Tag: Paul Arditti

The Odyssey set to end its journey at the National Theatre

The National Theatre is gearing up to host the culmination of an epic, multi-location production of The Odyssey.

This epic story of resilience and hope began its journey in Stoke-on-Trent and Doncaster, with the next episodes coming to Trowbridge Town Hall and The Fire Station in Sunderland.

The Odyssey’s final stage, The Underworld, will be a full-scale musical production at the National Theatre on August 26-28, 2023. This fifth and final production will feature community performers from all four previous episodes, as well as members recruited through Public Acts founding community partners, founding theatre partner Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and Trybe House Theatre in London.

The Underworld is written by Olivier-award winning playwright Chris Bush with music composed by Jim Fortune and directed by Director of Public Acts Emily Lim. The set is designed by Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey, movement directed by Dan Canham, costume designed by Fly Davis, music supervised and directed by Tarek Merchant, lighting designed by Joshua Pharo, sound designed by Paul Arditti and casting by Bryony Jarvis-Taylor.

Johnny Flynn, Mark Gatiss, Tuppence Middleton and Janie Dee start rehearsals for National Theatre’s The Motive and the Cue

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.