At a press conference this morning, Artistic Director Rufus Norris confirmed details of the National Theatre’s 2017 programme.
The 2017 season at the theatre will include four world premieres as well as two European premieres, that includes star studded casting including Imelda Staunton, Olivia Coleman, Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield.
As previously announced, Imelda Staunton and Janie Dee will star in the National Theatre’s first production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, directed by National Theatre Associate Director Dominic Cooke, next year. The production will feature choreography by Bill Deamer. Dates have yet to be confirmed for the run.
Meanwhile, 2017 marks a return to the theatre for Yael Farber, following her acclaimed production of Les Blancs earlier this year. This time she directs Salome, marking its European premiere and will take to the stage starring Olwen Fouere in May next year.
Jeremy Herrin will direct the world premiere of Common by DC Moore and is co-produced with Headlong. This new history-play is set during the early days of the Industrial Revolution, when the common land of England is under threat.
These productions playing in the Olivier Theatre next year join the previously announced Twelfth Night, opening in the venue in Febraury 2017 and starring Tamsin Greig as Malvolia – the first of two Shakespearean productions directed by Simon Goodwin. Goodwin will later direct Ralph Fiennes in Antony and Cleopatra in 2018.
2017 in the Lyttelton Theatre also looks exciting with Lindsey Ferrentino’s Ugly Lies the Bone making its European premiere at the theatre from March. The story tells of an American soldier’s journey after being injured in Afghanistan and through the use of video game therapy, builds a new world to escape her pain. The production will be directed by Indhu Rubasingham and have set designs by Es Devlin.
In May, Marianne Elliott will direct Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, starring Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane. The production of the double bill of plays will feature set designs by Ian MacNeil and costume design by Nicky Gillibrand.
The Dorfman Theatre will see Rufus Norris collaborating with Carol Ann Duffy to create a verbatim archive of conversations from across the UK as part of the National Theatre’s national listening project.
This venue will also see the world premiere of Nina Raine’s Consent take to the stage in April 2017. The co-production with Out of Joint will explore questions of law, justice and forgiveness and will be directed by Roger Mitchell.
July 2017 will see Broadchurch’s Olivia Colman take to the stage in the world premiere of Lucy Kirkwood’s Mosquitoes, directed by Rufus Norris. The play is about family and particle physics (which as Norris said this morning he would have ‘read up on’).
The Dorfman will also present Lost Without Words, a theatrical experiment that will ask what would happen if older actors who were seen on stage less would appear on stage once more but without a script, while the world premiere of Inua Ellams Barber Shop Chronicles and Emmet Kirwan’s Dublin Old School will also appear on stage.
Rufus Norris also confirmed that The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and War Horse will once again be heading off on a UK tour.
Booking for the majority of the shows announced will open in 2017, but for more information and to keep up to date with when booking opens visit: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/