Hampstead Theatre Downstairs Autumn 2014 Season

The Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, an 80-seat studio below the main stage, has announced its autumn season of three plays:

Four Minutes Twelve Seconds, in its full production debut, by James Fritz, directed by Anna Ledwich, from 2 October to 1 November 2014. Seventeen year old Jack is the apple of his mother's eye. Di and David have devoted their whole lives to giving him every opportunity they never had - and now Jack is smart, outgoing, and well on his way to achieving the grades to study Law at Durham University. But an incident outside the school gates threatens to ruin everything they've striven for, an incident that suggests a deep hatred of their son. As events accelerate, Di and David start to doubt Jack's closest friends, Jack himself, and ultimately themselves.

State Red, by Atiha Sen Gupta, from 7 November to 6 December 2014. Richard and Joyce have just returned home from the House of Lords - another late, boozy, gruelling, important social event that further cements Richard's chance of being promoted to Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. To their astonishment, and relief, they find their estranged son, Luke, fast asleep on the sofa. After a year's absence - and with only one email letting them know he was safe - where has he been, and why has he come back now? Could Luke's demons play hell with Richard's promotion?

Elephants, the first stage play by screenwriter, actress and novelist Rose Heiney, from 12 December 2014 to 17 January 2015. 5.53pm. Christmas Eve. Richard and Sally are waiting for their friends and family to join in the festivities - the tree is decorated, the wine is mulling, the presents are wrapped. But beneath this shiny façade, disastrous events from last Christmas have left their mark on the Llewellyn family and attempts to paper over it make for an explosive evening of surprising revelations and dark secrets exposed.

All three productions are presented by Hampstead Theatre and The Peter Wolff Trust.