Back to News & Press The Nether Q&A talks Friday 16 January 2015 The Nether will host post-show Q&A talks during the play’s West End run at the Duke of York’s Theatre. With members of the creative team, as well as further guests from the worlds of theatre, the media, gaming and technology industries, there will be 6 Q&A talks after selected performances of the play. All Q&A talks are free for The Nether ticket holders. The Nether offers complete freedom – a new virtual wonderland providing total sensory immersion. Just log in, choose an identity and indulge your every desire. An intricate crime drama and a haunting thriller set in the year 2050, The Nether follows an investigation into the complicated, disturbing morality of identity in the digital world, and explores the consequences of making dreams a reality. Previewing at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 30 January and opening on 23 February, Jennifer Haley’s critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning play The Nether, directed by Jeremy Herrin, is booking for 12 weeks only to 25 April 2015. In a Headlong and Royal Court Theatre co-production, The Nether is produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions and Scott M Delman in association with Tulchin Bartner Productions, Lee Dean & Charles Diamond, 1001 Nights, JFL Theatricals/GHF Productions, Scott & Brian Zeilinger/James Lefkowitz. Tuesday 17 February: Jennifer Haley & Jeremy Herrin - In Conversation How do you write a play about the ethics of online existence? How do you stage a virtual world? Playwright Jennifer Haley and director Jeremy Herrin discuss The Nether and the process behind creating Headlong and the Royal Court’s production of the show, in a discussion chaired by Royal Court Literary Manager, Christopher Campbell. Tuesday 24 February: Gaming Are games a dangerous and anti-social addiction? Might gaming be able to save the world? How is gaming culture changing the kinds of stories that we tell and how we engage with them? Join playwright and gamer Lucy Prebble (ENRON, The Effect) and Iain Simons (Director of the GameCity Festival and co-founder of the National Videogame Archive) to explore how gaming has developed from Pong to Destiny and to discuss where gaming might take us in the future. Chaired by Royal Court Literary Manager, Christopher Campbell. Tuesday 3 March: Theatre and Technology How do we create a theatre for the digital age? Is technology fundamentally changing the ways in which we engage with and make performance? Matt Adams (Artistic Director, Blast Theory) and David Sabel (Head of Broadcast and Digital at the National Theatre) discuss how digital technology is revolutionising performance, chaired by Headlong’s Artistic Associate, Sarah Grochala. Tuesday 10 March: Online Policing and The Dark Web How do you police the entire internet? And how much of the web do we know about? Join Susie Hargreaves (Chief Executive of the Internet Watch Foundation) and Jamie Bartlett (Author of The Dark Net) to discuss how our relationship with the web is constantly changing. Chaired by Headlong’s Artistic Associate, Sarah Grochala. Tuesday 17 March: Living Online Is the web changing us? How does spending time online affect our brains? Can you spend too much time online? Journalist, Liat Clarke (Associate Editor of Wired Magazine) and Spencer Kelly (Presenter of BBC News’s Click) discuss the implications. Tuesday 24 March: The Future of Theatre Design with panel led by Es Devlin How is technology changing the way that we stage and design a production? What new possibilities might digital technology open up for theatre designers in the future? From the Deus Ex Machina of Ancient Greek Theatre to the invention of the electric lantern in the late nineteenth century, technology has had a huge impact on the ways in which we stage a performance. Olivier Award Winning Set Designer Es Devlin (Chimerica, American Psycho, The Nether) and Luke Halls (I Can’t Sing!, Olympic and Paralympic Closing Ceremonies, Master and Margarita) lead a panel of experts to discuss how digital technology is revolutionising the world of theatre design. The West End cast of The Nether comprises David Calder (Doyle), Amanda Hale (Morris), Ivanno Jeremiah (Woodnut) and Stanley Townsend (Sims) who are joined by Zoe Brough and Isabella Pappas who will alternate the role of Iris as they did at the Royal Court. Set designs are by Es Devlin, with costume designs by Christina Cunningham, lighting by Paul Pyant, compositions by Nick Powell, sound by Ian Dickinson and video design by Luke Halls. Jennifer Haley’s other writing includes Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, which premiered at the Actors Theatre of Louisville at the 2008 Humana Festival, Breadcrumbs for the Contemporary American Theatre Festival and Sustainable Living written in the 2011-2012 CTG Writers’ Workshop and featured at the Ojai Playwrights Conference. Her play Froggy is in development with The Banff Centre and American Conservatory Theater. Haley’s plays have been developed at the Sundance Theatre Lab, the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, the Lark Play Development Center, PlayPenn, Page 73 and the MacDowell Colony. She is a member of New Dramatists in New York City and lives in Los Angeles where she founded a writing collective called the Playwrights Union. The Nether was the first play Jeremy Herrin directed for Headlong as Artistic Director. Previously he was Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre from 2009 until 2012 where his credits included No Quarter, Hero, Haunted Child, The Heretic, Kin, Spur of the Moment, Off the Endz, The Priory, Tusk Tusk, The Vertical Hour and That Face. Herrin directed the world premieres of Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker prize-winning novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies in two parts for the Royal Shakespeare Company – the productions transferred to the West End in May 2014 and will open on Broadway in March. He was the recipient of the 2014 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Director for the productions. Herrin’s other recent credits include Another Country, Uncle Vanya and South Downs for Chichester Festival Theatre all of which transferred to the West End, This House for the National Theatre, Absent Friends at the Harold Pinter Theatre and The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing for Shakespeare’s Globe. Herrin’s production of David Hare’s The Absence of War will open at Sheffield Theatres next month prior to a UK tour. The Nether is the latest in a number of collaborations between Sonia Friedman Productions and the Royal Court Theatre (Rock ‘n’ Roll, Clybourne Park, Jerusalem in the West End and The River on Broadway) and Headlong (1984 and Chimerica). Development of The Nether was supported by the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center during a residency at the National Playwrights Conference 2011, Preston Whiteway, Executive Director; Wendy Goldberg, Artistic Director. Up Up

Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman: Leadership changes are a chance for an industry-wide shake-up Monday 12 February 2024 By Matthew Hemley Read the original article here . Sonia Friedman has hailed the “giant sea change” the industry is going through as a chance for the new leaders of various theatres to “shake the whole thing up”. The acclaimed producer told The Stage that she felt the changes in regimes at theatres across England meant there was "new blood, new energy and new optimism", claiming it would be positive for the sector. It comes as many theatres undergo leadership changes, including the Donmar Warehouse , the Royal Court , the RSC , London’s National Theatre and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre . The Royal Court , now under the artistic directorship of David Byrne , has recently been the subject of media scrutiny after it emerged a period of consultation was underway, with the venue’s literary department understood to be at risk. However, Friedman said: "I am not going to talk about what has happened, but what I can say is I think it’s a really really exciting future. I met with David Byrne today – I think it’s going to be great." She acknowledged it was "complicated" but said "new regimes, new ideas and new voices" would be positive overall. "It’s a huge period of change [in the sector]. It’s the year of the election but it’s also the year of this giant sea change in theatre, in our institutions. Every single one of them will have a new artistic director - it’s giant if you think about it. I think it’s fantastic we have all this new blood, all this new energy and new optimism, and I hope at its heart, it will encourage and bring on a whole new generation of writers, and indeed writers who feel they haven’t had a place to have a voice to come back," she said. She added: “I genuinely believe it’s a really good time for theatre." She highlighted the challenges facing venues, including reduced Arts Council England funding and "crippling debts", but said new leaders now had a chance to change things up. "Those issues have to be dealt with, but at the heart of it we have some really dynamic, really exciting. New people are coming in and in one sense they sort of have nothing to lose. I know if I was running those institutions I would be like: 'Well let’s just shake the whole thing up, what can we do?'. It needs a shake up. I am excited for our future." Friedman was speaking to The Stage at the opening night of Jez Butterworth ’s new play The Hills of California , which she is co-producing. Friedman said it was a "great honour" to work with Butterworth and revealed she had been told about the play about a year ago while she was in New York. "He sent me a text saying: ’I have written a play...’ I was quite low that day and I got this text and I went: ’Okay, breathe. Something to live for,’" she said. Friedman added that her brother had recently died and that Butterworth’s play about family loss and broken dreams had resonated with her. "I read it and was pretty devastated as my brother has recently died and we used to sing and dance as children. When the play arrived I said to Jez: ’Did you raid my soul? This is my story, that’s my family up there’. "We have been spending a lot of time in my family going through our past, as is what happens when you lose someone – particularly a sibling. [The play] absolutely pierced my soul," she said, adding: "I was absolutely broken and actually I don’t think I have fully recovered from the experience of it. Great work, great art, can change you and it is changing me and the way I am thinking about my life, my family and my history. I am absolutely blessed to work with Jez and [director] Sam Mendes." Up Up

Back to News & Press Full casting announced for Lyndsey Turner's production of Hamlet as rehearsals begin Sunday 14 June 2015 Joining Cumberbatch are Barry Aird (Soldier), Eddie Arnold (Danish Captain, Servant), Leo Bill (Horatio), Siân Brooke (Ophelia), Nigel Carrington (Servant, Cornelius), Ruairi Conaghan (Player King), Rudi Dharmalingam (Guildenstern), Colin Haigh (Priest, Messenger), Paul Ham (Official), Diveen Henry (Player Queen, Messenger), Anastasia Hille (Gertrude), Ciarán Hinds (Claudius), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Laertes), Karl Johnson (Ghost of Hamlet’s father), Jim Norton (Polonius), Amaka Okafor (Official), Daniel Parr (Barnardo), Jan Shepherd (Courtier), Morag Siller (Voltemand), Matthew Steer (Rosencrantz), Sergo Vares (Fortinbras) and Dwane Walcott (Marcellus). Performances at the Barbican Theatre begin on 5 August 2015, with opening night on 25 August at 7pm. Hamlet is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions and presented by the Barbican for an exclusive 12-week run, concluding 31 October 2015. Set designs are by Es Devlin with costume designs by Katrina Lindsay, video by Luke Halls, lighting by Jane Cox, music by Jon Hopkins, sound by Christopher Shutt, movement by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and fights by Bret Yount. As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father’s death but paralysed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state. Sonia Friedman Productions, in partnership with Sky Arts, has allocated 100 £10 tickets, spread throughout the auditorium for every performance of this production, totalling over 8,500 throughout the run. Visit hamlet.barbican.org.uk for more details. In addition to regular performances, four education matinees have been scheduled exclusively for school and university groups (aged 14+ and in full-time education only) on 10 and 30 September and 7 and 21 October 2015 with, for every performance, 100 tickets priced at £10, 300 at £25 and the remainder at £35. As previously announced, Hamlet will be broadcast to cinemas around the world on Thursday 15 October 2015 as part of National Theatre Live - the National Theatre’s ground-breaking project which broadcasts plays live from the stage to over 550 cinemas in the UK and over 44 countries internationally. Details of all screenings, including Encore performances, can be found at ntlive.com Up Up

Back to News & Press West End transfer announced for universally acclaimed The Jungle Monday 12 March 2018 The production is set in Europe’s largest unofficial refugee camp, the Calais Jungle, which in 2015, became a temporary home for more than 10,000 people. Previewing from 16 June, The Jungle will have an Opening Night on 5 July at the Playhouse Theatre . The first wave of tickets will go on general sale on 15 March. The Jungle will transfer to the Playhouse Theatre in the West End, where the traditional proscenium theatre will undergo a remarkable transformation. The auditorium stalls will be completely reconfigured to house Miriam Buether ’s critically-acclaimed set design as seen at the Young Vic, where audiences were invited to sit at the benches and tables of the Afghan café in the Calais camp. The Dress Circle will be renamed “The Cliffs of Dover” and will allow unique views over the performance space, which extends out beyond the proscenium arch and over the stalls. This in-the-round transformation will reduce the capacity of the theatre to 450 seats, to more closely recreate the intimate and immediate experience audiences had at the Young Vic. A proportion of tickets will be held off sale to be offered to refugees and targeted groups in order to maximise diversity and accessibility. This is the place where people suffered and dreamed. Meet the hopeful, resilient residents of the Jungle – just across the Channel, right on our doorstep. The Jungle tells stories of loss, fear, community and hope, of the Calais camp’s creation - and of its eventual destruction. Join the residents over freshly baked naan and sweet milky chai at the Afghan Café, and experience the intense, moving and uplifting encounters between refugees from many different countries and the volunteers who arrived from the UK. The majority of the original cast will transfer with the production, including actors from refugee backgrounds, some of whom came through the Jungle. The cast includes Ammar Haj Ahmad , Mohammad Amiri , Elham Ehsas , Trevor Fox , Moein Ghobsheh , Alex Lawther , John Pfumojena , Rachel Redford , Rachid Sabitri , Mohamed Sarrar , Ben Turner and Nahel Tzegai . Official charity partner, Help Refugees , will be supported by the production, with fundraising efforts taking place at the venue throughout the entire run. Joe Robertson and Joe Murphy said: “The Jungle was a reluctant home for thousands of people from all over the world. It was a place where people built temporary lives and communities formed out of necessity. People who visited asked why we built a theatre in a refugee camp, but it’s always seemed clear to us that theatre should be at the centre of the conversation. That’s why we’re thrilled to bring this play to new audiences and to the West End, in a totally transformed Playhouse Theatre, a stone’s throw from Parliament. The metamorphosis of the Playhouse is a bold statement: that we need new spaces for this conversation to happen, and that the stories of the people in this play belong on our most significant stages.” Josie Naughton, CEO, Help Refugees said: “Help Refugees is honoured to be the charity partner for the West End run of The Jungle. We have worked with Good Chance since we first met in Calais in 2015, where their theatre provided camp residents with a vital outlet for self-expression. We are excited that in addition to having local social impact, funds will be raised to actively support displaced people in the UK and in Calais. In northern France, there are currently more than 1,000 people sleeping in the forests with no shelter from the rain and snow, with limited access to drinking water, showers and toilets, with no access to safe and legal routes to sanctuary and no opportunity to learn, work and start a new life. Our teams and our partners are still working tirelessly to provide for people's basic needs, including food, shelter, information and protection.” Rufus Norris, Director of National Theatre said: “ Having visited the Calais Jungle at the end of 2015 it felt incredibly important to tell this story. Joe and Joe’s script together with Stephen and Justin’s production perfectly captures the lives of so many individuals caught up in an impossible situation. The Jungle is an unforgettable experience which is both powerful and moving, and it is wonderful that it has now found a home in the West End.” David Lan said: “ It was clear from the start that The Jungle would be one of the most provocative and significant shows I’ve produced. It tells a powerful real-life story that matters hugely to everyone. It’s created and performed in an enthrallingly, inventive way, by some of those who lived it. Those who saw it at the Young Vic said they’d never seen anything like it - and that it was as if they’d been on the journey of a lifetime. I’m delighted it will now be seen by so many more.” Sonia Friedman said: "Sometimes plays have to respond to a space. Here, thanks to the commitment of all involved, the space has responded to the work. Experiencing The Jungle at the Young Vic was extremely powerful. Audiences were plunged emotionally and physically into the world of the camp in Calais - a place I visited several times - and the combination of the setting, extraordinary performances and storytelling was a real a sucker punch. I am therefore so happy that we have found a way to transport the world and atmosphere of the play to the West End in a unique and intimate way. The West End needs productions like The Jungle and we have created a democratic pricing structure that allows, I hope, a wide range of people to see it, and to take part in the debate it provokes." Sonia Friedman Productions and Tom Kirdahy , Hunter Arnold present A National Theatre and Young Vic Co-Production with Good Chance Theatre . Up Up

Back to News & Press Casting announced for The River on Broadway Tuesday 13 May 2014 Sonia Friedman Productions will present the Royal Court Theatre production of THE RIVER, a new play by Jez Butterworth, starring Hugh Jackman, Laura Donnelly and Cush Jumbo, and directed by Ian Rickson. THE RIVER will open on Sunday, November 16 on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre (West 50th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue). Previews begin Friday, October 31. The production will play a strictly limited 13-week engagement through Sunday, January 25, 2015. On sale dates will be announced in coming weeks. THE RIVER was first developed by Sonia Friedman Productions and was subsequently produced by the Royal Court Theatre. It was presented from October 18-November 17, 2012 in the Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, in a production directed by Mr. Rickson, also featuring Ms. Donnelly, who makes her Broadway debut alongside Ms. Jumbo. The producers are pleased to announce that a limited number of $35 day of seats will be available for every performance of THE RIVER. Further details will be announced shortly. The production marks the sixth collaboration between Mr. Butterworth and Mr. Rickson. Mr. Rickson has previously directed the world premiere productions of Mr. Butterworth’s Mojo, The Night Heron, The Winterling, Parlour Song and the multi-award-winning London and Broadway production of Jerusalem. A remote cabin on the cliffs, a man and a woman, and a moonless night. Jez Butterworth’s THE RIVER asks when we find each other, are we trying to recapture someone we once lost? The writer director team who brought you Jerusalem returns with a bewitching new story. Circle in the Square’s unique configuration and intimacy has made it a favorite of many stars who have graced its stage over the decades in both classics and new plays, including Colleen Dewhurst, Lillian Gish, George C. Scott, Julie Christie, Al Pacino, James Earl Jones, Vanessa Redgrave, Kevin Kline, Joanne Woodward, Rex Harrison, John Malkovich, Nathan Lane, Philip Seymour Hoffman and many others. The 2009 critically acclaimed and Tony Award®-winning revival of The Norman Conquests, produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, also played at the theatre. THE RIVER is designed by Ultz, with lighting by Charles Balfour, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph and music by Stephen Warbeck. Up Up

Back to News & Press Full casting announced for the UK tour of King Charles III Wednesday 12 August 2015 Alongside the previously announced Robert Powell, who takes on the role of King Charles, the company will include Penelope Beaumont, Jennifer Bryden, Richard Glaves, Dominic Jephcott, Lucy Phelps, Ben Righton, Giles Taylor, Parth Thakerar, Tim Treloar, Beatrice Walker and Paul Westwood. Directed by the Almeida Theatre’s artistic director Rupert Goold with Whitney Mosery, King Charles III is designed by Tom Scutt, with music composed by Jocelyn Pook, lighting by Jon Clark and sound by Paul Arditti. The Queen is dead: after a lifetime of waiting, Prince Charles ascends the throne. A future of power. But how to rule? Mike Bartlett's play explores the people underneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of our democracy, and the conscience of Britain's most famous family. King Charles III opens at Birmingham Repertory Theatre and then visits Richmond Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Milton Keynes Theatre, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Canterbury Marlowe Theatre, Malvern Festival Theatre, Guildford Yvonne Arnaud, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal, Chichester Festival Theatre and Plymouth Theatre Royal. The King Charles III tour is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson Productions, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Charles Diamond and the Almeida Theatre in association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre and by arrangement with Lee Dean. King Charles III will also open on Broadway this October at the Music Box Theatre. Tim Pigott-Smith will reprise the role of Charles as performed at the Almeida Theatre and in the West End, alongside Oliver Chris, Richard Goulding, Adam James, Margot Leicester, Miles Richardson, Tom Robertson, Sally Scott, Tafline Steen and Lydia Wilson. The production was first produced by the Almeida Theatre and was subsequently co-produced at the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End of London by Sonia Friedman Productions and Stuart Thompson Productions in association with Lee Dean and Charles Diamond and Tulchin Bartner Productions. This year King Charles III has been awarded the Olivier Award, Critics Choice and South Bank Sky Arts Award for Best New Play. Up Up

Back to News & Press Full cast announced for A Christmas Carol Thursday 15 October 2015 Adeel Akhtar is best known for his work in film and television. He was BAFTA-nominated for his role in Utopia , played hapless Fessal in Chris Morris’ Four Lions and played Maroush in Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator . His work on-stage includes playing Guildenstern in Hamlet at the Young Vic. Amelia Bullmore is known not only for her writing (Di and Viv and Rose ) but also for her many appearances on television, in particular as one of the co-stars of the series Scott and Bailey and playing Kay Hope, Head of Sustainability in hit BBC comedy Twenty Twelve . Her stage credits include The Norman Conquests at the Old Vic, which subsequently transferred to Broadway. Keir Charles ’ recent stage appearances include The White Devil , The Arden of Faversham and The Roaring Girl (all for the RSC). He also appeared in the recent Simon Pegg film Man Up . Double Olivier Award-winning actress Samantha Spiro recently appeared on stage in Di and Viv and Rose at the Vaudeville Theatre, as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and as Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew both at Shakespeare’s Globe. She is known for playing Barbara Windsor in Cleo, Camping, Emmanuel and Dick at the National Theatre and won the Olivier Award Best Actress in a Musical for both Merrily We Roll Along at the Donmar Warehouse and Hello! Dolly at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. On television, she has recently appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show and won the Best Female Comedy Breakthrough Artist in the British Comedy Awards for her role in Grandma’s House . Puppeteers Jack Parker and Kim Scopes complete the ensemble. Jack is currently working with Warner Brothers on the new film of The Jungle Book . His previous stage work includes War Horse for the National Theatre and A Dog’s Heart and The Magic Flute both for Complicité. Kim previously worked for Blunderbus Theatre Company, the New Wolsey Theatre, Flabbergast Theatre Company and Twice Shy Theatre. She has also taught puppetry in Peru, performed at Glastonbury festival 2014 and this year puppeteered on two music videos. Academy Award-winning actor Jim Broadbent makes his long-awaited return to the stage to play Scrooge in a new version of A Christmas Carol adapted by Patrick Barlow from Charles Dickens' classic story of greed, grief, ghoulish ghosts and eleventh-hour redemption. From Scrooge and Tiny Tim to Bob Cratchit and Mr. Fezziwig, Patrick Barlow 's imaginative adaptation of A Christmas Carol will bring some of Dickens' most memorable characters to life at the Noël Coward Theatre this winter. Coming together to create this innovative new work are some of our most loved and mischievous maverick theatre-makers. The play is written by the Olivier Award-winning and Tony nominated Patrick Barlow (The 39 Steps ) with whom Jim Broadbent performed for many years in Barlow’s cult comedy troupe The National Theatre of Brent. A Christmas Carol is directed by Olivier award-winning Phelim McDermott , Artistic Director of Improbable, one of Britain’s most inventive theatre companies, who is responsible for the iconic production Shockheaded Peter . McDermott also directed Theatre of Blood at the National Theatre in which Broadbent last appeared on stage. Joining them is the critically-acclaimed designer Tom Pye (The Testament of Mary , The Death of Klinghoffer , The Low Road ) and Toby Sedgwick (War Horse , The 39 Steps ) as Director of Movement, Peter Mumford will design the lighting and Gareth Fry will design sound. Up Up

Back to Productions SHIRLEY VALENTINE Following success at the Menier Chocolate Factory, this production transferred to Trafalgar Studios on 20th July and closed on 30th October as part of the Willy Russell Season. Syal’s lovely performance, and Glen Walford’s beautifully judged production… will glow in the memory of all who see it. Daily Telegraph A triumph…affecting, funny and fresh The Times Shirley Valentine stars Meera Syal in “London’s Best Comic Performance” (Time Out ), as the Liverpudlian housewife who rediscovers her zest for life following a trip to Greece – and a chance encounter with the local Casanova… Meera Syal is irresistible as Shirley Valentine: warm, communicative and bittersweet. She has the audience eating out of her hand. The Observer CAST MEERA SYAL – Shirley CREATIVES WILLY RUSSELL – Playwright GLEN WALFORD – Director PETER MCKINTOSH – Designer PAUL ANDERSON – Lightening Designer DAVID OGILVY – Sound Designer SIAN JENKINS – Costume Supervisor

Back to News & Press Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to open in Australia in 2019 Sunday 22 October 2017 Performance dates and ticketing details will be announced soon. Visit HarryPotterThePlay.com to sign up to the mailing list and receive ticketing information and news. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said, “Exclusive to our region, this award-winning production will arrive in Victoria after its world premiere in London’s West End and a highly anticipated opening on Broadway. To secure a production of this calibre is a testament to Melbourne’s standing as an arts and cultural capital and leading global city for theatre. We encourage all Victorians, and our friends from across the country, Asia and the world, to join us in welcoming Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to Melbourne. ” Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender said, “When we embarked on this journey, it was an objective to ensure we could get the production to Australia as soon as logistically possible. You can’t ever assume a new play is going to have a further life, but we knew that if Harry Potter and the Cursed Child did have a life beyond London and Broadway, that the next stop would be here. “The Harry Potter stories have millions of fans across the globe, and so we’re very happy and proud that we’re able to bring our beautiful production to Australia, where we know a whole new audience will experience the eighth story. Melbourne is a fantastic city with such wonderful culture and heritage, and so we’re thrilled that the gorgeous Princess Theatre will be Cursed Child’s next home.” Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling , Jack Thorne and John Tiffany , Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new play by Jack Thorne , directed by John Tiffany . The production is one play presented in two parts. Both parts are intended to be seen in order on the same day (matinee and evening) or on two consecutive evenings. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The critically acclaimed production received its world premiere in July 2016 at the Palace Theatre in London where it continues to play to sold out houses. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has won 22 major theatre awards in the UK and is the most awarded production in the history of Britain’s prestigious Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking nine awards earlier this year including Best New Play and Best Director. The play will open on Broadway in April 2018 at the Lyric Theatre in New York. It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is directed by John Tiffany with movement by Steven Hoggett , set by Christine Jones , costumes by Katrina Lindsay , music & arrangements by Imogen Heap , lighting by Neil Austin , sound by Gareth Fry , illusions & magic by Jamie Harrison and music supervision & arrangements by Martin Lowe . International Casting Consultant is Jim Carnahan and Australian casting by Janine Snape . Executive Producer of the Australian production is Michael Cassel. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions , Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions . Up Up

Back to News & Press La Cage, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Scarlett Johansson triumph at the 2010 Tony Awards Wednesday 16 June 2010 At Sunday's ceremony, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES was awarded the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. Douglas Hodge was also awarded the Tony for Best Leading Actor in a Musical and Terry Johnson received the Tony for Best Director of a Musical. In other acting categories, Catherine Zeta-Jones was awarded the Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical (A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC) and Scarlett Johansson the Tony for Best Supporting Actress in a Play (A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE). Up Up

Back to News & Press Tony Awards 2019: The Ferryman wins best play while Sam Mendes picks up top director prize Monday 10 June 2019 Northern Irish drama The Ferryman picked up the prestigious accolade for best play at the Tony Awards, while its director Sam Mendes was also honoured. The production, penned by James Bond co-writer Jez Butterworth , tells the tale of a former IRA man in rural Co Armagh during The Troubles. It was transferred to Broadway with much of the same cast after a sold-out year in the West End. The drama, which also earned three Olivier awards, beat four other nominees - including fellow British playwright James Graham 's Ink - to scoop the best play honour. Accepting the award on stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York, Butterworth dedicated the gong to all the families who had lost loved ones in the Troubles. Earlier in the night, Mendes was named winner in the best direction of a play category to scoop his first directing Tony Award. Despite not attending the ceremony, a message from the director was posted on The Ferryman 's Twitter page, which read: "I have lost count of the times on this job that I've counted my lucky stars. "And now, again, I'm left to reflect on what a privilege - what an absolute privilege it is - to be able to tell stories for a living." The production also picked up the awards for best scenic design and best costume design. Ahead of the ceremony, Butterworth told the Press Association he was feeling "extremely honoured and grateful" that the play had been nominated in nine categories. He said: "Plays are hard, and plays this big with this many people are harder still, but when those people are as talented, inspiring and just plain ready as the Ferrymen and Ferrywomen and Ferrychildren and Ferrybabies have been, it somehow seems effortless. "When (theatre producer) Sonia Friedman and I did Jerusalem on Broadway the other end of this decade, I told myself on the plane home that I'd never experience anything like that again. I'm wrong a lot." Laura Donnelly - whose family story inspired the play - was beaten by Elaine May in the best actress in a leading role category, while Paddy Considine and Fionnula Flanagan also missed out on gongs. British comedian James Corden hosted the 2019 awards, kicking the night off with a nine-minute musical tribute to Broadway. Other winners included English actor Bertie Carvel , who picked up best featured actor in a play for his portrayal of Rupert Murdoch in Ink. Click here to view article on The Telegraph website Up Up

Back to News & Press Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Melbourne Cast Announced Saturday 1 September 2018 The Australian cast of 42 performers will be led by Gareth Reeves as Harry Potter, Paula Arundell as Hermione Granger, Gyton Grantley as Ron Weasley, Lucy Goleby as Ginny Potter, Sean Rees-Wemyss as Albus Potter, Tom Wren as Draco Malfoy and William McKenna as Scorpius Malfoy. They are joined by Iopu Auva’a, Damien Avery, Mike Bishop, Simon Chandler, Clare Chihambakwe, Louis Corbett, Gillian Cosgriff, Manali Datar, Mark Dickinson, Lyndall Grant, George Henare, Soren Jensen, Hamish Johnston, Madeleine Jones, Amanda LaBonté, Debra Lawrance, Kuda Mapeza, Kirsty Marillier, Cle Morgan, James O’Connell, David Paterson, John Shearman, David Simes, Hayden Spencer, Slone Sudiro, Connor Sweeney, Jessica Vickers, Hannah Waterman , playing a variety of characters. The cast will also include seven children who will alternate two roles. Director John Tiffany said: “Our Cursed Child family has just got a whole lot bigger. Everyone involved in our show is so excited and proud to be working with this incredibly gifted new Australian company; during the casting process we saw an extraordinary breadth and range of talent from all across Australia and New Zealand and I think audiences are going to be blown away. I’ve worked in both Melbourne and Sydney a few times now and have always been inspired by the actors I’ve worked with – I can’t wait to see what they bring to the Cursed Child.” The record-breaking theatrical event will open exclusively in Melbourne with preview performances from Wednesday January 16, 2019 at the Princess Theatre . Tickets are now on sale via HarryPotterThePlay.com . Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany , Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new play by Jack Thorne , directed by John Tiffany . It is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The critically acclaimed production is the most awarded play in theatre history. Since opening in London in July 2016 it has won 24 major theatre awards in the UK, with a record-breaking nine Olivier Awards including Best New Play and Best Director. It made its Broadway premiere in April 2018 and is the most awarded show of the season, winning 25 awards in total, including six Tony Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards and five Drama Desk Awards. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is one play presented in two Parts, which are intended to be seen in order on the same day (matinee and evening) or on two consecutive evenings. It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is directed by John Tiffany with movement by Steven Hoggett , set by Christine Jones , costumes by Katrina Lindsay , music & arrangements by Imogen Heap , lighting by Neil Austin , sound by Gareth Fry , illusions & magic by Jamie Harrison and music supervision & arrangements by Martin Lowe . International Casting Consultant is Jim Carnahan and Australian casting by Janine Snape . Executive Producer of the Australian production is Michael Cassel . Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions. Up Up