Royal & Derngate, Northampton, and Out of Joint, in association with Oxford Playhouse, present
The Remains of the Day
Cast and creative team and tour details announced for world premiere of Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day, adapted for the stage by Barney Norris
Royal & Derngate, Northampton – Saturday 23 February to Saturday 16 March 2019
Then touring nationwide
- Cast to include Stephen Boxer and Niamh Cusack
- 2017 Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day is adapted for the stage by Barney Norris, directed by Christopher Haydon and designed by Lily Arnold, lighting design by Mark Howland and sound design by Elena Peña
- Commissioned by Royal & Derngate and co-produced by Royal & Derngate and Out of Joint in association with Oxford Playhouse
- After its world premiere in Northampton the production embarks on a 10 week Out of Joint tour including Oxford Playhouse, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Salisbury Playhouse, Theatre Royal York, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Nuffield Southampton,Derby Theatre and Bristol Old Vic
The cast and full creative team, along with details of the Spring 2019 tour, has been announced today for The Remains of the Day, a co-production between Royal & Derngate, Northampton and Out of Joint, in association with Oxford Playhouse. The cast will be led by Stephen Boxer (Regeneration, Royal & Derngate) and Niamh Cusack (The Winter’s Tale, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse).
2017 Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro’s masterpiece has entranced generations as a novel and its story of memory, regret and undeclared love is now re-imagined for the stage for the first time by one of Britain’s most exciting young writers, Barney Norris (At First Sight, Oxford Playhouse; Visitors,Arcola Theatre – Critics’ Circle Award and Offwestend Award for Most Promising Playwright forVisitors, Arcola Theatre; Times best-selling novelist) in collaboration with Ishiguro himself.
Through the memories of a proud butler, we discover the shocking, morally compromised truth behind the manicured gardens and grand receptions of an English stately home. Years later, faced with a life half-lived, he sets out on a journey to find the friend from his past who might finally offer him redemption.
The Remains of the Day will be directed by Christopher Haydon (Twelve Angry Men, Birmingham Rep and West End; Fringe First and Offie-winning Grounded, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, Studio Theatre Washington DC, national and international tour; On The Exhale, Traverse Theatre), who recently directed Royal & Derngate’s co-production of The Caretaker. The production will be designed by Lily Arnold (Rules for Living, Royal & Derngate; Yellow Face, National Theatre Shed). Lighting design is by Mark Howland (Soul, Royal & Derngate/Hackney Empire; Twelve Angry Men, Birmingham Rep and West End; several productions for English Touring Opera) and sound design is by Elena Peña (Misty, Bush Theatre; The Bear/The Proposal, Young Vic; The Caretaker, Royal & Derngate and Bristol Old Vic).
The cast will be led by Stephen Boxer as the butler Stevens. His credits include Stories, Macbethand King Lear (National Theatre) and Regeneration (Royal & Denrgate and Touring Consortium Theatre Company). Kenton is played by Niamh Cusack whose stage credits include My Brilliant Friend at Rose Theatre Kingston and The Winter’s Tale at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. The cast also includes Stephen Critchlow, Pip Donaghy, Edward Franklin, Miles Richardson, Sadie Shimminand Patrick Toomey.
The play will open at Royal & Derngate, Northampton in February, as part of the theatre’s Made in Northampton season, with a National Press night on Wednesday 27 February, and will tour nationally from March 2019. The tour venues will include Oxford Playhouse, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Salisbury Playhouse, Theatre Royal York, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Nuffield Southampton Derby Theatre, and Bristol Old Vic.
Kate Wasserberg, Artistic Director of Out of Joint, said: “Out of Joint are absolutely delighted to be working with Royal & Derngate and Oxford Playhouse to bring Ishiguro’s seminal story to stages around the country. We’re incredibly excited to be working with Barney and Chris to adapt this classic tale of love, loss and regret.”
James Dacre, Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate, added: “After several years of development, we can’t wait to bring the world premiere of the iconic story to the stage. We are thrilled to be working with playwright Barney Norris and delighted to be welcoming Christopher Haydon back to Royal & Derngate.”
The Made in Northampton season is sponsored locally by Michael Jones Jewellers.
#RemainsTour19
Performance Dates and Venues
Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Sat 23 Feb – 16 Mar 19
ttps://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/
York Theatre Royal
Mon 18 Mar – Sat 23 Mar 19
https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Tue 26 Mar – Sat 30 Mar 19
https://www.theatreroyal.org/
Nuffield Southampton
Tues 2 Apr – Sat 6 Apr 19
https://www.nstheatres.co.uk/
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
Mon 8 Apr – Mon 15 Apr 19
https://www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk/
Oxford Playhouse
Tue 16 Apr – Sat 20 Apr 19
https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/
Derby Theatre
Tue 23 Apr – Sat 27 Apr 19
https://www.derbytheatre.co.uk/
Salisbury Playhouse
Tue 30 Apr – Sat 11 May 19
https://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk/
Bristol Old Vic
Tue 21 May – Sat 25 May 19
https://bristololdvic.org.uk/