Hugh Bonneville, Hadley Fraser & More Join Chichester Festival Theatre's Festival 2019

Chichester Festival Theatre's Festival 2019 has been announced today by Artistic Director Daniel Evans, offering the colourful variety of work for which Chichester is renowned. New for 2019 is The Spiegeltent, a unique venue for an eclectic range of events.

Festival 2019 includes powerful world premieres, two musicals, Shakespeare, pertinent revivals of 20th and 21st century classics and brand new family shows.

Headline actors include Hugh Bonneville, Clare Burt, Nancy Carroll, Hadley Fraser, Sheila Hancock, Dervla Kirwan, Gerald Kyd, Josie Lawrence, James Nesbitt, Hyoie O'Grady, Amara Okereke, John Simm and Rachael Stirling.

Directors new to the Festival are Nicole Charles, Paul Foster, Paul Miller, Daniel Hill and Holly Race Roughan, alongside Lucy Betts, Daniel Evans, Richard Eyre, Kate Hewitt, Rachel Kavanaugh, Dale Rooks and Jeremy Sams.

Major revivals of classic and contemporary dramas:

Hugh Bonneville in SHADOWLANDS by William Nicholson, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh. Kate Hewitt directs Rachael Stirling in David Hare's PLENTY. Nancy Carroll plays Hester Collyer in Rattigan's THE DEEP BLUE SEA, directed by Paul Foster. Paul Miller directs John Simm and Dervla Kirwan in Shakespeare's MACBETH. An immersive staging of Roy Williams's SING YER HEART OUT FOR THE LADS directed by Nicole Charles.

• Four new plays:

8 HOTELS by Nicholas Wright, directed by Richard Eyre

HEDDA TESMAN by Cordelia Lynn, after Henrik Ibsen, directed by Holly Race Roughan in a co-production with Headlong and The Lowry

Anna Ledwich, CFT's new Writer-in-Residence, adapts Michael Morpurgo's THE BUTTERFLY LION, directed by Dale Rooks

Anna Ledwich also writes CROSSING LINES, a promenade production for CFYT

• Two musicals, one modern, one classic:

Tim Firth's THIS IS MY FAMILY, with James Nesbitt, Sheila Hancock and Clare Burt, directed by Daniel Evans

Rodgers & Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! with Josie Lawrence, Hyoie O'Grady and Amara Okereke, directed by Jeremy Sams

Chichester Festival Youth Theatre presents THE WIZARD OF OZ in the Festival Theatre for Christmas.

20,000 tickets at £10 in the Festival Theatre; over 10,000 £5 PROLOGUE tickets for 16 - 25 year olds.

Daniel Evans said: 'Festival 2019 continues our aim of giving audiences the breadth of work they expect and relish. We're premiering four plays: two by our new Writer-in-Residence, Anna Ledwich, including a brand new adaptation of one of Michael Morpurgo's own favourite books, The Butterfly Lion; Nicholas Wright's fascinating 8 Hotels, which examines the political repercussions of private passions; and we're delighted to be partnering with Headlong and The Lowry on Cordelia Lynn's Hedda Tesman.

'These, and our array of revivals and musicals, will be brought to life by an outstanding company of actors. Our directors include Nicole Charles, Kate Hewitt and Holly Race Roughan, all bright stars at the start of their careers, alongside the welcome Chichester debuts of Paul Foster and Paul Miller.

'October will see the installation of The Spiegeltent, providing an immersive setting for Roy Williams's Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads, as well as an exciting range of events for all tastes. Chichester Festival Youth Theatre promenade a new play by Anna Ledwich through the streets of Chichester; and our ongoing Ageless campaign aims to ensure that theatre and live art remain at the heart of people's lives, whatever their age and circumstance.

'Our new Executive Director, Kathy Bourne, joins us in May; we both look forward to welcoming audiences to Festival 2019.'

Priority booking for Friends of Chichester Festival Theatre opens: Saturday 23 February (online and booking forms only) Wednesday 27 February (phone and in person)

Booking for Groups and Schools opens: Thursday 28 February

General booking opens: Saturday 2 March (online only) Tuesday 5 March (phone and in person). Book via cft.org.uk, or Box Office 01243 781312.