The full cast for the return of Anupama Chandrasekhar’s The Father and the Assassin to the National Theatre has been revealed.
Mahatma Gandhi: lawyer, champion of non-violence, beloved leader. Nathuram Godse: journalist, nationalist – and the man who murdered Gandhi. The gripping play traces Godse’s life over 30 years during India’s fight for independence: from a devout follower of Gandhi, through to his radicalisation and their tragic final encounter in Delhi in 1948.
Directed by the Kiln Theatre’s artistic director, Indhu Rubasingham, the play by one of India’s most exciting playwrights returns to the National’s Olivier Theatre from September 8.
Joining the previously announced cast is Marc Elliott (She Loves Me), Sasha Ghoshal (Bend it Like Beckham the Musical), Aysha Kala (The Motive and the Cue), Johndeep More (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) and Aryana Ramkhalawon (Exodus).
Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) will play the role of Nathuram Godse with Paul Bazely (Cruella) reprising his role as Mahatma Gandhi.
The cast also includes Azan Ahmed (The Tempest), Ravi Aujla (The Lehman Trilogy), Ayesha Dharker (Chasing Hares), Ravin J Ganatra (When Winston went to War with the Wireless), Raj Ghatak (The Kite Runner), Halema Hussain (Does My Bomb Look Big In This?), Nadeem Islam (Antigone), Tony Jayawardena (East is East), Nicholas Khan (Life of Pi), Raj Khera, Hari Mackinnon (The Cherry Orchard), Sid Sagar (Cabaret) and Akshay Shah (Kabul Goes Pop).
Director Rubasingham reunites with writer Chandrasekhar for this exploration of oppression and extremism. They are joined by set and costume designer Rajha Shakiry, lighting designer Oliver Fenwick, movement director Lucy Cullingford, composer Siddhartha Khosla, additional music by David Shrubsole, sound designer Alexander Caplen, fight director Kate Waters, casting director Alastair Coomer, associate set and costume designer Khadija Raza and staff director John Young.
Take a look at these new production images from The Crucible, which is heading to the Gielgud Theatre following its West End transfer from the National Theatre.
Lyndsey Turner’s production is now playing at the Gielgud until September 2.
A witch hunt is beginning in Salem. Raised to be seen but not heard, a group of young women suddenly find their words have a terrible power. As a climate of fear spreads through the community, private vendettas fuel public accusations and soon the truth itself is on trial.
Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) plays the role of Abigail Williams with Caitlin FitzGerald (Succession) as Elizabeth Proctor and Brian Gleeson (Bad Sisters) in the role of John Proctor. They are joined by Fisayo Akinade (Heartstopper) as Reverend Hale, Karl Johnson (Under Milk Wood) as Giles Corey and Matthew Marsh (Dunkirk) as Danforth.
The cast also features David Ahmad, Zoë Aldrich, Stephanie Beattie, Christopher Birch, Lucy Brindle, Raphael Bushay, Henry Everett, Grace Farrell, Nick Fletcher, Chyna-Rose Frederick, Colin Haigh, Nadine Higgin, Miya James, Ebony Jonelle, Gracie McGonigal, Alastair Parker, Tama Phethean, Amy Snudden, Joy Tan, Nia Towle, Tilly Tremayne and Samuel Townsend.
Turner and set designer Es Devlin are joined by costume designer Catherine Fay, lighting designer Tim Lutkin, sound design by Tingying Dong (content design) and Christopher Shutt (system design). Composer and arranger is Caroline Shaw and music director and arranger is Osnat Schmool, with casting by Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham.
They are joined by associate director Blythe Stewart, associate set designer Ellie Wintour, associate lighting designer Max Narula, fight director Bret Yount, lead intimacy directors Ita O’Brien and Louise Kempton for Intimacy On Set, voice and dialect coach Kate Godfrey, dialect coaches Danièle Lydon and Hazel Holder, assistant music director Alice Grant and resident director Sophie Dillon Moniram.
Here’s the cast of Lyndsey Turner’s National Theatre production of The Crucible in rehearsals as the show makes its West End transfer to the Gielgud Theatre.
With set designed by Es Devlin, this contemporary new staging of Arthur Miller’s gripping parable of power and its abuse will play at the Gielgud Theatre from June 7 until September 2.
A witch hunt is beginning in Salem. Raised to be seen but not heard, a group of young women suddenly find their words have a terrible power. As a climate of fear spreads through the community, private vendettas fuel public accusations and soon the truth itself is on trial.
Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) will play the role of Abigail Williams with Caitlin FitzGerald (Succession) playing the role of Elizabeth Proctor and Brian Gleeson (Bad Sisters) the role of John Proctor. Joining the previously announced cast is Karl Johnson as Giles Corey.
The ensemble also includes Christopher Birch, Lucy Brindle, Grace Farrell, Chyna-Rose Frederick, Miya James, Ebony Jonelle, Tama Phethean, Amy Snudden, Nia Towle and Samuel Townsend.
Returning to the production following its sold-out run at the National Theatre are Fisayo Akinade as Reverend Hale and Matthew Marsh as Danforth. Completing the cast are David Ahmad, Zoë Aldrich, Stephanie Beattie, Raphael Bushay, Henry Everett, Nick Fletcher, Colin Haigh, Nadine Higgin, Gracie McGonigal, Alastair Parker, Joy Tan and Tilly Tremayne.
Turner’s production of The Crucible originally ran at the National Theatre in autumn 2022.
Turner and Devlin are joined by costume designer Catherine Fay and lighting designer Tim Lutkin. Sound design is by Tingying Dong and Christopher Shutt. The composer and arranger is Caroline Shaw; and music director and arranger is Osnat Schmool; with casting by Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham. They are joined by associate director Blythe Stewart; associate set designer Ellie Wintour; associate lighting designer Max Narula; fight director Bret Yount; lead intimacy directors Ita O’Brien and Louise Kempton; voice and dialect coach Kate Godfrey; dialect coaches Danièle Lydon and Hazel Holder; assistant music director Alice Grant and resident director Sophie Dillon Moniram.
Roald Dahl’s The Witches and The Effect have been added to the National Theatre’s 2023 line-up, while casting has been announced for three more upcoming shows.
The Witches will play in the Olivier theatre from November in a new musical version of Dahl’s iconic story by Lucy Kirkwood and Dave Malloy, directed by Lyndsey Turner.
As the story goes, everything you know about witches is wrong. Forget the pointy hats and broomsticks: they’re the most dangerous creatures on earth. And now they’ve come up with their most evil plan yet.
The only thing standing in their way is Luke and his Gran. But he’s ten and she’s got a dodgy heart. Time is short, danger is everywhere, and they’ve got just one chance to stop the witches from squalloping every stinking little child in England.
Katherine Kingsley
The cast includes Katherine Kingsley (The Larkins) as the Grand High Witch and Daniel Rigby (One Man, Two Guvnors) as Mr Stringer, alongside Julie Armstrong, Chrissie Bhima, Zoe Birkett, Daniele Coombe, Molly-May Gardiner, Tiffany Graves, Tania Mathurin, Jacob Maynard, Laura Medforth and Ben Redfern.
It is directed by Turner (The Crucible) with book and lyrics by Kirkwood (Mosquitoes) and music and lyrics by Malloy (Natasha). The set and costume designer is Lizzie Clachan with choreographer Stephen Mear, music supervisor Nigel Lilley, music director Cat Beveridge, lighting designer Bruno Poet, co-sound designers Alexander Caplen and Ian Dickinson, video designer Ash J Woodward, illusions by Chris Fisher and Will Houstoun, casting director Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, associate director Séimí Campbell, staff director Priya Patel Appleby, associate set designer Shankho Chaudhuri, associate costume designer Johanna Coe, associate choreographer Jo Morris, associate music director Natalie Pound and children’s and assistant music director Sarah Morrison.
The Witches will play in the Olivier theatre from November 7, recommended for ages 8+.
Meanwhile, The Effect by Lucy Prebble (Succession) and directed by Jamie Lloyd (Cyrano de Bergerac) will play in the Lyttelton theatre from August.
A funny and intimate examination of love and ethics, Connie and Tristan are falling for each other fast – but is their sudden and intoxicating chemistry real, or a side effect of a new antidepressant? As two young volunteers in a clinical drug trial, their romance poses startling dilemmas for the supervising doctors.
Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) is cast as Tristan and Taylor Russell (Bones and All) as Connie, with further casting to be announced.
Paapa EssieduLucy Prebble
The set and costume designer is Soutra Gilmour, with lighting designer Jon Clark, composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante, sound designer George Dennis, movement directors Sarah Golding and Yukiko Masui (SAY), fight director Kate Waters, intimacy co-ordinator Ingrid Mackinnon and casting director Alastair Coomer.
The Effect will play in the Lyttelton theatre from August 1.
The National theatre has also announced casting for the revival of The Father and the Assassin.
Director Indhu Rubasingham reunites with Anupama Chandrasekhar for this essential exploration of oppression and extremism.
Mahatma Gandhi: lawyer, champion of non-violence, beloved leader. Nathuram Godse: journalist, nationalist – and the man who murdered Gandhi. This gripping play traces Godse’s life over 30 years during India’s fight for independence: from a devout follower of Gandhi, through to his radicalisation and their tragic final encounter in Delhi in 1948.
Hiran AbeysekeraPaul Bazely
The cast includes Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) as Nathuram Godse with Paul Bazely reprising his role as Mahatma Gandhi. The cast also includes Azan Ahmed, Ravi Aujla, Ayesha Dharker, Ravin J Ganatra, Raj Ghatak, Halema Hussain, Nadeem Islam, Tony Jayawardena, Nicholas Khan, Raj Khera, Hari Mackinnon, Sid Sagar and Akshay Shah.
The set and costume designer Rajha Shakiry, with lighting designer Oliver Fenwick, movement director Lucy Cullingford, composer Siddhartha Khosla, additional music by David Shrubsole, sound designer Alexander Caplen, fight directors Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown, casting director Alastair Coomer and associate set and costume designer Khadija Raza.
The Father and the Assassin will play in the Olivier theatre September 8–October 14.
House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock will make her West End debut in a new production of The Crucible, at the National Theatre this summer.
Alcock will play Abigail in Lyndsey Turner’s acclaimed production of Arthur Miller’s gripping parable of power and its abuse, which first ran at the National in autumn 2022. It is set designed by Es Devlin (The Lehman Trilogy).
A witch hunt is beginning in Salem. Raised to be seen but not heard, a group of young women suddenly find their words have a terrible power. As a climate of fear spreads through the community, private vendettas fuel public accusations and soon the truth itself is on trial.
Milly Alcock
The creative team are joined by costume designer Catherine Fay; lighting designer Tim Lutkin; sound designer Tingying Dong (content design); sound designer Christopher Shutt (system design); composer and arranger Caroline Shaw; music director and arranger Osnat Schmool; with casting by Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham.
They are joined by associate director Blythe Stewart; associate set designer Ellie Wintour; associate lighting designer Max Narula; fight director Bret Yount; intimacy directors Ita O’Brien and Louise Kempton; dialect coaches Danièle Lydon and Hazel Holder and assistant music director Alice Grant.
The Crucible is at the National’s Gielgud Theatre from June 7 to September 2.
Johnny Flynn, Mark Gatiss, Tuppence Middleton and Janie Dee are in rehearsals for The Motive and the Cue, a new play directed by Sam Mendes for the National Theatre.
Opening in the Lyttelton Theatre on April 20, it is inspired by the making of Burton and Gielgud’s Hamlet. Richard Burton, newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title in an experimental new production of Hamlet under John Gielgud’s exacting direction. But as rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel.
The cast also includes Aaron Anthony, Tom Babbage, Allan Corduner, Elena Delia, Ryan Ellsworth, Phoebe Horn, Aysha Kala, Luke Norris, Huw Parmenter, David Ricardo-Pearce, David Tarkenter, Kate Tydman, Laurence Ubong Williams and Michael Walters.
The Motive and the Cue was originally commissioned by Neal Street Productions and has been developed and coproduced by the National Theatre and Neal Street Productions. Set design is by Es Devlin, costume designer is Katrina Lindsay, lighting designer is Jon Clark, composer is Benjamin Kwasi Burrell, sound designer is Paul Arditti, video designer is Luke Halls, casting by Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham and associate director is Zoé Ford Burnett.
The Motive and the Cue is at the National Theatre from April 20 to July 15.
Rehearsals are underway for Dancing at Lughnasa, Josie Rourke’s revival of Brian Friel’s Olivier Award-winning play that opens at the National Theatre next month.
The starry cast includes Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls), Ardal O’Hanlon (Father Ted), Alison Oliver (Conversations with Friends) and Louisa Harland (Derry Girls), alongside Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Bláithín Mac Gabhann, Justine Mitchell and Tom Riley.
Set during harvest time in County Donegal, 1936, outside the village of Ballybeg, the five Mundy sisters battle poverty to raise seven-year-old Michael and care for their Uncle Jack. During the Festival of Lughnasa, Pagan and Christian meet and collide. The sisters fight, love, dance, yearn and survive, in this astonishing evocation of a family’s world on the brink of change.
Director Rourke said: “In my time as artistic director of the Donmar, we staged four works by Brian Friel. During those years, I was lucky enough to meet Brian and it was a joyous honour to be near this great man and his plays, which are defining works of the theatre. It’s a privilege to be the director of this revival for the National Theatre. It was on the South Bank that the seed of the play was planted with Friel and it was always his intention that this play be produced by the NT. I’m so happy to be working with this glorious cast and creative team to bring it to the Olivier stage.”
Sean Donegan, Lauren Farrell, George Turner and Caitríona Williams also join the company.
Set and costume design is by Robert Jones, the lighting designer is Mark Henderson, the choreographer is Wayne McGregor, the composer is Hannah Peel, the sound designer is Emma Laxton, the video designer is Douglas O’Connell and the casting director is Alastair Coomer.
Performances begin in the Olivier theatre on April 6 and run until May 27. nationaltheatre.org.uk.
