New Alan Bennett and Lucinda Coxon plays to premiere at the Bridge Theatre

New plays by Alan Bennett and Lucinda Coxon will be directed by Nicholas Hytner at his new London theatre, the Bridge Theatre. 

Bennett's Allejujah! will begin previews in July. It is set in a small hospital serving a town in the Pennines as a documentary crew follow the staff's struggle to find enough beds to its patients. The play reunited Hytner and Bennett after their work on The History Boys and The Lady in the Van. With lighting by Natasha Chivers and music by George Fenton, it will open on 18th July and run until 28th September. 

Lucinda Coxon's Alys, Always is based on the 2012 novel by Harriet Lane. It is a psychological thriller about a quiet newspaper writer, Frances, whose life changes when she discovers a car crash and waits with the injured driver, Alys. It will run at the Bridge Theatre from 23rd January to 30th March 2019, with an opening night on 30th January. 

The theatre has also announced an evening of works inspired by the life and work of composer Shostakovich, curated by Simon Russell Beale. Taking place on 5th March 2018, Beale will be joined by Nikki Amuka-Bird and Andrew Scott to perform a number of poems and dramatic readings, as well as a performance of the composer's masterpiece String Quartet No. 8 by the Carducci Quartet. 

Currently, Ben Whishaw is starring at the Bridge Theatre in Julius Caesar in wha tis the second production at the Bridge, following the opening production of Young Marx last year.