The production will begin performances at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from the 24th January.
The National Theatre and Neal Street Productions have announced that Michael Balogun, Hadley Fraser and Nigel Lindsay will play the Lehman brothers, and a cast of characters including their sons and grandsons when The Lehman Trilogy returns to the West End this January.
On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is joined by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish – Lehman Brothers – spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, triggering the largest financial crisis in history. Weaving together nearly two centuries of family history, this New York Times Critics’ pick charts the humble beginnings, outrageous successes, and devastating failure of the financial institution that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees.
Michael Balogun (Death of England: Delroy, Macbeth, National Theatre) will play the role of Emanuel Lehman with Hadley Fraser (The Antipodes, National Theatre; Coriolanus, Donmar Warehouse) playing the role of Mayer Lehman and Nigel Lindsay (The Pillowman, A Small Family Business, National Theatre) playing the role of Henry Lehman. They will be joined by pianist, Yshani Perinpanayagam.
Meanwhile returing to play the understudy roles are: Ravi Aujla as Emanuel Lehman, Will Harrison-Wallace as Mayer Lehman and Leighton Pugh as Henry Lehman. Erika Gundesen will be the understudy pianist.
The Lehman Trilogy was first commissioned by Neal Street Productions and co-produced with the National Theatre at the Lyttelton theatre in 2018, the Piccadilly Theatre in 2019 and then on Broadway in 2021. Prior to this, the world premiere of Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy opened at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan in 2015. It turned out to be Artistic Director Luca Ronconi’s final production before his death. A long-term admirer of Ronconi’s, Sam Mendes was inspired to begin planning an English adaptation for Neal Street Productions. Ben Power was commissioned by Neal Street Productions to create a new version of this epic play, using a literal English translation by Mirella Cheeseman.
It was the most awarded play on Broadway earlier this year, winning Best Play, Best Director, Best Set Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Actor at the 2022 Tony Awards®. It also won the Drama League Award for Best Play and six Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Best Play.
Directed by Sam Mendes, the creative team behind the production includes: set designer, Es Devlin; costume designer, Katrina Lindsay; video designer, Luke Halls; lighting designer Jon Clark; composer and sound designer, Nick Powell; co-sound designer, Dominic Bilkey; music director, Candida Caldicot; movement director, Polly Bennett and West End director, Zoé Ford Burnett. Company voice work is by Charmian Hoare with casting by Jessica Ronane CDG. They are joined by associate director, Rory McGregor; associate casting director Abby Galvin and associate designer, Amalie White.
The Lehman Trilogy will run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from the 24th January to the 20th May 2023. To book tickets click here.