996, Robert Lepage’s masterpiece returns to London for just nine performances. MANOR A new play by Moira Buffini Director: Fiona Buffini Set and Costume Designer: Lez Brotherston Lighting Designer: Paule Constable Composer and Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Video Designer: Andrzej Goulding Fight Director: Kate Waters From 7 April, press night 15 April, until 15 July A thrilling and witty new play about strangers thrown together seeking shelter from the floods. Nancy Carroll and Ben Daniels lead the cast. THE CORN IS GREEN By Emlyn Williams Director: Dominic Cooke Set and Costume Designer: ULTZ Lighting Designer: Charles Balfour Music Arrangements: Will Stuart Sound Designer: Christopher Shutt Choreographer: Bill Deamer Playing from 17 June, press night 24 June, until 22 August with further performances to be announced Nicola Walker leads the company in a new production of this Welsh classic, revived in London for the first time in 35 years. 3 WUTHERING HEIGHTS A co-production with Wise Children in association with York Theatre Royal By Emily Brontë Adapted by Emma Rice Director: Emma Rice Set and Costume Designer: Vicki Mortimer Lighting Designer: Malcolm Rippeth Movement Director: Dan Canham Composer and Music Director: Ian Ross Sound Designer: Simon Baker Opening in early September Production supported by The Polonsky Foundation Emma Rice adapts and directs Emily Brontë’s masterpiece opening in the Lyttelton Theatre before a UK tour OUTLINE. TRANSIT. KUDOS. By Rachel Cusk Adapted by Alice Birch Director: Katie Mitchell Set Designer: Alex Eales Costume Designer: Sussie Juhlin-Wallen Video Director: Grant Gee Lighting Designer: Anthony Doran Music: Paul Clark Sound Designer & Additional Music: Melanie Wilson In repertoire from October 2020 A cutting-edge production, based on Rachel Cusk’s acclaimed novels, making use of live film and audio to recount the stories and encounters of Faye. PHAEDRA A new play by Simon Stone After Euripides, Seneca and Racine Director: Simon Stone Set Designer: Chloe Lamford Costume Designer: Alice Babidge Lighting Designer: James Farncombe Music and Sound Designer: Stefan Gregory Playing from December 2020 Kristin Scott Thomas plays the title role alongside Assaad Bouab in this new version of Phaedra by Simon Stone. BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY by Pearl Cleage Director: Lynette Linton Set and Costume Designer: Frankie Bradshaw Lighting Designer: Oliver Fenwick Playing from February 2021 A startling play about four friends living through the Harlem Renaissance, 1930, as their lives and passions collide when a newcomer from Alabama arrives. Cast includes Giles Terera. 4 Dorfman DEATH OF ENGLAND A new play by Clint Dyer and Roy Williams Director: Clint Dyer Set and Costume Designers: Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey and ULTZ Lighting Designer: Jackie Shemesh Sound Designer: Pete Malkin Movement: Lucy Cullingford Playing until 7 March Production supported by Marcia Grand in loving memory of Richard Grand; and Nick and Julie Gould Rafe Spall performs this fearless one-person play which asks explosive and enduring questions about identity, race and class in Britain. ALL OF US A new play by Francesca Martinez Director: Ian Rickson Set and Costume Designer: Georgia Lowe Lighting Designer: Anna Watson Composer: Stephen Warbeck Sound Designer: Gregory Clarke Movement: Lucy Cullingford Fight Director: Terry King From 18 March, press night 26 March until 16 May A powerful and timely drama exploring life, love and the struggle to survive for those who don’t fit in during a time of austerity. HAMLET By William Shakespeare Reimagined for a younger audiences by Jude Christian Director: Tinuke Craig Set and Costume Designer: Frankie Bradshaw Lighting Designer: Paul Knott Sound Designer: Clark Henry-Brown Movement Director: Morgann Runacre-Temple Six-week school tour before running from the 30 March until 9 April The National Theatre's Partner for Learning is Bank of America Primary schools touring is supported by: The Mohn Westlake Foundation, The Hearn Foundation, The Ingram Trust, The Constance Travis Charitable Trust, Archie Sherman Charitable Trust, The Behrens Foundation, Cleopatra Trust, The Dorset Foundation, Jill and David Leuw, Mulberry Trust, Sherling Charitable Trust, and The Topinambour Trust. An energetic and engaging retelling of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedy. WELCOME TO IRAN A Theatre Royal Stratford East & National Theatre co-production A new play by Nadia Fall Director: Nadia Fall Set and Costume Designer: Ben Stones 5 Video Designer: Zakk Hein Lighting Designer: Joshua Pharo Movement Director: Carrie-Anne Ingrouille Sound Designer: Alexandra Faye Braithwaite Fight Directors: Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown of Rc-Annie Ltd Supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts and the London Community Foundation Opening at Theatre Royal Stratford East from 18 April to 16 May with press night 24 April, before playing at the National Theatre from 21 May until 13 June Exploring this often misunderstood country, this new play by Nadia Fall is a tender and witty snapshot of modern Iran based on real-life interviews SING YER HEART OUT FOR THE LADS The Chichester Festival Theatre production By Roy Williams Director: Nicole Charles Playing from September Roy Williams’s ferocious, funny, and disturbing play takes aim at what it means to be black, white and English in, twenty-first century Britain. This acclaimed new production transfers from Chichester Festival Theatre following a sell-out run last year. ROMEO AND JULIE A co-production with Sherman Theatre A new play by Gary Owen Directed by Rachel O’Riordan Set and Costume Designed