Almeida announces new plays as part of forthcoming season

The Almeida Theatre has announced three brand new plays as part of its forthcoming season.

The season begins with a new play by Mike Bartlett called Albion. Directed by Rupert Goold, the play is set in rural England and follows the pair's collaboration on King Charles III, which opened at the theatre in 2014. It will star Victoria Hamilton, whose recent television appearances include playing the Queen Mother in Netflix series The Crown. The production will have designs by Miriam Buether, lighting by Neil Austin, and runs from 17^th October to 24^th November.

The season will also see the world premiere of The Twilight Zone, a play based on US TV series by Rod Serling, Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson. The TV show, which has been adapted by Anne Washburn, was an anthology of different thriller stories and aired in the US in the '50s.  A film followed, and this is the first time it has been seen on the stage. It will be directed by Olivier Award winner Richard Jones when it runs from 5^th December to 27^th January.

In 2018, Rebecca Frecknall will direct a new production of the Tennessee Williams play Summer and Smoke. The play is set in Mississippi at the beginning of the 20^th century, and follows Alma Winemiller, the unmarried daughter of a minister. The ensemble cast will be led by Patsy Ferran, who recently appeared in Speech and Debate at Trafalgar Studios. It will run from 24^th February to 7^th April.

A West End transfer of Ink has also been announced. It will run at the Duke of York's from September, and a transfer of the Almeida's Mary Stuart, directed by Robert Icke, will follow in January.

Announcing the new season, artistic director Rupert Goold said: "We are thrilled to present three major new productions at the Almeida, including two world premieres and one rare revival.

"Spanning the Atlantic and beyond, this season is a timely and limitless interrogation into contemporary cultural anxieties and the power we have over our own lives."

The theatre has also announced a second series of Figures of Speech, the Almeida's video project celebrating great speeches from history. The second series will feature performances by Derek Jacobi, Noma Dumezweni, Russell Tovey, Pearl Mackie and John Heffernan.

Photo credit: David Holt (flickr)