Start of World War 1 commemorated at the Finborough

To commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the Finborough Theatre presents two productions to play for the month of August:

- The UK premiere (and English-language World Premiere) of Sommer 14 - A Dance of Death, written by Rolf Hochhuth, translated by Jennifer Bakst and adapted by Gwynne Edwards, from 5 to 30 Aug 2014.

- The centenary production of The Immortal Hour, with music by Rutland Boughton and libretto by 'Fiona Macleod' (who was was the pseudonym of Scottish author William Sharp), from 10 to 26 Aug 2014.

Sommer 14 - A Dance of Death will play Tuesday to Saturday evenings with matinees on Saturdays (from the second week of the run) and Sundays. It will be directed by Christopher Loscher and designed by Mike Lees.

Synopsis: 'In June 1914, Europe was enjoying unprecedented peace and prosperity. Little over a month later, the world was at war and only a handful of people knew it was happening. Inspired by the medieval mystery plays, 'Sommer 14 - A Dance of Death' is an epic telling from a German and European perspective of the world's descent into war. Employing the character of Death as a guide, the play uses the classic Danse Macabre structure of a series of vignettes to illuminate the people and the events that led up to the outbreak of the First World War.'

Sommer 14 - A Dance of Death is produced by Cerberus Theatre in association with the Finborough Theatre.

The Immortal Hour will play Sunday and Monday evenings and Tuesday matinees. It will be directed by Benji Sperring. The musical was written at the time of the outbreak of the First World War a hundred years ago.

Synopsis: 'The Immortal Hour is a magical fairy tale that draws heavily from Celtic folklore and mythology.'

The Immortal Hour is produced by Tarquin Productions in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre and by arrangement with Stainer and Bell Ltd.