Theater News

Tom Brooke, Lesley Manville, Jim Norton, et al. Set for National Theatre Shows

Lesley Manville
Lesley Manville

The National Theatre has announced additional details about some of its upcoming shows.


The Veil, a new play about a haunted house hemmed in by a restless, starving community written and directed by Conor McPherson, will begin performances on September 27. It will feature Brid Brennan, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Ursula Jones, Peter McDonald, Jim Norton, Adrian Schiller, Emily Taaffee and Fenella Woolgar. Rae Smith will design the production, which will have lighting by Neil Austin and sound by Paul Arditti.

The previously announced revival of Arnold Wesker’s The Kitchen, about life in the kitchen of a 1950s London restaurant, will begin performances on August 31. Directed by Bijan Shelbani, the production will feature Neal Barry, Tom Brooke, Ian Burfield, Rebecca Davies, Stavros Demetraki, Craige Els, Ruth Gibson, Colin Haigh, Rendah Heywood, Tendayi Jembere, Siobhán McSweeney, Gerard Monaco, Sarah Mowat, Bruce Myers, Vincenzo Nicoli, Luke Norris, Jessica Regan, Samuel Roukin, Tim Samuels, Sam Swann, Stephanie Thomas and Rosie Thomson. It will be designed by Giles Cadle, with costumes by Moritz Junge, lighting by Mark Henderson, and sound and music by Dan Jones.


Mike Leigh’s new, untitled play, which will begin performances on September 14, will feature Ruby Bentall, Lesley Manville, Marion Bailey, David Horovitch, Sam Kelly, and Wendy Nottingham.

The principal singers for Jonathan Miller’s staging of Bach’s St Matthew Passion (September 17-October 2). will be Sally Bruce-Payne, Ruby Hughes, Benjamin Hulett, James Laing, Andrew Staples, and Mark Stone, along with a chorus drawn from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Newly added to the theater’s schedule is Mike Bartlett’s 13 (beginning performances October 18). The work, about a group of Londoners all waking up from the same dream and one young man with a vision for the future, will be directed by Thea Sharrock. Casting will be announced shortly.

The theater’s schedule also includes offerings that will be part of the 400th anniversary celebration for the King James Bible (October 8 – November 6), which will feature readings of twelve extracts for the work, edited by Edward Kemp. Casting and scheduling details will be announced in the near future.

In related news, it has been announced that subsequent to its run at the National, One Man, Two Guvnors, will launch a U.K. tour, with its original cast, including James Corden. Tour engagements include Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury (September 27 – October 1), Theatre Royal, Plymouth (October 4-8), The Lowry, Salford (October 11-15), New Alexandra thaetre, Birmingham (October 18-22) and King’s Theatre, Edinburgh (October 24-29). In addition, the piece will be the opening offering in the new season of NT Live, HD broadcasts of National productions, with an initial airing on September 15.

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