Back to News & Press Ruth Wilson to star in The Human Voice Friday, 26 November 2021 Sonia Friedman Productions today announces that Ruth Wilson will star in Ivo van Hove ’s adaptation of Jean Cocteau ’s The Human Voice , which he also directs with design by Jan Versweyveld , originally produced by Internationaal Theater Amsterdam . The production opens at the Harold Pinter Theatre on 22 March, with previews from 17 March, and runs for three weeks only until 9 April. Booking opens today, with tickets from just £5, and over 300 tickets at each performance at £25 or under. Ruth Wilson said today, “I am absolutely thrilled to be collaborating again with Ivo and Jan on this wonderful, heartbreaking and deeply human monologue from Jean Cocteau. A woman alone with only her phone as companion, Cocteau explores the nature of intimate relations through inanimate objects. In a world in which are all addicted to and dependent on our phones, this play from the 1930s couldn’t feel more prescient. Ivo is the perfect director to bring Cocteau’s play to life as both share a love of the absurd as a mirror to truth.” Sonia Friedman added, “It’s a privilege to begin the New Year in reuniting the extraordinary talents of two incredible theatre makers – Ruth Wilson and Ivo van Hove, bringing to London Ivo’s adaptation of Jean Cocteau’s The Human Voice , an intimate, captivating and devastatingly raw monologue.” “We’ve never been more connected. We’ve never been more alone. Two-time Olivier Award-winner Ruth Wilson stars in The Human Voice - the searing story of a woman's heartbreak over the course of a final phone call with her former lover. Reunited with groundbreaking director Ivo van Hove for the first time since their acclaimed Hedda Gabler, Ruth Wilson returns to the West End for 31 performances in this explosive reimagining of one of theatre’s greatest roles. Jean Cocteau’s stunning monologue is more illuminating about love and loneliness than ever .” Supported by Arts Council England Produced with the kind permission of the Chairman of the Comite Jean Cocteau Up Up

Back to News & Press New York New York: A New Musical, coming to Broadway March 2023 Wednesday, 26 October 2022 Producers Sonia Friedman and Tom Kirdahy are proud to announce the brand new Kander & Ebb musical, NEW YORK, NEW YORK , will begin performances Friday, March 24, 2023 and officially open Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at Broadway’s St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street). Featuring music and lyrics by Tony, Emmy & Grammy Award winners and Academy Award nominees John Kander & Fred Ebb (Chicago, Cabaret ), written by Tony Award nominee David Thompson (The Scottsboro Boys, Steel Pier ), co-written by Sharon Washington (Audible’s Feeding The Dragon ) and featuring additional lyrics by Pulitzer, Tony, Emmy & Grammy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In The Heights ), NEW YORK, NEW YORK will be directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman (The Producers, The Scottsboro Boys ). This new musical is inspired by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Motion Picture New York, New York written by Earl M. Rauch. Producers Sonia Friedman and Tom Kirdahy said, “The great John Kander said to us recently, when referring to his time in New York City in the years following the end of World War II, “the possibility of a future was always there.” Perhaps the same could be said of living and working in New York City today. Once again, the city is bursting with energy, new hope, and the sense that anything is possible – feelings that lie at the very heart of our musical NEW YORK, NEW YORK . Bringing the legendary music from John Kander and the late Fred Ebb back to Broadway, is a great honor and joy. We can’t wait to share the music, dance, stories and characters of New York with Broadway audiences this spring." Composer John Kander said, “In 1945, World War II ended. In the years that immediately followed, hundreds of thousands of ex-servicemen and women – myself included – descended on New York City, a tough, gritty, beautiful dream palace, filled with youthful energy and optimism. ‘The sadness is over! This is where I can become the person I was meant to become!’ And this is the New York of our story.” Director and choreographer Susan Stroman said,” I feel very grateful to be collaborating with John Kander, David Thompson and Sharon Washington again. The four of us have loved being in the musical theater trenches creating New York, New York — a show that celebrates the city’s resilience and all the characters that inhabit it. The show is inspired by Kander and Ebb's famous song ‘New York New York’ – ‘I want to be a part of it.’ New York is music — a city that is always in motion. Everything moves with its own distinct rhythm. This allows for dance sequences to drive the story telling, pulling our various characters through famous locations throughout the city. They come from everywhere to pursue something that can only happen in New York — because fortunes can change in a New York minute.” Writer David Thompson said, “In New York, you turn left instead of right, and you either step into a pothole, or meet the love of your life. It’s a city of the highest highs and the lowest lows – there’s no in-between. We have the biggest snowstorms, the most torrential rainstorms, the hottest heat waves. And still, we’re passionate about this city. And that’s what drives the characters in our story. It’s the opportunities – and the obstacles – that create an incredible alchemy that can only happen in New York.” Co-writer Sharon Washington said, “I’m a proud Native New Yorker. Born and raised. My family has lived in every borough of the city and specifically in Manhattan since 1835. My roots and the stories of the people of ‘the city that never sleeps’ run deep. In New York, New York we bring some of these many and varied characters, neighborhoods, languages, sounds and rhythms of the city to life. A powerful combination of incredible opportunity, obstacles, persistence and luck. Our story is a valentine to New York where the city itself becomes another character.” A brand-new musical bringing Broadway legends back together, NEW YORK, NEW YORK is a glittering love letter to the greatest city in the world. Featuring an exhilarating new score by the incomparable John Kander and Fred Ebb , an original story by David Thompson with Sharon Washington, additional lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and visionary direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, NEW YORK, NEW YORK will whisk you right through the very heart of the city that never sleeps. It is 1946, the war is over, and a resurgent New York is beginning to rebuild. As steel beams swing overhead, a collection of artists has dreams as big and diverse as the city itself. But do these singers, dancers, musicians and makers have what it takes to survive this place, let alone to succeed? If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere. NEW YORK, NEW YORK is a spectacular show for a singular city. With a unique blend of dazzling new songs and big band classics (“New York, New York,” “The World Goes Round”), this jubilant new musical is destined to become the talk of the town. Be a part of it. Tickets for NEW YORK, NEW YORK are now on-sale at www.NewYorkNewYorkBroadway.com . NEW YORK, NEW YORK marks the first new John Kander & Fred Ebb musical to open on Broadway since 2015’s The Visit , which was nominated for 5 Tony Awards including Best Musical. The legendary duo is also currently represented on Broadway with Chicago , which holds the distinction of being the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. This production reunites John Kander with director and choreographer Susan Stroman and book writer David Thompson , who collaborated with both John Kander & Fred Ebb on Broadway’s The Scottsboro Boys , which was nominated for 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and Steel Pier , which was nominated for 11 Tony Awards including Best Musical, as well as Off-Broadway productions of The Beast in the Jungle, And the World Goes ‘Round and the revival of Flora and the Red Menace . Casting and additional creative team members will be announced at a later date. NEW YORK, NEW YORK is produced by Sonia Friedman and Tom Kirdahy , in association with MGM ON STAGE and Chartoff-Winkler . Follow NEW YORK, NEW YORK at @nynybway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & TikTok. For more information visit www.NewYorkNewYorkBroadway.com . To stay up to date with all things SFP, subscribe to our newsletter . Up Up

Back to News & Press Bend It Like Beckham to play its final performance on 5 March 2016 Wednesday, 13 January 2016 Rehearsals began for the critically acclaimed production in March 2015 with a company led by Natalie Dew as Jess and Lauren Samuels as Jules. The Producers are currently finalising both national and international touring offers including a tour of India visiting multiple stadia. Bend It Like Beckham The Musical is directed by Gurinder Chadha, with original music by Howard Goodall and lyrics by Charles Hart, new book by Paul Mayeda Berges & Gurinder Chadha; choreography and musical staging by Aletta Collins; set design by Miriam Buether; costume design by Katrina Lindsay; lighting design by Neil Austin; sound design by Richard Brooker; musical direction by Nigel Lilley and orchestrations by Howard Goodall & Kuljit Bhamra. Gurinder Chadha said: "I am incredibly proud of the Bend It Like Beckham cast, musicians, production and creative teams. We opened at the Phoenix Theatre to the most amazing five star reviews and we've inspired and entertained people of all ages and all backgrounds, something I have not seen in the West End for many years. I set out to tell our stories from my perspective of our multicultural London. Our show celebrates all of us on stage and behind the scenes, something myself and the team worked so well together to realise. From the responses I have received since we opened there is a genuine hunger for to us to tell our story internationally so as well as planning a UK tour for the show, we are now working on expanding the production for a proposed tour of India to include multiple stadia. Whether in the UK or abroad, Bend It Like Beckham will continue to defy expectations and proudly represent and celebrate the UK we all know and love." ★★★★★ Daily Mail, Sunday Express, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Mail on Sunday, The Stage, The Sunday Telegraph ★★★★ Daily Express, Financial Times, London Evening Standard, Metro, The Times, Time Out As well as topping Time Out’s Best West End Musical poll, Bend It Like Beckham The Musical The Musical was shortlisted for the Evening Standard Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical and Natalie Dew was shortlisted for the Evening Standard’s Newcomer in a Musical Award. Bend It Like Beckham The Musical won the Best Stage Production at the Asian Media Awards which took place earlier this year. Lauren Samuels is nominated for this year’s What’s On Stage Best Supporting Actress in a Musical award and Bend It Like Beckham is nominated for Best New Musical. The cast is led by Natalie Dew (Jess) with Lauren Samuels (Jules), Jamie Muscato (Joe), Sophie-Louise Dann (Paula), Jamal Andréas (Tony), Preeya Kalidas (Pinky), Tony Jayawardena (Mr Bhamra) and Natasha Jayetileke (Mrs Bhamra). Sohm Kapila, Buckso Dhillon-Woolley and Harveen Mann play Aunties, Irvine Iqbal and Karl Seth play Uncles, with Sejal Keshwala, Serina Mathew and Sharan Phull as Cousins. Rakesh Boury, Jorell Coiffic-Kamall, Tom Millen, Daniel Bolton play footballers, with Teetu played by Raj Bajaj. The Harriers are played by Michelle Bishop, Lisa Bridge, Chloe Chambers, Genesis Lynea, Kayleigh McKnight, Leanne Pinder, Kirstie Skivington and Danielle Young. Rekha Sawhney and Shahid Khan are the production’s Indian Heritage Singers. Bend It Like Beckham The Musical is a celebratory fusion of culture, music, emotions and fun, bursting with warmth, humour and heart. Jess needs extra time. She is facing the most important decision of her life: live up to family expectations of university, career and marriage, or follow in the footsteps of her hero David Beckham. When the talented teenager is spotted playing football in Southall, a world of unexpected opportunities opens up before her. But as her sister’s traditional Indian wedding approaches, can she keep her family happy and still follow her dreams? The cast CD was released in September 2015 by Sony Classical, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Recorded over several performances at the Phoenix Theatre to capture the excitement of a live performance, the original cast album which features seventeen tracks from the show including Girl Perfect, Heer, Bend It, People Like Us, UB2 and Glorious, made the number one slot in the Itunes soundtrack album chart. Bend It Like Beckham The Musical is produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Deepak Nayar Productions, Bend It Films, Fischer & Vaswani Productions, Tanya Link Productions & Zeilinger Productions, Lost Marbles & Two Way Split, Delman Jacobson, DOIT Media & Entertainment (India) and Reliance Entertainment. Up Up

Back to News & Press London cast recording of Funny Girl to be released on 5th August Tuesday, 12 July 2016 Together with Darius Campbell and the London cast, Smith delivers her much lauded performances of some of the most iconic songs in film and theatre history, including People , You Are Woman, I Am Man and Don't Rain on My Parade - perfectly captured on this recording for all to experience. BAFTA and multi Olivier Award-winner Sheridan Smith OBE has earned rave reviews for her sensational performance in the musical – with the Evening Standard declaring that she “triumphantly reinvents Brice for a new generation of musical theatre lovers”. This musical tells the fascinating and bitter-sweet life story of the Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice, whose vocal talents and comedic ability saw her rise from Brooklyn music hall singer to Broadway star, and her tempestuous relationship with gambler Nicky Arnstein. With music by one of America’s all-time great songwriters, Jule Styne (‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’, ‘Gypsy’), lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart , the musical first opened on Broadway in 1964, transferring to London in 1966. Michael Mayer ’s new production of Funny Girl , produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Scott Landis Productions and Chocolate Factory Productions is currently playing at the Savoy Theatre until 8 October, following its record-breaking run at the Menier Chocolate Factory. 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the original London production of Funny Girl , so what better way to celebrate the legendary musical than with a new album to capture the sound of the show – and its remarkable leading lady – for years to come. Up Up

Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman: Everyone was looking to me, so I took the decision Tuesday, 16 March 2021 Sonia Friedman said, ‘In March 2020, I had 19 productions either running or about to go into rehearsals around the world. On March 6, I wrote in a notebook: “Prepare for a shutdown of six, eight or 12 weeks. Discuss ramifications of a 12-week shutdown with theatre owners and mitigating actions.” That’s what the thinking was. At 5pm on the 16th, the public was told not to go to the theatre, but there was no mandate to shut us down. There was about 10 minutes of “What am I meant to do?” Everyone was looking to me, so I took the decision. I sent each of my associate producers to the theatres and said ‘Tell them we can’t continue’. I then had to start dismantling dozens of productions. It was a while before the enormity of it hit me. It was very distressing and I don’t quite know why I didn’t have a breakdown but I was close to it. It took me about 15 weeks to go back to the West End. I stood outside Leopoldstadt at the Wyndham’s, having passed Harry Potter on the way. The scale of the loss was so immense, I thought: ‘How do we come back from this?’” I’m still asking that question.’ Full article can be read here . Up Up

Back to Productions MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG – DIGITAL Cinema screenings took place in the UK in October 2013, and in early 2014 in the United States. ★★★★★ It is, make no mistake, one of the great musical productions of this or any era. The Independent The production was filmed by Digital Theatre and distributed by Cinema Live in the UK, and SpectiCast and Fathom Events in the US. The film was released in more than 1000 cinemas around the world, including the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, Russia, and the United States. Merrily We Roll Along was the first Digital Theatre film to be screened in the United States. The one-night-only screening took place on October 23, 2013. The screening was sold out in advance, and late-night screenings were added to help meet the demand for tickets. Starting in December 2013, Digital Theatre made the film available for digital download for almost a year. On October 22, 2014, Digital Theatre held a “final online global watchalong,” encouraging viewers to share the viewing experience by tweeting with the hashtag #MerrilyOnScreen. After the global online screening, the film was removed from the site. ★★★★★ Maria Friedman’s glorious revival, rightly transferred to the West End. The Daily Telegraph Set over three decades in the entertainment business Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between three friends Franklin, Mary and Charley. Starting in 1980 and travelling backwards in time, this powerful and moving story features some of Sondheim’s most beautiful songs including ‘Good Thing Going’, ‘Not a Day Goes By’ and ‘Old Friends’. ★★★★★ The most intelligent, gripping, brilliant musical in town, perfectly realised. Anyone with a heart should come out reeling. The Times CAST MARK UMBERS – Franklin Shepard DAMIAN HUMBLEY – Charley Kringas JENNA RUSSELL – Mary Flynn CLARE FOSTER – Beth Spencer JOSEFINA GABRIELLE – Gussie Carnegie GLYN KERSLAKE – Joe Josephson ZIZI STRALLEN – Meg MATTHEW BARROW – Ensemble MARTIN CALLAGHAN – Ensemble AMANDA MINIHAN – Ensemble AMY ELLEN RICHARDSON – Ensemble ROBBIE SCOTCHER – Ensemble CREATIVES GEORGE FURTH – Book STEPHEN SONDHEIM – Lyrics and Music MARIA FRIEDMAN – Director CATHERINE JAYES – Musical Director JONATHAN TUNICK – Orchestrations TIM JACKSON – Choreographer SOUTRA GILMOUR – Designer DAVID HERSEY – Lighting Designer GARETH OWEN – Sound Designer

Back to News & Press Drama Desk nominations announced Monday, 3 May 2010 The nominations for the 2009-10 Drama Desk Awards were announced yesterday, with LA CAGE AUX FOLLES receiving 7 nominations and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE both receiving 3 nominations: Outstanding Revival of a Play A View From the Bridge Outstanding Revival of a Musical A Little Night Music La Cage aux Folles Outstanding Actor in a Play Liev Schreiber, A View From the Bridge Outstanding Actor in a Musical Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles Outstanding Actress in a Musical Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Scarlett Johansson, A View From the Bridge Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Robin de Jesus, La Cage aux Folles Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music Outstanding Director of a Musical Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles Outstanding Choreography Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles Outstanding Costume Design Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles It was also announced that Jerry Herman would be honoured with a special award for "enchanting and dazzling audiences with his exuberant music and heartfelt lyrics for more than half a century". Up Up

Back to News & Press Trevor Nunn's critically acclaimed production of Fiddler on the Roof transfers to the West End Friday, 25 January 2019 Trevor Nunn ’s critically acclaimed production of Fiddler on the Roof with Andy Nyman and Judy Kuhn transfers to the reconfigured Playhouse Theatre from 21 March for a limited run - with over 25,000 tickets at £20 or less across the run. The production, which opens on 27 March, with previews from 21 March, and is booking until 15 June, is currently running at the Menier, where it completes its sell-out run on 9 March. Public booking opens on 6 February. The full cast for the transfer will be announced shortly. ★★★★ ‘A resounding success. This one is pretty perfect.’ Financial Times Direct from its sold-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Tony and Olivier award-winning director Trevor Nunn’s ‘exuberant revival’ (Daily Telegraph) of the classic Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof transfers to the West End for a strictly limited run. The Playhouse Theatre will be specially transformed into an immersive space for this ‘shiveringly intimate chamber musical about family’ (The Times). Old traditions and young love collide in this joyous and timely celebration of life. Tevye’s daughters’ unexpected choice of husbands opens his heart to new possibilities, as his close-knit community also feel winds of change blowing through their tiny village. Featuring the iconic score including ‘Tradition’, ‘Matchmaker, Matchmaker’, ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ and ‘If I Were a Rich Man’, and packed with Jerome Robbins’ original Tony award-winning choreography, Fiddler on the Roof ‘bursts from the stage’ (Financial Times), bringing new life to one of the most beloved musicals of all time. Andy Nyman is an award-winning actor, director and writer who has earned acclaim from both critics and audiences for his work in theatre, film and television. As well as Fiddler on the Roof , his work for the Menier includes Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins and Abigail’s Party (also Wyndham’s Theatre). Other theatre work includes Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen (Wyndham’s Theatre), and the original production of Ghost Stories (Duke of York’s Theatre/Arts Theatre) which he starred in, co-wrote and co-directed with Jeremy Dyson. His extensive television credits include Wanderlust, The Eichmann Show , Campus, Crooked House , Dead Set as well as his highly acclaimed performance as Winston Churchill in Peaky Blinders . This year he will be seen in the up and coming series Hanna . Nyman’s extensive film credits include The Commuter , Death at a Funeral , Kick-Ass 2 , Black Death , The Brother’s Bloom , Severance and Shut Up & Shoot Me , for which he won the ‘Best Actor’ award at the Cherbourg Film Festival in 2006. Upcoming films include Jungle Cruise and playing opposite Renee Zellweger in Judy . This year saw the release of the film version of Ghost Stories . Based on their own play, the film was written and directed by Nyman and Jeremy Dyson. Nyman also stars alongside Martin Freeman and Paul Whitehouse. In addition, he has collaborated with Derren Brown for almost 20 years, co-writing and co-creating much of Brown's early TV work, he has also co-written and directed six of Brown’s stage shows winning the ‘Best Entertainment’ Olivier Award for Derren Brown - Something Wicked This Way Comes and recently a New York Drama Desk Award for ‘Best Unique Theatrical Event 2017’ for Derren Brown - Secret . Judy Kuhn plays Golde. A four-time Tony Award nominee, she has released four studio albums, and sang the title role in the 1995 film Pocahontas , including her rendition of the song "Colors of the Wind", which won its composers the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Her theatre credits include Fun Home (Public Theater/Circle In The Square Theatre), She Loves Me (Brooks Atkinson Theater), Chess , The Mystery of Edwin Drood (The Imperial Theatre), Les Miserables (Broadhurst Theatre), Rags (Mark Hellinger Theatre),Two Shakespearean Actors (Lincoln Center Theatre), King David (New Amsterdam Theater) and Metropolis (Piccadilly Theatre - Olivier Award Nomination), The Visit (The Williamstown Theater Festival), Passion , The Cradle Will Rock (City Center), Three Sisters (Intiman Theatre), Passion (Kennedy Center), Sunset Boulevard , Eli’s Comin’ , Dream True (Vineyard Theatre), The Ballad of Little Jo (Steppenwolf Theater), The Glass Menagerie (McCarter Theatre), Martin Guerre (Hartford Stage) and Endangered Species (BAM). Her film credits include Enchanted , Day on Fire , Pocahontas and Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World . From 1968 to 1986, Trevor Nunn was the youngest ever Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, directing over thirty productions, including most of the Shakespeare canon, as well as Nicholas Nickleby and Les Misérables . From 1997 to 2003, he was Artistic Director of the National Theatre, where his productions included Troilus and Cressida, Oklahoma! , The Merchant of Venice , Summerfolk , My Fair Lady , A Streetcar Named Desire , Anything Goes and Love’s Labour’s Lost . He has directed the world premières of Tom Stoppard’s plays Arcadia , The Coast of Utopia and Rock n Roll ; and of Cats , Sunset Boulevard, Starlight Express and Aspects of Love by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Other theatre includes Timon of Athens , Skellig (Young Vic); The Lady From The Sea (Almeida Theatre); Hamlet , Richard II , Inherit the Wind (The Old Vic), A Little Night Music (Menier Chocolate Factory, West End and Broadway), Cyrano de Bergerac , Kiss Me Kate (Chichester Festival Theatre); Heartbreak House , Flare Path , Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead , The Tempest (Theatre Royal, Haymarket); Scenes from a Marriage (Coventry & St James), All That Fall (Jermyn Street & New York); A Chorus of Disapproval and Relative Values (West End). Work for television includes Antony and Cleopatra , The Comedy of Errors , Macbeth , Three Sisters , Othello , The Merchant of Venice and King Lear , and on film, Hedda , Lady Jane and Twelfth Night . Up Up

Back to News & Press 1984 returns to Playhouse Theatre for 12-week season Monday, 4 April 2016 Following a sell-out international tour, this critically and publicly acclaimed production of 1984 will return to the Playhouse Theatre in London’s West End this summer. George Orwell ’s dystopian masterpiece, adapted by Olivier Award-winner Robert Icke and Olivier Award-nominee Duncan Macmillan , will preview from 14 June 2016, with the press night on 28 June 2016. Now seen by over a quarter of a million people, this Headlong, Nottingham Playhouse and Almeida Theatre production premiered at Nottingham Playhouse in September 2013. Since opening, 1984 has played to packed houses at the Almeida Theatre, as well as throughout its two West End runs and in performances across the globe during national and international tours. 101 seats for every performance will be available for £19.84. April, 1984. 13:00. Comrade 6079, Winston Smith, thinks a thought, starts a diary and falls in love. But Big Brother is always watching. The definitive book of the 20th century is re-examined in a radical, award-winning adaptation exploring surveillance, identity and why Orwell’s vision of the future is as relevant now as ever. 1984 is directed by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan with Daniel Raggett , set and costume is designed by Chloe Lamford , with lighting designed by Natasha Chivers , sound designed by Tom Gibbons and video designed by Tim Reid . George Orwell ’s 1984, published in 1949, is one of the most influential novels in recent history, with its chilling depiction of perpetual war, pervasive government surveillance and incessant public mind-control. Its ideas have become our ideas, and Orwell’s fiction is often said to be our reality. Robert Icke has directed numerous productions as Almeida Associate Director including his own adaptations of Uncle Vanya and Oresteia (which transferred to Trafalgar Studios, and for which he won the Olivier, Critics' Circle and Evening Standard Awards for Best Director), The Fever at The May Fair Hotel and Mr Burns . Robert’s work as a director also includes Boys and Romeo and Juliet for Headlong. He will make his National Theatre debut directing The Red Barn at the Lyttleton Theatre in October. Duncan Macmillan ’s plays include People, Places and Things (nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Play) which opened at the National Theatre and has transferred to the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End; Every Brilliant Thing for Paines Plough on tour in the UK, New York, Australia and New Zealand; and Lungs for Paines Plough and at Schaubühne in Berlin, directed by Katie Mitchell. Up Up

Back to News & Press To Kill A Mockingbird opens in the West End to critical acclaim and immediately extends due to public demand Thursday, 31 March 2022 Barry Diller and Sonia Friedman today announce the extension of the critically acclaimed West End production of Harper Lee ’s To Kill a Mockingbird – a new play by Aaron Sorkin – with the production now running at the Gielgud Theatre until 19 November, 2022. Bartlett Sher directs a cast of over thirty - Rafe Spall (Atticus Finch), Harry Attwell (Mr Cunningham/Boo Radley), Amanda Boxer (Mrs Henry Dubose), Poppy Lee Friar (Mayella Ewell), John Hastings (Bailiff), Simon Hepworth (Mr Roscoe/Dr Reynolds), Laura Howard (Miss Stephanie/Dill’s Mother), Lloyd Hutchinson (Link Deas), Gwyneth Keyworth (Scout Finch), Tom Mannion (Sheriff Heck Tate), David Moorst (Dill Harris), Pamela Nomvete (Calpurnia), Jim Norton (Judge Taylor), Patrick O’Kane (Bob Ewell), Jude Owusu (Tom Robinson), Harry Redding (Jem Finch), David Sturzaker (Horace Gilmer) and Natasha Williams (Mrs Dubose’s Maid), with Helen Belbin , Laurence Belcher , Paul Birchard , Ryan Ellsworth , Rebecca Hayes , Danny Hetherington , Matthew Jure , Anna Munden, Tiwai Muza, Oyin Orija and Itoya Osagiede making up the ensemble and understudies, with Candida Caldicot on organ and Frank Dawkins on guitar. To Kill a Mockingbird is running the All Rise ticket scheme in an exclusive partnership with TodayTix , offering £15 seats for every performance across the run. The initiative provides access at affordable prices to as wide an audience as possible. More than 1,400 tickets will be released each month. So far more than 2,000 tickets have been sold via the scheme with a further 10,000 being made available through to November starting from next week. In addition to the All Rise initiative, there is an opportunity to purchase £15 tickets via Today Tix daily rush – where a limited number of additional seats will be available on each performance day via the app. The TodayTix app can be downloaded onto iOs or Android devices for free via the app store; or you can access online via TodayTix.com. Set in Maycomb, Alabama in 1934, To Kill a Mockingbird has provided American literature with some of its most indelible characters: lawyer Atticus Finch, the tragically wronged Tom Robinson, Atticus’ daughter Scout, her brother Jem, their housekeeper and caretaker Calpurnia and the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley. For the past six decades and for every generation, this story, its characters and portrait of small-town America have helped to, and continue to, inspire conversation and change. Harper Lee’s enduring story of racial injustice and childhood innocence has sold more than 45 million copies of the novel worldwide. 2020 marked the 60th anniversary of its publication. Sher and the original Broadway creative team - Miriam Buether (Set), Ann Roth (Costume), Jennifer Tipton (Lighting), Scott Lehrer (Sound), Adam Guettel (Original Score), Kimberly Grigsby (Music Supervision) and Campbell Young Associates (Hair & Wigs) – are joined by Serena Hill as Casting Director, Hazel Holder as Voice & Dialect Coach, Titas Halder as Associate Director, Rasheka Christie-Carter as Assistant Director, Tavia Rivée Jefferson as Cultural Coordinator, and Candida Caldicot as Musical Director. For latest news sign up at www.tokillamockingbird.co.uk . Up Up

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Back to News & Press Sunny Afternoon to embark on first UK Tour in 2016 Friday, 11 December 2015 Featuring some of The Kinks’ best-loved songs, including You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset and Lola, SUNNY AFTERNOON tells the story of the early life of Ray Davies and the rise to stardom of The Kinks. The Kinks exploded onto the 60s music scene with a raw energetic new sound that rocked a nation. But how did that happen, where exactly did they come from and what happened next? Set against the back-drop of a Britain caught mid-swing between the conservative 50s and riotous 60s, this production explores the euphoric highs and agonising lows of one of Britain’s most iconic bands and the irresistible music that influenced generations. Following a sell-out run at Hampstead Theatre, SUNNY AFTERNOON opened to critical acclaim at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End in October 2014 and is currently booking into a second triumphant year. SUNNY AFTERNOON has music and lyrics by Ray Davies with a book by Joe Penhall and original story by Ray Davies. It is directed by Edward Hall, designed by Miriam Buether with choreography by Adam Cooper. Lighting design is by Rick Fisher with sound design by Matt McKenzie for Autograph. The Musical Supervisor is Elliott Ware. The original West End Production of SUNNY AFTERNOON is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions with Tulchin Bartner Productions, Greg Ripley-Duggan for Hampstead Theatre Productions, Tanya Link Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Glass Half Full Productions, Rupert Gavin, in association with Hampstead Theatre and Arlon Productions. Up Up