11 Theatre Shows to Book This Season
Clyde’s
If you were hooked by The Bear on Disney+ or BBC iPlayer’s Boiling Point, there’s more kitchen drama in this new play by American playwright Lynn Nottage, who’s teamed up with long-time collaborator and director Lynette Linton. Clyde’s is set in the bustling kitchen of a run-down Pennsylvania truck stop. The staff are ex-offenders who have been given a second chance. Under the tyrannical eye of their boss Clyde, this unlikely team strives to create the perfect sandwich, as they dream of leaving their past mistakes behind for a better life.
Donmar Warehouse; until 2nd Dec
A Christmas Carol
Matthew Warchus's stage adaptation of Charles Dickens's timeless classic is back. Adapted for the stage by Jack Thorne, this production stars Emmy winner Christopher Eccleston as the miserable skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge. When he’s visited by the ghost of his former business partner and three Christmas spirits, he must reassess his own humanity.
Old Vic; 11th Nov-6th Jan
The Homecoming
Directed by Olivier-nominated Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story), this is a fresh perspective on Harold Pinter's seminal play. In a modest east London home, a family of butchers and boxers live in relative peace. But, when the scholarly son returns home from America with a mysterious wife, it ignites a peculiar power struggle between husband, wife and in-laws. An impressive cast includes Jared Harris (Mad Men), Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders) and Lisa Diveney (Call the Midwife).
Young Vic; 27th Nov-27th Jan
Ulster American
Northern Irish playwright David Ireland’s award-winning social satire Ulster American opens at Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios next month. Starring Woody Harrelson, Andy Serkis and Louisa Harland, this meta play tells the story of an Oscar-winning actor, an English director and a Northern Irish playwright as they kick off rehearsals for a play that has the potential to reshape their careers. Soon, they realise their views are not aligned and chaos begins to unfold. This black comedy explores the power dynamics at play – as well as the difficulties of being a woman in the entertainment industry.
Riverside Studios; 4th Dec-27th Jan
Macbeth
David Tennant returns to the West End stage to star in one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies – and it’s the first time he’s played Macbeth during his 30-year career. The classic play covers love and murder, power and nature, and the internal struggles of a damaged man as he tries to control his destiny. This fresh take places the audience inside the mind of Macbeth, asking how responsible we are for our actions. Tennant will be joined by Cush Jumbo (Hamlet, The Good Fight) as Lady Macbeth.
Donmar Theatre; 8th Dec-10th Feb
The Motive and The Cue
Following its sold-out run at the National, The Motive and The Cue – written by Jack Thorne and directed by Hollywood great Sam Mendes – is back for a spell at the Noël Coward. The Motive and The Cue is inspired by the making of Richard Burton and Sir John Gielgud’s Broadway production of Hamlet in 1964. Burton (Johnny Flynn) has just married Elizabeth Taylor (Tuppence Middleton) and rehearsals are underway. As the production progresses, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director threatens to unravel.
Noël Coward Theatre; 9th Dec-23rd Mar
Mark Douet
Ķīn
In 1932, Leah and her family fled persecution, embarking on a voyage from Yemen to Palestine. Now, 90 years later, her grandson Amit Lahav (artistic director of theatre company Gecko) contemplates the life-altering choice his family made to try and forge a brighter future. Moving, visceral and thought provoking, this production is inspired by the migration stories of Gecko’s international performers as well as the extraordinary voyage Leah undertook as a young child.
National Theatre; 12th-27th Jan
Hills of California
After the success of their multi-award-winning play The Ferryman, screenwriter Jez Butterworth has teamed up with director Sam Mendes again on this new play at the Harold Pinter. Fresh from directing The Lehman Trilogy to rave reviews, Mendes has taken on a very different project in the form of Hills of California, set in 1970s Blackpool. It has been the driest summer for 200 years. The beaches are packed, the hotels are heaving. In the sweltering backstreets, far from the ice-creams and donkey rides, the Webb sisters are returning to their mother’s run-down guest house, as she lies dying upstairs…
Harold Pinter Theatre; from 27th Jan
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Succession star and Golden Globe-winner Sarah Snook is set to star in a one-woman adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic tale. Directed by Kip Williams, Snook will take on all 26 roles in this witty take on the gothic novel about greed, capitalism and vanity. With video compilations alongside the live performance, it’s set to be a unique show.
Theatre Royal Haymarket; 6th Feb-11th May
Enemy of the People
Matt Smith leads the cast in this new interpretation of an Ibsen classic from director Thomas Ostermeier. An Enemy of the People explores the battle between truth and power in a society driven by wealth. When Dr Stockmann makes an unbelievable discovery about the healing waters in his local baths, he holds the future of the town in his hands, but those with everything to lose refuse to accept his word. As the battle goes beyond contaminated water, barriers are broken – literally and figuratively.
Duke of York Theatre; 6th Feb-6th Apr
Nye
Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan, the father the NHS, never made it to 10 Downing Street. Facing imminent death, Michael Sheen plays the Labour politician in this surreal journey through his life, from childhood and coal mining to his transgression in parliament and battles with Winston Churchill. Written by Tim Price and directed by Rufus Norris, Nye explores the legacy of the man who transformed Britain's welfare state.
National Theatre; 24th Feb-11th May
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