Hampstead Theatre

King James Trailer

King James now playing Downstairs until 4 January 2025! Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/king-james/ ★★★★★ 'Truly exceptional' Plays to See ★★★★★ 'An outstanding play’' Afridiziak ★★★★★ 'Joseph’s writing is natural and still impactful' The Rendition ★★★★ 'Fascinating' The Stage ★★★★ 'Funny and genuinely touching' Time Out ★★★★ 'Heartwarming' Broadway World ★★★★ 'A funny, moving, terrific play’' Reviewsgate ★★★★ 'A pitch perfect dissection of male friendship' The Spy in the Stalls ★★★★ 'Razor-sharp' The Reviews Hub "All the time we invested. In him. All the money. All the games we went to. The basis of our entire friendship... LeBron for the win. LeBron for the win…" The fortunes of the Cavaliers are about to change: the great LeBron James, the biggest star in basketball, is coming to Cleveland. But when superfan Matt’s latest business venture turns sour, he has to sell his most prized possession – his pair of Cavs season tickets. The buyer, Shawn, just sold his first short story – so watching his team in the flesh for the first time will be a sweet reward. Now just to figure out what to do with that second ticket… Thrown together by chance, the next 12 years prove as defining, dramatic, and sometimes heart-breaking for Matt and Shawn as they do for the Cavs – and for ‘King’ LeBron James. Multi-award-winner Rajiv Joseph returns to Hampstead with a play-by-play look at how friendship and supporting a team intersect. His plays include Describe the Night (Hampstead), Guards at the Taj (Bush) and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Broadway). Alice Hamilton, Hampstead Theatre’s Associate Director, directs. Her credits include The Harmony Test, Out Of Season, Every Day I Make Greatness Happen and Nineteen Gardens Downstairs, as well as The Dumb Waiter and The Memory of Water on the Main Stage.

The Invention of Love Trailer

Winner of eight Evening Standard, three Olivier and five Tony Awards, Tom Stoppard returns to Hampstead with The Invention of Love, which opens on the Main Stage 4 December. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/the-invention-of-love/ "If I had my time again, I would pay more regard to those poems of Horace which tell you you will not have your time again. Who knows how many tomorrows the gods will grant us? Now is the time, when you are young, to deck your hair with myrtle, drink the best of the wine, pluck the fruit…" A E Housman is, as he understands it, finally dead. The noted Latin scholar and celebrated poet of A Shropshire Lad is being ferried across the Styx to Hades – but beyond the stygian gloom on the other side of the river he finds, to his surprise, the Oxford University of his youth. Alive with the academic debates that shaped his work and the friendships that shaped his life, this is the Oxford of Ruskin and Pater; a place still marked by the brilliance of a recently departed student called Wilde… Tom Stoppard returns to Hampstead after the triumphant revivals of Hapgood and Rock ‘n’ Roll. Winner of eight Evening Standard, three Olivier and five Tony Awards, Stoppard’s plays include Leopoldstadt; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Arcadia. Director Blanche McIntyre directed Botticelli in the Fire in 2019. She recently directed The Merry Wives of Windsor for the RSC and has worked extensively at The Globe; her previous credits include The House of Shades and The Writer (both Almeida) and Tartuffe (National Theatre).

Audiences react to Reykjavik

★★★★ The Telegraph ★★★★ The Standard ★★★★ Time out ★★★★ Broadway World Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/reykjavik/ "‘For Those in Peril on the Sea’ makes dying at sea sound like something noble, patriotic. Whereas their husband, son or father has died for one half of a fish and chip supper…" February 1976. In freezing weather off the coast of Iceland, the sidewinder Graham Greene ices up, heels over, and sinks in seconds, taking fifteen of her crew with her. Such are the realities of the brutal world of trawler fishing. On impulse, despised trawler-owner Donald Claxton flies to Reykjavik to see the survivors, setting in train an evening of drinking, horseplay, romance and story-telling that will change all their lives forever. Richard Bean revisits Hull’s Distant Water trawling fleet that gave him his 2003 hit Under the Whaleback. His other plays include To Have and To Hold, Kiss Me and In the Club at Hampstead, and One Man, Two Guvnors and Jack Absolute Flies Again at the National Theatre. Emily Burns makes her Hampstead Theatre debut. Her previous productions have included Dear Octopus and Jack Absolute Flies Again (National Theatre) and Love’s Labour’s Lost (RSC)

Bellringers Trailer

Hailed by the Evening Standard as 'one of the best Edinburgh Fringe 2024 shows coming to London this year', Daisy Hall's moving debut play Bellringers runs at Hampstead Downstairs from 27 September to 2 November. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/bellringers/ ★★★★ The Times ★★★★ The Scotsman ★★★★ Broadway World ★★★★ Playbill ★★★★ Edinburgh Guide ★★★★ Theatre Weekly ★★★★ The Arts Desk ★★★★ Spy in the Stalls "Why shouldn’t it be true? Why shouldn’t there be a perfect peal which will shake loose a thunder storm every time? I mean, there’s a chance, isn’t there?" The storms are getting worse, with rains so hard that fish are falling from the sky. But the age-old belief prevails - that the pealing of bells can dissipate the thunder and lightning. It’s an extremely dangerous task – one that now falls to lifelong friends Clement and Aspinall – and as the weather worsens, the young men begin to question whether they’ll make it through the night. With their faith in tradition faltering, they find the only thing in which they have unwavering belief is each other… Daisy Hall’s comic and deeply moving debut play was a finalist for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2024, and was chosen by the Evening Standard as one of 'the best Edinburgh 2024 shows coming to London this year'. Bellringers is directed by Jessica Lazar (Sap, Edinburgh Fringe 2023; Twenty-Eight, Theatre503) and this Hampstead Downstairs co-production arrives following a critically acclaimed run at Roundabout, Edinburgh Festival 2024. Co-produced with Atticist and Ellie Keel Productions.

The Lightest Element Trailer

Stella Feehily's The Lightest Element opens on the Main Stage 5 September. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/the-lightest-element/ "Nothing compares with being the first person in the history of the world to see something, but timing is everything. The world has to be ready for you." Boston, 1956. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, one of the most eminent astronomers of the twentieth century, is about to be appointed Chair of Astronomy and the first woman to head a Harvard department. Only two things stand in her way: a covert investigation aimed at exposing her as a communist sympathiser, and the entrenched conservatism of her male colleagues. When a student journalist asks to profile her it feels like an opportunity to control her own narrative – assuming, of course, that the invitation is actually what it seems… Stella Feehily’s taut drama explores how challenging social norms can be almost as difficult as overturning scientific orthodoxy. Her other plays include Duck and O Go My Man (Royal Court), Dreams of Violence (Soho), and This May Hurt a Bit (Tour and St James’). Director Alice Hamilton is Hampstead’s Associate Director, with credits including The Memory of Water, The Dumb Waiter, The Harmony Test, Out of Season, Nineteen Gardens and the Olivier nominated Every Day I Make Greatness Happen.

The Harmony Test Trailer

★★★★★ LondonTheatre1 ★★★★ The Stage ★★★★ Broadway World ★★★★ Plays To See "He says, if we really wanna conceive now, he’s got a little something he can sell me under the counter at a very reasonable price. It will not fail!" Newlyweds Zoe and Kash are ready to start a family. Zoe wants to take a practical approach: fertility plans, vitamin supplements and a strict diet. Kash, on the other hand, would rather follow the advice of an intriguing man he just met in Holland and Barrett. Empty-nesters Naomi and Charlie have been living in matrimonial bliss for twenty odd years - or at least they had been according to Charlie. Frustrated and lonely, Naomi heads to the gym in search of a new lease on life. Instead, she finds Rocco – a much younger personal trainer willing to take a hands-on approach to the job… Richard Molloy’s hilarious comedy explores life’s positives and negatives, from starting families, to ending marriages, and everything that comes in between. The Harmony Test is directed by Alice Hamilton, Hampstead Theatre’s Associate Director and is their second collaboration, following the hugely successful Olivier Award-nominated Every Day I Make Greatness Happen, which played Downstairs in 2018. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/the-harmony-test/

Audiences react to Between Riverside and Crazy

★★★★ 'Danny Sapani is a force of nature' The Telegraph 'Always entertaining' The Guardian ★★★★ 'Sizzling, thrillingly acted' WhatsOnStage 'Headily enjoyable' Evening Standard ★★★★ 'Shrewd and funny' Financial Times Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/between-riverside-and-crazy/ Since his wife died, ex-cop Walter ‘Pops’ Washington has filled his palatial rent-controlled apartment in one of Manhattan’s most desirable areas with an oddball extended family of petty criminals. So now he’s besieged by the landlords, who want him out, the NYPD, who want him to settle his lawsuit against them, and the ladies from the local church, who want to save his soul… But Pops, calm at the eye of the storm, is going to do precisely what Pops wants to do… Stephen Adly Guirgis’ fast-moving Rabelaisian tragicomedy was a Broadway hit and won multiple awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His other plays include Jesus Hopped the A-Train, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and The Motherf**ker with the Hat. Michael Longhurst returns to Hampstead following his triumphant productions of Caroline or Change, Gloria and The Blackest Black to direct a stellar cast, led by Danny Sapani, hot on the heels of his hugely acclaimed performance as King Lear (Almeida).

Between Riverside and Crazy Trailer

Stephen Adly Guirgis' Pulitzer Prize-winning play opens on the Main Stage 3 May. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/between-riverside-and-crazy/ Since his wife died, ex-cop Walter ‘Pops’ Washington has filled his palatial rent-controlled apartment in one of Manhattan’s most desirable areas with an oddball extended family of petty criminals. So now he’s besieged by the landlords, who want him out, the NYPD, who want him to settle his lawsuit against them, and the ladies from the local church, who want to save his soul… But Pops, calm at the eye of the storm, is going to do precisely what Pops wants to do… Stephen Adly Guirgis’ fast-moving Rabelaisian tragicomedy was a Broadway hit and won multiple awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His other plays include Jesus Hopped the A-Train, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and The Motherf**ker with the Hat. Michael Longhurst returns to Hampstead following his triumphant productions of Caroline or Change, Gloria and The Blackest Black to direct a stellar cast, led by Danny Sapani, hot on the heels of his hugely acclaimed performance as King Lear (Almeida).

Audiences react to Double Feature

Double Feature runs on the Main Stage at Hampstead Theatre until 16 March. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/double-feature/ "You want a co-star; someone to make you feel young and alive and handsome all the way until the credits roll. And what if this is your very last chance to finally get your blonde?" CHARACTERS Alfred Hitchcock – the world’s most celebrated filmmaker Tippi Hedren – Hitchcock’s muse and leading lady Michael Reeves – brilliant new director trying to prove his worth Vincent Price – seasoned hero of the horror genre 1964, Los Angeles. Interior: Hitchcock’s cottage on the Universal lot. A great director and his star are engaged in a complex struggle between beauty and beholder. It’s mid-shoot on Marnie, but Hedren is struggling. The glare of Hollywood’s spotlight, coupled with a compulsion to be ever-ready for her close-up even when cameras have stopped rolling, are pushing her to the brink. How do you say no to the man who believes he made you… CUT TO 1967, Suffolk. Interior: Reeves’ rented cottage on location of Witchfinder General. A young film director is desperately trying to create his magnum opus. The only obstacle in his path - the ageing star the studio has foisted upon him to help the Box Office. Price is about to walk, and Reeves’ career hangs by a thread: veteran and visionary go head to head on whether true art has any place on a film set. These two stories splice together seamlessly, exploring the glamour – and the grit –associated with the silver screen. Where does the power in Hollywood truly sit: with the star on screen, or in the director's chair? John Logan is an American playwright and screenwriter with first-hand experience of the movie world having written the screenplays for The Aviator, Skyfall and Gladiator. His stage work includes the Tony Award-winning play Red (West End and Broadway), Peter and Alice (West End) and the book for Moulin Rouge (West End and Broadway). Jonathan Kent returns to Hampstead where his previous productions include Good People, The Slaves of Solitude and The Forest.

Behind the scenes: The Divine Mrs S Photoshoot

April De Angelis' The Divine Mrs S starring Rachael Stirling opens 22 March. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/the-divine-mrs-s/ Drury Lane, 1800. Mrs Sarah Siddons, universally acclaimed as the greatest actress of all time, holds complete sway over public and critics alike. But she is herself subject to direction from the men in her life - her bone-headed brother who runs the theatre and chooses her roles, and her faithless husband who signs her contracts and collects her fees. Siddons decides it’s time become the leading lady of her own life, harnessing her star power as the world’s first female celebrity and taking control of her own destiny – but she reckons without the absurdly comic plot-twists of a life on the stage… April De Angelis’ hilarious backstage comedy recalls the origins of celebrity culture – before fame automatically granted wealth and power. Her other plays include Playhouse Creatures, My Brilliant Friend and Jumpy. Anna Mackmin returns to Hampstead for the first time since directing Di and Viv and Rose, which transferred from Downstairs, to Main Stage and eventually the West End. Her other productions include Dancing at Lughnasa, The Real Thing and Hedda Gabler (all Old Vic). The Divine Mrs S is a Hampstead Theatre/AKO Foundation Next Decade commission.

Out Of Season - The Frampton Sound Experiment

Neil D'Souza's hilarious new play Out of Season, directed by Alice Hamilton opens 16th February. "So, here’s the plan: hit the beach, lunch alfresco, back by the afternoon, cocktails by the pool, dinner in the restaurant – which is excellent by the way – drugs, girls, half an hour’s kip, flight home!" Yes - the band is back in town! Michael, Chris and Dev are returning to Ibiza and the hotel where it all began thirty years ago… But Michael’s stuck in London, Dev’s got a bad back and Chris… well, he’s just Chris. And it turns out that none of them are in their twenties anymore! As this middle-aged trip down memory lane is about to hurtle off the tracks, Holly and Amy arrive, so down-to-earth they might just save our feckless heroes from really humiliating themselves… Neil D’Souza’s razor-sharp comedy picks over the gulf between past aspirations and present realities - how we can come to terms with the past and find a way to face the future. D’Souza’s other plays include Small Miracle (Colchester) and Coming Up (Watford). Alice Hamilton is Hampstead Theatre’s Associate Director. Her credits include the Downstairs productions of Every Day I Make Greatness Happen and Paradise, and The Dumb Waiter and The Memory of Water on Hampstead’s Main Stage. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/out-of-season/

Double Feature: In Rehearsals

By Tony, BAFTA and Golden Globe Award-winning John Logan, Double Feature opens 8 February. "You want a co-star; someone to make you feel young and alive and handsome all the way until the credits roll. And what if this is your very last chance to finally get your blonde?" CHARACTERS Alfred Hitchcock – the world’s most celebrated filmmaker Tippi Hedren – Hitchcock’s muse and leading lady Michael Reeves – brilliant new director trying to prove his worth Vincent Price – seasoned hero of the horror genre 1964, Los Angeles. Interior: Hitchcock’s cottage on the Universal lot. A great director and his star are engaged in a complex struggle between beauty and beholder. It’s mid-shoot on Marnie, but Hedren is struggling. The glare of Hollywood’s spotlight, coupled with a compulsion to be ever-ready for her close-up even when cameras have stopped rolling, are pushing her to the brink. How do you say no to the man who believes he made you… CUT TO 1967, Suffolk. Interior: Reeves’ rented cottage on location of Witchfinder General. A young film director is desperately trying to create his magnum opus. The only obstacle in his path - the ageing star the studio has foisted upon him to help the Box Office. Price is about to walk, and Reeves’ career hangs by a thread: veteran and visionary go head to head on whether true art has any place on a film set. These two stories splice together seamlessly, exploring the glamour – and the grit –associated with the silver screen. Where does the power in Hollywood truly sit: with the star on screen, or in the director's chair? John Logan is an American playwright and screenwriter with first-hand experience of the movie world having written the screenplays for The Aviator, Skyfall and Gladiator. His stage work includes the Tony Award-winning play Red (West End and Broadway), Peter and Alice (West End) and the book for Moulin Rouge (West End and Broadway). Jonathan Kent returns to Hampstead where his previous productions include Good People, The Slaves of Solitude and The Forest. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/double-feature/

This Much I Know: Audience Reaction

★★★★ The Times ★★★★ The Guardian ★★★★ Broadway World "I’ll be gone for a while. Possibly forever. It’s nothing you did." A tenured professor of psychology, Lukesh enjoys a life as organised and logical as his mind. But then his wife vanishes, sending only a text message by way of explanation and leaving him to re-evaluate their relationship. He discovers she has embarked on an epic odyssey, crossing and recrossing Russia and delving deep into Soviet history on a quest to unravel a family mystery of which he was unaware – one in which Josef Stalin himself may be involved. Jonathan Spector’s virtuosic entertainment is at once a love story and a kaleidoscopic primer in psychology, history, and the use and abuse of power. Spector’s other plays include Eureka Day (Old Vic) which won all San Francisco Bay Area’s New Play Awards and was nominated for a New York Drama Critics Award. This Much I Know is his most recent play and won the 2023 Glickman Award and also the Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award for Best New Play. Chelsea Walker returns to Hampstead to direct following her acclaimed production of Yous Two. Her recent work includes On the Beach (Sheffield), Missing Julie (Theatr Clwyd), Hedda Gabler (Sherman), Cougar (Orange Tree) and A Streetcar Named Desire (ETT). Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/this-much-i-know/

Jonathan Spector and Chelsea Walker - This Much I Know interview

"I’ll be gone for a while. Possibly forever. It’s nothing you did." A tenured professor of psychology, Lukesh enjoys a life as organised and logical as his mind. But then his wife vanishes, sending only a text message by way of explanation and leaving him to re-evaluate their relationship. He discovers she has embarked on an epic odyssey, crossing and recrossing Russia and delving deep into Soviet history on a quest to unravel a family mystery of which he was unaware – one in which Josef Stalin himself may be involved. Jonathan Spector’s virtuosic entertainment is at once a love story and a kaleidoscopic primer in psychology, history, and the use and abuse of power. Spector’s other plays include Eureka Day (Old Vic) which won all San Francisco Bay Area’s New Play Awards and was nominated for a New York Drama Critics Award. This Much I Know is his most recent play and won the 2023 Glickman Award and also the Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award for Best New Play. Chelsea Walker returns to Hampstead to direct following her acclaimed production of Yous Two. Her recent work includes On the Beach (Sheffield), Missing Julie (Theatr Clwyd), Hedda Gabler (Sherman), Cougar (Orange Tree) and A Streetcar Named Desire (ETT). Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/this-much-i-know/

Support #HampsteadAhead

For over 60 years, Hampstead has been at the forefront of British Theatre, nurturing playwrights and producing outstanding new work. One year ago, Arts Council England announced a 100% cut to Hampstead’s annual funding. But with our artistic community, audiences and donors alongside us, we are determined to move forwards. We will continue to produce ambitious new plays, champion emerging writers, and bring audiences together through inspiring, original theatre. And we can make this happen with your help. Today we have launched #HampsteadAhead, a campaign to raise £1.25m to underpin the Theatre’s core work and provide a rock-solid foundation for future years. Over £1m has already been raised, thanks to the generosity of Major Donors, Patrons, and Board – so if you can, please donate to #HampsteadAhead to ensure a bright future for Hampstead Theatre. Watch the video to hear from our artists, or find out how you can help at: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/support-us/hampstead-ahead/

Nineteen Gardens Trailer

"When I got your email my heart went out to you. All of a sudden it dawned on me how I had missed you – how I had missed what we’d had." Nearly two years after the end of their affair, John and Aga meet once more. Each has filled the void left by the other: he has withdrawn into his world of wealth and privilege; she has found herself working as a chambermaid to support her family. Both recognise that the spark between them is still there. Will they rekindle what they had, or is an altogether darker game about to be played out…? Magdalena Miecznicka’s lyrical human comedy is by turns seductive, enigmatic and explosive. The author of several novels in Polish, Miecznicka is also a journalist and literary critic. Now based in London, Nineteen Gardens is her first play in English. Alice Hamilton is Hampstead Theatre’s Associate Director. Her credits include the Downstairs productions of Every Day I Make Greatness Happen and Paradise, and The Dumb Waiter and The Memory of Water on Hampstead’s Main Stage.

Rock 'N' Roll by Tom Stoppard - Trailer

Don’t miss ‘arguably Stoppard's finest play' (The New York Times), coming soon to Hampstead Theatre. Playing a strictly limited run, Rock 'N' Roll opens 6 December – tickets selling fast, book today from just £10! Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/rock-n-roll/ "If I was English I wouldn’t care if Communism in Czechoslovakia reformed itself into a pile of pig shit. To be English would be my luck." 1968: Russian tanks have rolled into Czechoslovakia, and Syd Barrett has been dumped by Pink Floyd. Jan, a visiting postgrad at Cambridge, breaks with his old professor Max, a Marxist philosopher, and heads home to Prague with his suitcase full of “socially negative music”. Rock ’n’ Roll covers the ensuing 21 years in the lives of three generations of Max’s family while Jan is caught in the spiral of dissidence in a Communist police state. But it’s a love story too - and then there’s the music… Tom Stoppard returns to Hampstead after the triumphant revival of Hapgood (2015). Winner of eight Evening Standard, three Olivier and five Tony Awards, Stoppard’s plays include Leopoldstadt; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Arcadia. Director Nina Raine also returns to Hampstead where her directing credits include her own play Tiger Country (2011 & 2014) and William Boyd’s Longing (2013). “Triumphant! Rock ’n’ Roll is arguably Stoppard’s finest play.” The New York Times.

To Have and To Hold Trailer

Richard Bean’s new comedy To Have and To Hold runs at Hampstead Theatre until 25 November! Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/to-have-and-to-hold/ “He talks about going to Switzerland, to that place where you pay them to kill you… And I say “go! It’ll do you good. Broaden your horizons…you’ve never been abroad!” After sixty years of marriage, happily settled into their retirement village in Yorkshire, Jack and Florence have elevated bickering almost to the status of high art. That said, they’re otherwise getting along fine with the support of a cousin and the hilarious interventions of the man known locally as ‘Rhubarb Eddie’. But will their anxious son, shuttling between London and LA, and their errant daughter, contemplating a move to Australia, leave them to live out their days in peace? Richard Bean’s uproarious new comedy tackles the prickly problem of dealing with ageing parents who just don’t want to be dealt with! Writer of the international smash-hit comedy One Man, Two Guvnors, Bean returns to Hampstead after successes with Kiss Me and In the Club. Work elsewhere includes Jack Absolute Flies Again (National Theatre), Young Marx (Bridge) and Made in Dagenham, The Musical (Adelphi). Richard Wilson (Peggy For You) and Terry Johnson (Prism) both return to Hampstead Theatre to co-direct this production. To Have and To Hold is a Hampstead Theatre Next Decade commission.

Lauren Gunderson interviews AI expert Kat Zdan

Multi award-winning Lauren Gunderson's new AI thriller anthropology runs at Hampstead Theatre until 14 October! "I built you because this is what I do. It’s my job. These are my tools, I used them, and honestly it’s not that hard – you’re basically a chatbot." Merril is one of Silicon Valley’s leading software engineers, but her life disintegrates when her younger sister Angie vanishes on her way home from college. A year later, when the police have long abandoned their search, Merril assembles all the digital material Angie has left behind and sets about building herself a digital simulation of her sister. The resultant ‘virtual Angie’ offers her some solace – until, that is, it starts to reveal new details about the real Angie's disappearance… San Francisco-based Lauren Gunderson is one of the world’s most produced playwrights; her I and You was a huge success at Hampstead in 2018. Author of over 20 plays, Lauren has also received the Lanford Wilson Award at the Dramatists Guild Awards and two Steinberg/ATCA New Play Awards. anthropology is the twelfth play that Anna Ledwich has directed for Hampstead, where her work has ranged from Labyrinth to the Olivier nominated productions of Dry Powder and Four Minutes Twelve Seconds. MyAnna Buring (Twilight: Breaking Dawn; The Witcher; Downton Abbey; Ripper Street; A Very Expensive Poison, Old Vic; The Wasp, Hampstead Theatre) plays Merril. She is joined by Dakota Blue Richards (The Golden Compass; Skins; Arcadia, English Touring Theatre), Yolanda Kettle (Patriots, Almeida; Deep Blue Sea, National Theatre and Eden, Hampstead Theatre) and Abigail Thaw (Endeavour and The Strange Death of John Doe, Hampstead Theatre). Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/anthropology/

Richard Bean and Richard Wilson discuss To Have and To Hold!

"He talks about going to Switzerland, to that place where you pay them to kill you… And I say “go! It’ll do you good. Broaden your horizons…you’ve never been abroad!" After sixty years of marriage, happily settled into their retirement village in Yorkshire, Jack and Florence have elevated bickering almost to the status of high art. That said, they’re otherwise getting along fine with the support of a cousin and the hilarious interventions of the man known locally as ‘Rhubarb Eddie’. But will their anxious son, shuttling between London and LA, and their errant daughter, contemplating a move to Australia, leave them to live out their days in peace? Richard Bean’s uproarious new comedy tackles the prickly problem of dealing with ageing parents who just don’t want to be dealt with! Writer of the international smash-hit comedy One Man, Two Guvnors, Bean returns to Hampstead after successes with Kiss Me and In the Club. Work elsewhere includes Jack Absolute Flies Again (National Theatre), Young Marx (Bridge) and Made in Dagenham, The Musical (Adelphi). Richard Wilson (Peggy For You) and Terry Johnson (Prism) both returns to Hampstead to co-direct. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/to-have-and-to-hold/

anthropology trailer starring Dakota Blue Richards

"I built you because this is what I do. It’s my job. These are my tools, I used them, and honestly it’s not that hard – you’re basically a chatbot." Merril is one of Silicon Valley’s leading software engineers, but her life disintegrates when her younger sister Angie vanishes on her way home from college. A year later, when the police have long abandoned their search, Merril assembles all the digital material Angie has left behind and sets about building herself a digital simulation of her sister. The resultant ‘virtual Angie’ offers her some solace – until, that is, it starts to reveal new details about the real Angie's disappearance… San Francisco-based Lauren Gunderson is one of the world’s most produced playwrights; her I and You was a huge success at Hampstead in 2018. Author of over 20 plays, Lauren has also received the Lanford Wilson Award at the Dramatists Guild Awards and two Steinberg/ATCA New Play Awards. anthropology is the twelfth play that Anna Ledwich has directed for Hampstead, where her work has ranged from Labyrinth to the Olivier nominated productions of Dry Powder and Four Minutes Twelve Seconds. Opens 7 September Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/anthropology

Tom Stoppard introduces Rock 'N' Roll

1968: Russian tanks have rolled into Czechoslovakia, and Syd Barrett has been dumped by Pink Floyd. Jan, a visiting postgrad at Cambridge, breaks with his old professor Max, a Marxist philosopher, and heads home to Prague with his suitcase full of “socially negative music”. Rock ’n’ Roll covers the ensuing 21 years in the lives of three generations of Max’s family while Jan is caught in the spiral of dissidence in a Communist police state. But it’s a love story too - and then there’s the music… Tom Stoppard returns to Hampstead after the triumphant revival of Hapgood (2015). Winner of eight Evening Standard, three Olivier and five Tony Awards, Stoppard’s plays include Leopoldstadt; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Arcadia. Director Nina Raine also returns to Hampstead where her directing credits include her own play Tiger Country (2011 & 2014) and William Boyd’s Longing (2013). “Triumphant! Rock ’n’ Roll is arguably Stoppard’s finest play” The New York Times Opens 6 December. https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/rock-n-roll/

Octopolis: Get to know writer Marek Horn and director Ed Madden

Hear the writer and director introduce Octopolis in this hilarious interview. Octopolis opens 15 September in Hampstead Downstairs. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/octopolis "There were three people in my marriage, Dr Giscard… Three people and twelve legs." Professor George Grey is a brilliant behavioural biologist who, alongside her recently deceased husband, became world-renowned for her pioneering research into octopus intelligence. Mainly the intelligence of one particular octopus, in fact: Frances, who still resides in a large, purpose-built tank in George’s campus accommodation. Into this house of grief walks Harry, an ambitious anthropologist, despatched by the university with permission to test his breath-taking new theory on Frances. The nature of his assignment is shocking to George, and threatens to tear her world apart in more ways than one. Tickets from £10 - get yours now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/octopolis

Song From Far Away: Audience Reaction

★★★★ 'Will Young acts with melodic grace' The Guardian ★★★★ 'A beautifully composed production' Whatsonstage.com ★★★★ 'Will Young's performance was sublime' Manchester Theatres The strictly limited London run of Will Young in Song From Far Away by Olivier Award-winning Simon Stephens and Mark Eitzel is now open at Hampstead Theatre! Must end 22 July. Song From Far Away is an unforgettable story and a personal letter to those left behind. One crisp winter day in New York, Willem receives a phone call – it’s time to go home. Home to Amsterdam – to estranged family and forgotten relationships. As he reflects on his life, unwilling to face the future, he finds himself reaching out to the brother he lost. Starring multi award-winning singer/songwriter and actor Will Young, this powerful show is his first live theatre role for a decade. Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time) returns to Hampstead Theatre and we welcome for the first time, co-writer Mark Eitzel and director, the acclaimed Manchester-based Kirk Jameson. Song From Far Away is co–produced by Thomas Hopkins, Guy Chapman and HOME in association with John Rogerson, Michael Quinn & Wysch Productions. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/song-from-far-away/

Lauren Gunderson Introduces her new thriller anthropology!

anthropology opens on the Main Stage 7 September! Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/anthropology "I built you because this is what I do. It’s my job. These are my tools, I used them, and honestly it’s not that hard – you’re basically a chatbot." Merril is one of silicon valley’s leading software engineers, but her life disintegrates when her younger sister Angie vanishes on her way home from college. A year later, when the police have long abandoned their search, Merril assembles all the digital material Angie has left behind and sets about building herself a digital simulation of her sister. The resultant ‘virtual Angie’ offers her some solace – until, that is, it starts to reveal new details about the real Angie's disappearance… San Francisco-based Lauren Gunderson is one of the world’s most produced playwrights; her I and You was a huge success at Hampstead in 2018. Author of over 20 plays, Lauren has also received the Lanford Wilson Award at the Dramatists Guild Awards and two Steinberg/ATCA New Play Awards. anthropology is the twelfth play that Anna Ledwich has directed for Hampstead, where her work has ranged from Labyrinth to the Olivier nominated productions of Dry Powder and Four Minutes Twelve Seconds.

Stumped Trailer

A game of cricket. Two of the greatest playwrights. And maybe even time for some tea. Before Samuel Beckett became the playwright universally known for Waiting for Godot, he was a cricketer. He is still the only Nobel prize-winner to feature in the pages of Wisden as a first-class player. His friend and fellow Nobel prize-winner, Harold Pinter, whose best known works include The Birthday Party and Betrayal, described cricket as ‘the greatest thing that God created on earth’. This brilliantly witty new play by Shomit Dutta stars Stephen Tompkinson as Samuel Beckett (Brassed Off, Drop the Dead Donkey, DCI Banks, Wild at Heart) and Andrew Lancel (The Bill, Coronation Street) as Harold Pinter. Stumped gives a wonderful insight into what the friendship between these two great men may have looked like. As well as being a beautiful tribute to their writing, the theatre of the absurd, and of course their love for the game of cricket. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/stumped/

Find out more about Re-Member Me on the Main Stage only until 17 June

“This feels like a new evolution in terms of theatre. It has to just be witnessed. It’s a marvel to behold.” (Benedict Cumberbatch) 'Theatre’s master of lip-sync' (The Guardian) Dickie Beau brings his show Re-Member Me to Hampstead Theatre for a strictly limited run. While building a human Hamlet mix-tape, taking recordings of great Hamlets from the past to channel into an epic one-man lip-sync show, Dickie Beau found one especially masterful rendition. This ghost from Hamlet's past left an indelible mark on all who saw it, however, this Hamlet can never be “re-membered” - because no recording exists. Join Dickie Beau as he brings this Hamlet back to life, through exclusive interview recordings with Ian McKellen, Richard Eyre and more. Re-Member Me is part documentary theatre, part 21st century séance, and a unique theatrical eulogy to the greatest Hamlet almost never seen. A versatile actor and performance artist, Dickie Beau’s work is unlike that of any other practitioner. “Peerless” (The Times) and “one of our great living artists” (WhatsOnStage) he returns to Hampstead following his performance in the title role of Botticelli in the Fire. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/re-member-me/

Song From Far Away: Hear from writer Simon Stephens and actor Will Young

Song From Far Away runs at Hampstead Theatre 28 June - 22 July. One crisp winter day in New York, Willem receives a phone call – it’s time to go home. Home to Amsterdam – to estranged family and forgotten relationships. As he reflects on his life, unwilling to face the future, he finds himself reaching out to the brother he lost. Starring multi award-winning singer/songwriter and actor Will Young, this powerful show is his first live theatre role for a decade. Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time) returns to Hampstead Theatre and we welcome for the first time, co-writer Mark Eitzel and director, the acclaimed Manchester-based Kirk Jameson. Song From Far Away is co–produced by Thomas Hopkins, Guy Chapman and HOME in association with John Rogerson, Michael Quinn & Wysch Productions. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/song-from-far-away

Announcing a full season of eight new productions #HampsteadAhead

We are excited to announce a full season of eight bold and inspiring productions from September 2023 to March 2024, bringing together eight brilliant writers and seven talented directors in a programme that has Hampstead Theatre’s DNA running right through it. These entertaining, intelligent and topical plays showcase our commitment to championing ambitious and original work from established authors and new voices, spanning a range of subjects from Artificial Intelligence to Alfred Hitchcock, from growing old to rock ‘n’ roll. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/main-stage

Re Member Me by Dickie Beau

Will Young in Song From Far Away at Hampstead Theatre 28 June

★★★★ 'Will Young acts with melodic grace' The Guardian ★★★★ 'A beautifully composed production' Whatsonstage.com ★★★★ 'Will Young's performance was sublime' Manchester Theatres We are thrilled to announce a strictly limited London run of Will Young in Song From Far Away by Olivier Award-winning Simon Stephens and Mark Eitzel, which played to critical acclaim at HOME Manchester earlier this year. Song From Far Away is an unforgettable story and a personal letter to those left behind. One crisp winter day in New York, Willem receives a phone call – it’s time to go home. Home to Amsterdam – to estranged family and forgotten relationships. As he reflects on his life, unwilling to face the future, he finds himself reaching out to the brother he lost. “It was then that I decided to write you these letters.” Starring multi award-winning singer/songwriter and actor Will Young, this powerful show is his first live theatre role for a decade. Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time) returns to Hampstead Theatre and we welcome for the first time, co-writer Mark Eitzel and director, the acclaimed Manchester-based Kirk Jameson. Song From Far Away is co–produced by Thomas Hopkins, Guy Chapman and HOME. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/song-from-far-away

Blackout Songs Trailer

Following its sold-out run in the Downstairs space, a 2023 Olivier Award nomination, three finalist nominations and a win (Rebecca Humphries for Lead Performance in a Play) in the OffWestEnd Awards and amazing reviews, Blackout Songs transfers to a reconfigured main stage for a limited season. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/what... A chance encounter at an AA meeting… they’re drawn to one another, into a crazy passionate bond. Then later, once they’re drinking again, they both have this almost-feeling that they might have met before. They should really get sober together and figure it out. Maybe they will - just after one last quick drink… Joe White is a former Channel 4 Playwriting Award winner whose play Mayfly (Orange Tree) won Most Promising New Playwright at the OffWestEnd Awards. Guy Jones, who directed Mayfly, returns to Hampstead following his triumphant production of Ruby Thomas’ Either The cast includes Alex Austin (I Hate Suzie, Sky; Gundog, Royal Court) and Rebecca Humphries (Ten Percent, Amazon Studios; Wild Honey, Hampstead Theatre).

Sea Creatures playing Downstairs until 29 April

'Where's Robin Where's Robin Where's Robin' In a cottage by the sea, four women live in a house made for five. Meals are prepared, stories are shared and the tide breaks on the shore… When only one of their two guests arrives for the summer, it isn’t quite the reunion they were all hoping for … Sea Creatures is Cordelia Lynn’s first play at Hampstead Theatre running 24 March - 29 April. She is an award-winning playwright, librettist and dramaturg. Other work includes Love and Other Acts of Violence (Donmar Warehouse), Three Sisters (Almeida), One for Sorrow and Lela & Co. (Royal Court). James Macdonald was an Associate and Deputy Director at the Royal Court for 14 years, where he directed Cordelia Lynn’s One for Sorrow. His work for Hampstead includes Wild by Mike Bartlett in 2016 and #aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei by Howard Brenton in 2013.

Blackout Songs Nominated for an Olivier

We are overjoyed that Joe White's extraordinary play Blackout Songs in Guy Jones’ brilliant production has been nominated for the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre. Following its sold-out run Downstairs this 'dark, witty, indispensable drama' (The Telegraph) transfers to the Main Stage from 8 April for a strictly limited run. Returning with its original cast, Blackout Songs received four Off West End Award nominations and stars Alex Austin and Rebecca Humphries, the recipient of the 2023 Off West End Award for lead Performance in a Play. Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/blackout-songs/

Ruby Campbell and Amy Molloy talk all about Akedah

Michael John O'Neill's Akedah runs Downstairs until the 18 March Tickets from £10 Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/akedah/

David Suchet tells us about his show Poirot and More: A Retrospective coming to Hampstead Theatre

Public Booking opens 9 February 10.30am (tickets from £10): https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/poirot-and-more-a-retrospective/

Hear directly from David Suchet how you can best support the theatre

Want to be the first to book for David's show, Poirot and More, A Retrospective? Become a Friend now to access Priority Booking ahead of the general public and support Hampstead’s future. Join now by visiting our website: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/support-us/individual-giving/be-a-friend/

See Linck & Mülhahn on the Main Stage until 4 March

Ruby Thomas’ epic and playful modern love story is inspired by eighteenth century court records and the extraordinary true lives of this gender pioneering couple. It follows her two sold-out plays for Hampstead Downstairs: The Animal Kingdom ('pure theatre’ – The Guardian) and Either (‘marks Ruby Thomas out as a daring and exciting new voice’ – The Arts Desk). Maggie Bain (Man to Man, Wales Millennium Centre; Henry V, Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre) plays the role of Anastasius Linck with Helena Wilson (Jack Absolute Flies Again, National Theatre; The Lady from the Sea, Donmar) playing the role of Catharina Mülhahn and Lucy Black (The Durrells, ITV; The Haystack, Hampstead Theatre) playing Mother. They are joined by Daniel Abbott, David Carr, Marty Cruickshank, Kammy Darweish, Qasim Mahmood, Leigh Quinn and Timothy Speyer. Tickets from £10 Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2022/linck-and-mulhahn

Blackout Songs is back and transferring to the Main Stage!

Following its sold-out run in the Downstairs space, with three finalist nominations in the OffWestEnd Awards and amazing reviews, we are excited that Blackout Songs is transferring to a reconfigured Main Stage for a limited season. ★★★★★ 'a dark, witty, indispensable drama' The Telegraph ★★★★ 'compulsive to watch' The Guardian ★★★★ 'witty, warm and unpredictable' The Financial Times ★★★★★ 'razor sharp dialogue' TheReviewsHub ★★★★ 'magnetic to watch' BroadwayWorld A chance encounter at an AA meeting… they’re drawn to one another, into a crazy passionate bond. Then later, once they’re drinking again, they both have this almost-feeling that they might have met before. They should really get sober together and figure it out. Maybe they will - just after one last quick drink… Tickets from £10 Public Booking opens 31 January 10.30am: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2023/blackout-songs

Linck & Mülhahn by Ruby Thomas

See actors Maggie Bain and Helena Wilson during their photoshoot performing movement by Natasha Harrison. #HTLinck opens 27 January. Tickets from £10, book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2022/linck-and-mulhahn/

What do our audiences think of The Art of Illusion?

Audiences are loving the magical #HTIllusion, see what they have had to say about performances so far! The Art of Illusion must end 28 January. Tickets from £10, book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2022/the-art-of-illusion/

Find out what our audience think of Sons of the Prophet

Tony Award-winning Stephen Karam's ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'caustically funny, richly human' (The Times) 'gem of a play' (Time Out) plays at Hampstead Theatre until the 14 January. Tickets from £10 Book now: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2022/sons-of-the-prophet/

Ruby Thomas talks her new play Linck & Mülhahn

Linck & Mülhahn written by Ruby Thomas and directed by Owen Horsley opens on the Main Stage 27 January. Tickets from £10 book now for best availability: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2022/linck-and-mulhahn/

Magician Ben Hart talks about his work on The Art of Illusion

The Art of Illusion opens Downstairs 17 December and runs until 28 January. Tickets from £10 book now for best availability: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2022/the-art-of-illusion/

Introducing captions Downstairs at Hampstead Theatre

How does our Downstairs closed caption service work? Find out in this video. To find out more about access at Hampstead Theatre visit: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/your-visit/accessibility/

Audiences react to Blackout Songs

Sons of the Prophet by Stephen Karam

Tony Award-winning Stephen Karam makes a highly anticipated return to Hampstead following his multi award-winning, box office smash-hit, The Humans. 'The absolutely wonderful new comedy-drama' (New York Times), Sons of the Prophet makes its European premiere having been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. See Irfan Shamji as Joseph Douaihy in this exclusive trailer

Audiences react to Mary

What do audiences think of Rona Munro's #HTMary? We interviewed them to find out! Mary runs until the 26 November. Tickets from £10 https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2022/mary/

Interview with Blackout Songs writer Joe White and cast Alex Austin and Rebecca Humphries

Learn more about #HTBlackout Songs from Channel 4 Playwriting Award winner Joe White and cast Alex Austin and Rebecca Humphries

Interview with the cast of Mary: Douglas Henshall, Rona Morison and Brian Vernel