FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR UK PREMIÈRE OF FLORIAN ZELLER’S THE SON
KILN THEATRE PRESENTS
THE SON
By Florian Zeller
In a translation by Christopher Hampton
Director: Michael Longhurst; Designer: Lizzie Clachan; Lighting Designer: Lee Curran
Composer and Sound Designer: Isobel Waller-Bridge; Casting Director: Amy Ball
20 February – 6 April 2019
As the world première of Ishy Din’s Approaching Empty opens at Kiln Theatre, the company’s Artistic Director, Indhu Rubasingham, announces the casting for the UK première of Florian Zeller’s The Son, in a translation by Christopher Hampton. Michael Longhurst directs Amanda Abbington, Laurie Kynaston, John Light, Oseloka Obi, Amaka Okafor and Martin Turner. The production opens on 26 February, with previews from 20 February, and runs until 6 April.
The Son is the 4th première in the opening season at the newly refurbished Kiln Theatre, following Alexis Zegerman’s Holy Sh!t, Stephen Sharkey’s adaptation of Zadie Smith’s White Teeth and Ishy Din’s Approaching Empty. 46% of the customers who have booked for the opening season are first time attenders (White Teethattracted over 58% new customers to the theatre); with 24% of bookers from Brent or Camden; and 15% of audiences are the least likely to be engaged in the arts (10% higher than the national average). White Teeth was the fastest selling show in the venue’s history with the majority of performances at 95% capacity (of an increased capacity compared to the old auditorium), making it the also the most financially successful show in the theatre’s history.
‘It’s just that I’m not like the others.’
As a family breaks down, a son begins to unravel. Nicolas is skipping school, lying to his family, hiding strange objects under his mattress. Is this typical teenager behaviour or a warning sign of hopelessness?
The highly anticipated UK première of The Son follows the sold-out Olivier Award-winning The Father (Theatre Royal Bath, Tricycle Theatre, West End, national tour) and the critically-acclaimed The Mother. The Soncompletes this trilogy of plays and has been nominated for 9 Molière awards including Best Play in a Commercial Theatre and Best Playwright.
Florian Zeller is a French novelist and playwright. Zeller won the prestigious Prix Interallié in 2004 (Fascination of Evil) and several Molière Awards for his plays La Mère(The mother)and Le Père(The father). L’Autre, le Manège, Si tu mourais, Elle t’attend, La Vérité(The truth)andUne heure de Tranquillité were successfully produced in France and internationally. L’Envers du décor, starring Daniel Auteuil was produced in Paris in 2016. Avant de s’envoler was on the same season, and recently played at the Wyndham’s Theatre (The Height of the Storm) with Jonathan Pryce and Eileen Atkins directed by Jonathan Kent. Le Père (The father), was nominated as Best New Play at the 2016 Olivier Awards, with Kenneth Cranham winning for Best Actor in a Play. It also received two nominations for the 2016 Tony Awards – Best Play and Best Performance by an Actor, the latter was won by Frank Langella. This play has been performed in over 35 countries. Christopher Hampton has translated most of Zeller’s plays into English; and his plays have received many international awards.
Christopher Hampton has translated plays by Ibsen, Molière, Chekhov, Yasmina Reza (including Art and Life x 3) and Florian Zeller’s The Father, The Mother and The Truth. He won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the adaptation of his own play, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (released as Dangerous Liaisons). He was nominated again in 2007 for adapting Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement. His television work includes adaptations of The History Man and Hotel du Lac.
Amanda Abbington plays Anne. Her theatre credits include The God of Carnage (Theatre Royal Bath), A Little Princess (Royal Festival Hall), Abigail’s Party (Theatre Royal Bath/UK Tour), God Bless This Child (Royal Court), Love Me Tonight (Hampstead Theatre), The Safari Party (Stephen Joseph Theatre /Hampstead Theatre), Something Blue (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Taming of the Shrew (Queen Mother Theatre) and Tin Soldiers (New End Theatre/Grace Theatre). For television her credits include Flack, Safe, Sherlock, Mr Selfridge, Being Human, Case Histories, Psychoville, Man Stroke Woman, Booze Cruise, Teachers and Coupling; and for film, We The Kings, Crooked House, Another Mother’s Son and Ghosted.
Laurie Kynaston plays Nicolas. His theatre credits include The Ferryman (Gielgud Theatre), Jumpy, The Winslow Boy (Theatre Clwyd). For television, his work includes Derry Girls, The Feed, Cradle to Grave, Murder Games and Our World War; and for film, How To Build a Girl, Undercliffe and England is Mine.
John Light plays Pierre. Theatre credits include Mary Stuart (Duke of York’s Theatre), The Winter’s Tale, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe), Three Days In The Country (National Theatre), The Blackest Black (Hampstead Theatre), Julius Caesar (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (The Print Room), Luise Miller (Donmar Warehouse), The Master Builder, Certain Young Men (Almeida Theatre), True West (Sheffield Crucible) and Apologia (Bush Theatre). For television, his work includes Agatha Raisin, Mars, Maigret, Father Brown, Silk, Dresden, North and South, Cambridge Spies, Band of Brothers, Love in a Cold Climate and Aristocrats; and for film, Albert Nobbs, Scoop, The Lion in Winter and A Rather English Marriage.
Oseloka Obi plays Nurse.His theatre work includes Timbuktu (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Edward II(Greenwich Theatre), Crossing the Line (Cockpit Theatre), Twelfth Night, Richard II (Drayton Arms Theatre) andWe Raise Our Hands in the Sanctuary (Albany Theatre).
Amaka Okafor plays Sofia. Her theatre credits include I’m Not Running, Macbeth, Saint George and The Dragon, Peter Pan (National Theatre), Hamlet (Almeida Theatre), Grimly Handsome, I See You (Royal Court Theatre) and Hamlet (Barbican).
Martin Turner plays The Doctor. His theatre work includes The Plague (Arcola Theatre), The Crucible(Storyhouse), Uncle Vanya (Theatr Clwyd and Sheffield Theatres), The Haunting of Hill House (Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse), The King’s Speech (Chichester Festival Theatre and tour), Medea (National Theatre), Twelve Angry Men (Garrick Theatre and Birmingham Rep) and A Life of Galileo (RSC). For television, his work includes A Very English Murder, Mother’s Day, Follow the Money, Maigret, New Tricks, The White Queen andDark Matters; and for film, Urban Hymn and Labirent.
Michael Longhurst directs. His credits include the recent revival of Caroline or Change (Chichester, Festival Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, and Playhouse Theatre), and Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus (National Theatre) and Nick Payne’s Constellations starring Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall at Royal Court Theatre and in the West End, and with Ruth Wilson and Jake Gyllenhaal on Broadway. Longhurst also worked with Gyllenhaal on his American stage debut in If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet (Roundabout Theatre, New York). Other credits include Gloria(Hampstead Theatre), Belleville (Donmar Warehouse), Bad Jews (Theatre Royal Bath/West End), and Linda(Royal Court Theatre). Longhurst was recently appointed Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse.
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