National announce new productions under the new Artistic Directorship of Nicholas Hytner

National announce new productions under the new Artistic Directorship of Nicholas Hytner

The National Theatre announce new productions under the new Artistic Directorship of Nicholas Hytner

Public boooking opens 24 Feb 03, if booking in person or by phone. Booking by fax/post opens 27 Jan 03. (Except Jerry Springer where public booking is already open)

New performance schedule click here!!

in the Olivier

Henry V
(Previews from 6 May 03, opens 13 May 03, booking to 1 Jul 03).
Directed by Nicholas Hytner, designed by Tim Hatley, lighting by Mark Henderson.
Starring Adrian Lester (Henry V), Penny Downie (Chorus)
Now, if these men do not die well, it will be a black matter for the King that led them to it. A charismatic leader in the flush of youth commits his troops to war. The risks are huge; the cause debatable; and bloodshed certain.

His Girl Friday
adapted by John Guare from The Front Page by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur
(Previews from 29 May 03, opens 5 June 03, booking to 5 Jul 03)
Directed by Jack O'Brien.
starring Alex Jennings (Walter Burns), Zoe Wanamaker (Hildy Johnson).
They're newspaper men, Mollie. They can't help themselves. The Lord made them that way. He'll stop at nothing to block his ex-wife's wedding. She'll sell her soul for a scoop. He'd kill his mother to get elected. He shot a man because he could.

in the Lyttelton

Jerry Springer The Opera
by Richard Thomas
(Previews from 9 Apr 03, opens 29 Apr 03, booking to 5 Jul 03).
Directed by Stewart Lee, designed by Julian Crouch, lighting by Rick Fisher, choreography by Jenny Arnold
Triumph, tragedy and trailer trash as high culture meets low culture. Jerry Springer - The Opera is a new opera based on America's most lurid talk sho

Jumpers
by Tom Stoppard
(from 7 Jun 03, opens 19 Jun 03, booking to 3 Jul 03) Directed by David Leveaux , designed by Vicki Mortimer, lighting by Paule Constable.
starring Simon Russell Beale (George Moore), John Rogan (Crouch ) Nicholas Woodeson (Bones).
Mental gymnastics, a pyramid of acrobats and a specially trained tortoise... Tom Stoppard's play about a moral philosopher, his musical-comedy-star wife, a moon landing and a body in the ballroom.

in the Cottesloe

Scenes From the Big Picture
by Owen McCafferty
(Previews from 2 Apr 03, opens 10 Apr 03, closes to 21 Jun 03).
Directed by Peter Gill , designed by Alison Chitty, lighting by Hartley T A Kemp
Starring Kathy Kiera Clarke, Ruairi Conaghan, Chris Corrigan, Darren Healy, Packy Lee, Karl Johnson, Gerard Jordan, Aoife McMahon, Eileen Pollock, Frances Tomelty, Harry Towb, June Watson.
24 hours. 20 characters. 40 scenes. Belfast City. An urban story.

Elmina's Kitchen
by Kwame Kwei-Armah
(Previews from 23 May 03, opens 29 May 03, booking to 17 Jun 03).
Directed by Angus Jackson, designed by Bunny Christie
Business is business, brother. The Yardies are eating up Hackney and Digger's protection smacks more of threat than promise. How can Deli save his son when temptation looms so large on Murder Mile?

Power
by Nick Dear
(previews from 27 Jun 03, opens 3 Jul 03, booking to 5 Jul 03).
Directed by Lindsay Posner,
starring Robert Lindsay
Who invented The Sun King? What became of him? Nick Dear's witty new play deals with the rise and fall of Nicolas Fouquet, chief financier to Louis XIV and creator of the chateau which inspired Versailles.

Also announced are future productions at the National in the Summer and beyond....

TALES FROM THE VIENNA WOODS
Olivier Theatre
Tales from the Vienna Woods by Ödön von Horváth, in a new version by David Harrower, will be directed by Richard Jones and designed by Nicky Gillibrand.

HIS DARK MATERIALS
Olivier Theatre
Philip Pullman's great epic His Dark Materials will be adapted into two plays by Nicholas Wright and directed by Nicholas Hytner, with designs by Giles Cadle, Jon Morrell and Michael Curry, lighting by Paule Constable, music by Jonathan Dove and movement by Aletta Collins.

CYRANO DE BERGERAC
Olivier Theatre
Howard Davies will direct Cyrano de Bergerac, a freely adapted version of Rostand's play by the Irish poet Derek Mahon, with Stephen Rea playing the title role.

THREE SISTERS
Lyttelton Theatre
Chekhov's Three Sisters, in a new version by Nicholas Wright, will be directed by Katie Mitchell and designed by Vicki Mortimer. This will be the first production of the play at the National since Laurence Olivier's celebrated 1967 production.

MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA
Lyttelton Theatre
Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra will be directed by Howard Davies

THE PILLOWMAN
Cottesloe Theatre
a new play by Martin McDonagh, will be directed by John Crowley.

THE PERMANENT WAY
Cottesloe Theatre
A new play by David Hare, directed by Max Stafford-Clark, in a co-production with Out of Joint.

NEW PLAY BY MICHAEL FRAYN
Cottesloe Theatre
There will be a new play by Michael Frayn, whose many plays include Copenhagen, Noises Off, Benefactors and Alphabetical Order.

THE MANDATE
Cottesloe Theatre
A lost comic masterpiece, The Mandate by Nikolai Erdman, in a version by Declan Donnellan, will be directed by Declan Donnellan and designed by Nick Ormerod.

NEW PLAY BY MIKE LEIGH
Cottesloe Theatre
There will be a new play by Mike Leigh, whose plays include Abigail's Party. His films include All or Nothing, Topsy Turvy, Secrets and Lies, Naked and Life is Sweet.

THEATRE OF BLOOD
There will be a co-production with Improbable Theatre of a new devised piece, Theatre of Blood, based on the 1970s MGM cult classic film. Improbable Theatre was formed by Phelim McDermott, Julian Crouch, Lee Simpson and Nick Sweeting; their productions include Cinderella, Coma, Spirit, Sticky and the forthcoming The Hanging Man. Phelim and Julian also collaborated on Shockheaded Peter.

Originally published on

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