Hampstead Theatre announces two final shows in 2021 season

New plays are by Miriam Battye and Nell Leyshon.

The two final plays in the Hampstead Theatre's reopening season have been announced, completing the works being presented in 2021. The pair of new works are Miriam Battye's adaptation of little scratch and Nell Leyshon's Folk.

Speaking about the season's conclusion, Hampstead Theatre's artistic director Roxana Silbert said: "Sound takes centre stage in both of our new Downstairs shows, as we welcome audiences to full capacity in the studio." 

Based on Rebecca Watson's 2020 novel of the same name, Miriam Battye adapts little scratch for the stage. Told over the course of 24 hours, little scratch follows a woman's consciousness as she unpacks the trauma of being raped. 

"I am so thrilled that little scratch has been adapted for stage. I'm a long-time fan of Katie Mitchell and have always thought of my novel as a kind of performance so this is a real dream for me." said author Rebecca Watson. 

little scratch is adapted by Battye, whose previous credits include Scenes With Girls at the Royal Court. Moronkẹ Akinola, Eleanor Henderson, Eve Ponsonby and Ragevan Vasan star, with a creative team including direction by Katie Mitchell, lighting design by Bethany Gupwell and sound design  by Melanie Wilson. little scratch runs at Hampstead Downstairs from 5 November - 11 December. 

After a radio premiere earlier this year, Nell Leyshon's Folk receives an in-person premiere at Hampstead Downstairs from 18 December - 5 Feb. 2022. Set in early twentieth-century Somerset, Folk considers what music should be considered as "English, and is inspired by two sisters who lived near the village that playwright Neil Leyshon grew up in.

Leyshon is an Olivier Award-nominated playwright, whose works include Comfort Me With Apples and Glass Eels. Roxana Silbert will direct Ben Allen, Sasha Frost, Mariam Haque and Simon Robson, joined by a creative team including scenic design by Rose Revitt, lighting design by Matt Haskins and sound design by Tingying Dong.

Later this year, the Hampstead Theatre will be home to revivals of 'night Mother starring Stockard Channing and Peggy For You starring Tamsin Greig.

^{Photo credit: Hampstead Theatre (Photo courtesy of Hampstead Theatre)}