‘The Normal Heart’ to play at National Theatre in 2021

The play will return to London for the first time in over thirty years.

UPDATE: In an article from The Guardian, The Normal Heart will open at some point in 2021. Details on performance dates and on sale dates are to be announced.

Following Death of England: Delroy and Dick Whittington, Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart will be at the National Theatre in 2021. Performances will be staged in-the-round.

First performed in 1985, The Normal Heart deals with the rise of HIV/AIDs in New York City in the early eighties. Kramer's autobiographical play transferred to London's Royal Court the following year, with Martin Sheen as Ned Weeks. The production then transferred to the Albery Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre).

The Normal Heart will be directed by Dominic Cooke, who says of the play: "As a student I was lucky enough to see the landmark Royal Court production of The Normal Heart starring Martin Sheen. It had a profound effect on me at the time and I've wanted to direct the play ever since. It is the rarest of things; a history play written by one of its key participants. It deals with the nature of political activism, the internal battle many LGBT people fight to feel worthy of love and, topically, the refusal of those in power to face the reality of an unfolding health crisis."

Ben Daniels will play Ned Weeks, a gay founder of a prominent HIV/AIDs advocacy group. The Olivier Award-winning actor is perhaps best known for playing Chris Keller in All My Sons. Danny Lee Wynter plays Tommy Boatwright, with Daniel Monks as Mickey Marcus and Stanley Townsend as Ben Weeks.

^{Article Updated 6 April 2021.}