Chichester Festival Theatre’s Festival 2023 – the ultimate season programmed by outgoing Artistic Director Daniel Evans – has been introduced by Daniel and Executive Director Kathy Bourne.
THE VORTEX
28 April – 20 May, Festival Theatre
The roaring twenties. A world in flux. The magnetic Florence Lancaster attracts individuals to her like moths to a flame. But when her son Nicky arrives residence from Paris with an surprising fiancée and a secret, it units off a series of occasions which threatens to tug all of them right into a maelstrom.
Noël Coward’s brilliantly witty and stinging portrait of the darkness beneath the glittering floor of the Jazz Age is as vivid as we speak as when it premiered, inflicting a sensation and catapulting its younger author to his first nice success.
Daniel Raggett, nominee for the 2022 Evening Standard Emerging Talent Award, directs this new manufacturing by which Florence and Nicky Lancaster are performed by mom and son, Lia Williams and Joshua James.
Lia Williams’s multi award-winning roles embrace Wallis Simpson in The Crown, Dr Cooper in His Dark Materials, and on stage Mary Stuart (Almeida & West End) and John Gabriel Borkman (The Bridge). Her critically-acclaimed manufacturing of Doubt was seen at Chichester final 12 months.
Joshua James returns to the Festival Theatre the place he appeared within the Young Chekhov trilogy as Nikolai in Platonov and Konstantin in The Seagull (for which he was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award), each additionally on the National Theatre.
The solid additionally embrace Priyanga Burford as Helen; her work consists of Consent (National Theatre), The Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare’s Globe), and TV’s Industry, Innocent and Press.
The Vortex can have set design by Joanna Scotcher, costume design by Evie Gurney, lighting design by Zoe Spurr, music and sound design by Giles Thomas, and casting by Lotte Hines CDG.
4000 MILES
4 May – 10 June, Minerva Theatre
Late one night time, 21-year-old Leo arrives with out warning at his grandmother’s Manhattan condo – the furthest level on a momentous bike journey throughout America. Vera is 91 and lives alone, her independence undimmed by the challenges of recent dwelling. Baffled by one another at first, this odd couple slowly edge throughout the gap between them.
Amy Herzog’s award-winning drama – named Time journal’s finest play of 2012 – is a heat, wry and compassionate story about love, loss, reminiscence and shifting on.
Eileen Atkins makes a long-awaited return to Chichester as Vera. One of the UK’s most distinguished actors, final seen right here in Vita and Virginia in 1992, her many display roles embrace her BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning position in Cranford, Doc Martin and The Crown.
Sebastian Croft makes his CFT debut as Leo; he’s finest identified for Netflix’s Heartstopper and Horrible Histories: The Movie for which he obtained a youngsters’s BAFTA nomination. This 12 months he’ll lead Amazon’s How To Date Billy Walsh. His theatre work consists of Trevor Nunn’s manufacturing of King John (Rose Theatre).
The solid is accomplished by Nell Barlow, named a BAFTA Breakthrough Talent in 2022 and BIFA Best Newcomer 2021 for Sweetheart; and Elizabeth Chu (Lesbian Space Crime at Soho Theatre, Much Ado About Nothing UK tour).
Director Richard Eyre returns to Chichester following The Stepmother (2017) and 8 Hotels (2019). Formerly Director of the National Theatre, his current movies embrace The Children Act and Allelujah.
4000 Miles can have set and costume design by Peter McKintosh, lighting design by Peter Mumford, sound design by John Leonard, and casting by Ginny Schiller CDG.
ASSASSINS
3 – 24 June, Festival Theatre
A surreal carnival. And a gaggle of people that have one factor in widespread: they wish to assassinate the President of the United States.
Some succeed, some fail. But there’s a prize for all of them: a spot within the historical past books.
John Wilkes Booth. Lee Harvey Oswald. Leon Czolgosz. Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme. John Hinckley. Charles Guiteau. Sara Jane Moore. Giuseppe Zangara. Samuel Byck. Men and girls whose fervour took them to the very edge.
Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Tony Award-winning biting musical comedy takes us on a daring, time-bending journey by American historical past.
Director Polly Findlay makes her CFT debut. Her current productions embrace White Noise and A Number (Bridge Theatre), Beginning and Middle (National Theatre) and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Donmar Warehouse).
The solid consists of Amy Booth-Steel (Tammy Faye, The Magician’s Elephant) as Moore, Luke Brady (The Prince of Egypt, Sweeney Todd Festival 2011) as Zangara, Carly Mercedes Dyer (Olivier Award nominee and WhatsOnStage Award winner for Anything Goes) as Fromme, Harry Hepple (Hamilton, Follies) as Guiteau, Nick Holder (The Threepenny Opera, London Road) as Byck, Danny Mac (Sunset Boulevard, Pretty Woman The Musical) as Booth, Sam Oladeinde (Come From Away, A Christmas Carol) as Czolgosz and Jack Shalloo (Girl From The North Country, Groundhog Day) as Hinckley.
The designer might be Lizzie Clachan, and the choreographer, Neil Bettles; musical supervisor Richard John, musical director Jo Cichonska, lighting designer Richard Howell, sound designer Gregory Clarke, video designer Akhila Krishnan, struggle director Kate Waters, and casting administrators Charlotte Sutton CDG and Christopher Worrall.
MOM, HOW DID YOU MEET THE BEATLES?
16 June – 8 July, Minerva Theatre Press night time: Wednesday 21 June
Playwright Adrienne Kennedy impulsively leaves New York for London along with her younger son, intent on adapting John Lennon’s e book ‘In His Own Write’ for the stage.
In the heady environment of the Swinging ‘60s, she finds herself rubbing shoulders with a dizzying array of celebrities, together with all 4 Beatles. And when her idols, Laurence Olivier – director of the National Theatre – and his influential literary supervisor Kenneth Tynan, together with actor Victor Spinetti, promise to supply her play, it looks as if a dream come true. But slowly the celebrities appear to align otherwise.
Adrienne Kennedy’s autobiographical play – informed within the type of a one-act, near-monologue to her son Adam – is a mesmerising and disquieting story of a younger Black lady’s betrayal by the hands of the institution.
Diyan Zora, winner of the 2021 Genesis Futures Award, directs.
The artistic staff will embrace designer Anisha Fields and sound designer George Dennis; the casting director is Lotte Hines CDG.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
10 July – 3 September, Festival Theatre
Austria, 1938. Free-spirited nun Maria is shipped away from her abbey to change into governess to the widowed Captain von Trapp’s seven youngsters. She brings music and laughter again to his unfeeling family, however the future holds extra pleasure and jeopardy than she ever dreamed potential.
This brand-new manufacturing of the unique stage musical is directed by Adam Penford, Artistic Director of Nottingham Playhouse, the place his productions embrace Piaf and The Madness of George III; and designed by Robert Jones (Murder on the Orient Express, The Unfriend, Oklahoma!).
Gina Beck, whose efficiency as Nellie Forbush in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific in 2021 was additionally acclaimed in London and on a UK tour, returns to play Maria.
The choreographer might be Lizzi Gee; the musical supervisor, Gareth Valentine; musical director Matt Samer; unique orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett; orchestral adaptation by Larry Blank; lighting designer, Johanna Town; sound designer, Paul Groothuis; casting director Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion Casting; and kids’s casting director Verity Naughton CDG.
ROCK FOLLIES
24 July – 26 August, Minerva Theatre
Before the Spice Girls, Sugababes and The Saturdays…
It’s the Nineteen Seventies and feminism is on the rise. Fed up with the male-dominated leisure business, Anna, Dee and Q take the longer term into their very own fingers and type a rock band – the sarcastically named ‘Little Ladies’. And so begins the musical helter-skelter journey of a lifetime. Can rules and ambition co-exist? And can their friendship survive within the dog-eat-dog world of rock?
With a e book by Chloë Moss and unique songs from the ground-breaking TV collection by Howard Schuman and Andy Mackay, this punchy new musical is a rousing, riotous rollercoaster of lady energy!
Dominic Cooke, former Artistic Director of the Royal Court, directs; his current work
consists of Good (West End), his multi award-winning manufacturing of Sondheim’s Follies (National Theatre), and on display, The Courier.
Carly Bawden, who appeared in CFT’s Concert within the Park in 2021 and whose theatre credit embrace Julie Jordan in Carousel (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Romantics Anonymous (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), marvel.land (National Theatre) and Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (Sheffield Crucible), performs Anna. Zizi Strallen returns to Chichester (The Music Man Festival 2008) to play Q; Her West End appearances embrace the title position in Mary Poppins (for which she obtained an Olivier Award nomination) and the NT’s Follies.
The solid additionally consists of Samuel Barnett, whose stage credit embrace Olivier and Tony- nominated roles in The History Boys (additionally on movie) and Twelfth Night; and on display, The Lady within the Van and Twenty Twelve; Tamsin Carroll (Barnum Festival 2013; 2:22, Hex and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie within the West End); and Fred Haig (Tammy Faye, A Christmas Carol, The Courier).
Rock Follies can have set design by Vicki Mortimer, costume design by Kinnetia Isidore, choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, musical supervision and preparations by Nigel Lilley, musical course by Toby Higgins, lighting design by Paule Constable, and casting by Pippa Ailion CDG and Natalie Gallacher CDG.
NEVER HAVE I EVER
1 – 30 September, Minerva Theatre
Jacq and Kas’s boutique restaurant has gone bust, and telling their oldest buddies Adaego and her wealthy husband Tobin that his funding is toast is simply the beginning of the night. Cash, class, identification and infidelity are all on the menu. As the final of the costly wine flows, a harmful ingesting recreation reveals long-hidden truths and provokes an unspeakable dare.
This explosive, savagely humorous first play by Deborah Frances-White, comic, screenwriter and host of the worldwide hit podcast The Guilty Feminist, brilliantly skewers the contradictions of up to date society, and the shifting sands of energy and sexual politics.
Emma Butler was previously resident director on the Almeida Theatre; her directing credit embrace Camelot (London Palladium), Hole (Jermyn Street Theatre) and Echoes (UK and worldwide tour).
The solid consists of Alexandra Roach (Utopia, No Offence, The Light within the Hall), Greg Wise (The Crown, Sense and Sensibility, A Private War) and Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes, Cheaters, Chewing Gum).
The designer is Frankie Bradshaw; lighting designer, Ryan Day; and casting director Lotte Hines CDG.
QUIZ
22 – 30 September, Festival Theatre
Is Quiz:
- A provocative re-examination of the conviction of Charles Ingram, ‘the Coughing Major’, his spouse Diana and accomplices, for duping the world’s hottest TV quiz present, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, out of £1,000,000?
- Another likelihood to see James Graham’s smash-hit comedy, which premiered at Chichester in 2017 earlier than transferring to the West End, being nominated for 2 Olivier Awards and turning into a success TV drama?
- The alternative to see Rory Bremner, Britain’s prime satirical impressionist, taking part in Chris Tarrant?
- A extremely entertaining, razor-sharp evaluation of the twenty first century’s harmful new angle to fact and lies?
Prepare to solid your vote for the last word 50:50: responsible or not responsible?
This revised model of James Graham’s celebrated comedy is directed by Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen and opens a brand-new UK tour at Chichester. Graham’s multi award-winning performs additionally embrace Best of Enemies, This House, Ink and the TV collection Sherwood.
Quiz is designed by Robert Jones, with lighting design by Ryan Day, music and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, video design by Tim Reid and casting by Ginny Schiller CDG.
Following its opening at Chichester, the manufacturing will tour to Newcastle Theatre Royal, Glasgow King’s Theatre, Cardiff New Theatre, Salford Lowry Theatre, Norwich Theatre Royal, Bromley Churchill Theatre, Canterbury Marlowe Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal and Birmingham Alexandra Theatre. Dates and particulars at quiztheplay.co.uk
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
6 – 28 October, Festival Theatre (Octagon Theatre, Bolton: 8 – 30 September; Rose Theatre, Kingston: 31 October – 11 November)
Every man’s obtained anyone that he loves, heh? But typically… there’s an excessive amount of. You know? There’s an excessive amount of and it goes the place it mustn’t.
On the Brooklyn waterfront, the place the fierce passions of ancestral Sicily linger, the orphaned Catherine falls for her good-looking, newly arrived cousin Rodolfo – an unlawful immigrant. Their romance is inspired by her aunt Beatrice however considered with revulsion by her uncle, Eddie Carbone, who harbours an unstated want. As tensions rise, their story spins inexorably past management.
Arthur Miller’s visceral and compelling drama is a timeless masterpiece.
This new co-production with Headlong, Octagon Theatre Bolton and Rose Theatre is directed by Jaz Woodcock-Stewart, whose current work consists of Paradise Now! (Bush Theatre).
At Chichester, the manufacturing is sponsored by The Portsmouth Grammar School.
THE INQUIRY
13 October – 4 November, Minerva Theatre
MP Arthur Gill is one among Westminster’s rising stars. Still in his 30s, he’s simply change into the Secretary of State for Justice, assuming the position of Lord Chancellor too; and with a management race on the horizon, he’s a favorite to be the subsequent Prime Minister.
But there’s an issue. An inquiry headed by Lady Justice Deborah Wingate is getting ready to publishing its findings a few public well being catastrophe: a scandal that occurred on Gill’s watch when he was surroundings minister. As leaks multiply and the waters develop murkier, how far will he go to cover his previous and defend his future?
The Inquiry is a gripping drama concerning the pernicious collision between politics, justice and ambition.
Harry Davies is a author and an investigative reporter for The Guardian; that is his first play.
Joanna Bowman (Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads, Festival 2022) directs.
The Inquiry might be designed by Max Jones; the casting director is Charlotte Sutton CDG.