HAMPSTEAD THEATRE EXTENDS RUBY THOMAS’ CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, DIRECTED BY LUCY MORRISON, AT HAMPSTEAD DOWNSTAIRS UNTIL 2 APRIL 2022
★★★★ ‘A thrilling portrait of a family in collapse.A coiled-spring production…Pure theatre.’ The Guardian
★★★★ ‘Fast, furious drama with note-perfect performances’ The Times
Hampstead Theatre is delighted to announce that it is extending Ruby Thomas’ The Animal Kingdom,directed by Lucy Morrison, until Saturday 2 April 2022. Staged in Hampstead Downstairs, this critically acclaimed new play is an observation of family dynamics featuring Paul Keating, Martina Laird, Jonathan McGuinness, Ashna Rabheru and Ragevan Vasan. Tickets are on sale now.
The Animal Kingdom’s extension follows the news that Folk, which ran at Hampstead Downstairs prior to The Animal Kingdom, is nominated in the Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre category at this year’s Olivier Awards.
“We’re bonobos, in our family. A hundred percent… They can be pretty aggressive actually.”
Sam is struggling. Being a human has never been simple for him. He just feels like a different kind of creature. Sam’s family don’t understand. But then they barely understand themselves. Now, trapped in a stuffy inpatient clinic undergoing family therapy, they must find new ways to communicate with each other so that, one way or another, Sam can be released from captivity.
Ruby Thomas returns to Hampstead Theatre, following the premiere of her first full-length play Either in 2019. In 2020 she was on attachment at the theatre with the Channel 4 Playwrights’ Scheme. She has recently received a Jerwood Commission from the Royal Court (2021), wrote a piece for the Royal Court’s Living Newspaper (2020), and had short plays performed at the Old Red Lion, Platform Southwark, the White Bear and Theatre503.
Lucy Morrison makes her Hampstead debut. An Associate Director at the Royal Court, her credits include Scenes with girls (Royal Court), The Woods (Royal Court) and Little on the inside (Almeida Festival/Clean Break).
The Animal Kingdom has been kindly supported by the Godwin family.