NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE’S AUTUMN SEASON IN THE WEST END
NYT BEGIN AUTUMN SEASON IN THE WEST END WITH THREE NEW PRODUCTIONS & AN AUDIENCE WITH DAVID SUCHET
COMPANY OF SIXTEEN 18-25 YEAR-OLDS PERFORM THREE SHOWS IN REPERTORY AT THE AMBASSADORS THEATRE, 18 SEP – 4 DEC 2015
CONSENSUAL– A BRAND NEW PLAY ABOUT CONSENT, SEX ED & TEACHER PUPIL RELATIONS BY EVAN PLACEY
NEW COLLABORATION WITH SKY ARTS WHO DOCUMENTED THE MAKING OFCONSENSUAL AND LOOKED AT SURROUNDING THEMES
EMILY BRONTË’S WUTHERING HEIGHTS IN A NEW ADAPTATION BY STEPHANIE STREET & THE MERCHANT OF VENICE ABRIDGED BY TOM STOPPARD
The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) begin their autumn season in the West End this week. Following the huge success of the REP seasons in 2013 and 2014, the company returns to the Ambassadors Theatre with three new productions from September to December exploring themes of sex education, relationships, class and heritage. NYT will also present ‘An Audience with David Suchet’ in October, a unique opportunity to hear the magnificent Hercule Poirot and NYT alumnus in conversation with NYT Artistic Director Paul Roseby. The 10-week rep season will start on 18 September 2015, with press performances on 6 and 7 October 2015. An Audience with David Suchet will take place on 15 October 2015.
The three shows in this year’s West End rep season include: Consensual – a brand new play exploring issues and experiences around sexting, young people and sexual consent written byEvan Placey and directed by Pia Furtado which was documented in development as part of a new collaboration with Sky Arts; Wuthering Heights, in a new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel by Stephanie Street directed by Emily Lim and The Merchant of Venice – Shakespeare’s play abridged especially for schools by Tom Stoppard, directed by NYT Associate Director Anna Niland.
Written by Writer’s Guild Award winner Evan Placey (Girls Like That, Holloway Jones),Consensual will be directed by Pia Furtardo (Dirty Great Love Story at Soho Theatre and L’Elisir D’Amore at Opera Holland Park). Exploring teenage testosterone, teacher pupil relationships and the age of consent in the UK, Consensual will examine the relationship between PSHE teacher Diane and her class, specifically fifteen year old Freddie. “Think of Sexual Relationship Education as a war zone and you’re the journalist. Give the facts, show the photos, but don’t get too close unless you want your head blown off”.
Wuthering Heights is adapted by Stephanie Street (Sisters) from the Gothic novel by Emily Brontë and directed by Emily Lim (Brainstorm, The Kilburn Passion and The Wardrobe). When Heathcliff, a mysterious child is rescued and brought to Wuthering Heights, he develops an inseparable bond to Cathy, a friendship which soon develops into a passionate and iconic love spanning generations and ending with tragedy.
NYT Associate Anna Niland will direct Tom Stoppard’s abridged version of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Stoppard’s version, originally abridged especially for the NYT to perform at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing and the subject of a BBC documentary, is a 90 minute whirlwind which has delighted audiences and schools alike for the past decade.
Also in London’s West End, the NYT are thrilled to be hosting a one-off event with award-winning actor David Suchet. ‘An Audience with David Suchet’ will see the magnificent Hercule Poirot in conversation with Paul Roseby, CEO and Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre at the Vaudeville Theatre on 15 October. It presents a unique opportunity to hear from Suchet about his five decade spanning career across theatre, film and television, including what it was like to say goodbye to one of Britain’s best loved TV detectives and his current role as Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde’s the Importance of Being Earnest. This is a fundraising event to support the work of the National Youth Theatre with Britain’s best young talent.
More information at www.nyt.org.uk
LISTINGS
An Audience with David Suchet
Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand, London, WC2 R 0NH
15 October 2015, 3pm
Tickets start at £27.50 www.nimaxtheatres.com/vaudeville-theatre/an_audience_with_david_suchet
REP SEASON
Ambassadors Theatre, WC2H 9ND
18 September – 4 December 2015
Consensual Press Performances 6 & 7 October, 7:30pm
No matinee performances
Evening performances (7:30pm):
29, 30 September; 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 October; 3, 4, 10, 11, 18, 24 November; 2 December
Wuthering Heights Press Performance 6 October, 2:30pm
Matinee performances (2:30pm):
25 September; 2, 6, 13, 14, 23, 30 October; 6, 10, 11, 24, 27 November; 1, 4 December
Evening performances (7:30pm):
27, October; 17, 25 November;
The Merchant of Venice
Press Performances 7 October (2:30pm)
Matinee performances (2:30pm):
29, 30 September; 7, 9, 16, 20, 26, 27 October; 3, 4, 13, 17, 18, 25 November; 2 December
Evening performances (7:30pm):
1 December
Box Office
www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk
08448 112 334
or
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
020 7452 3000