Martin McDonagh's New Play Will Premiere at Bridge Theatre In 2018

Following Martin McDonagh's success at the Venice, Toronto and London film festivals with his critically acclaimed Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri the London Theatre Company announces, in advance of its next programme, the world premiere next autumn at the Bridge Theatre of a new play by McDonagh.

With a cast led by Jim Broadbent and directed by Matthew Dunster and designed by Anna Fleischle, A VERY VERY VERY DARK MATTER will preview from 10 October 2018. Tickets will go on public sale on 14 November 2017 at 10am GMT with priority booking for Bridge members opening today at 10am GMT. The 12-week run will conclude on 29 December. Further casting and members of the creative team will be announced in due course.

In a townhouse in Copenhagen works Hans Christian Andersen, a teller of exquisite and fantastic children's tales beloved by millions. But the true source of his stories dwells in his attic upstairs, her existence a dark secret kept from the outside world. As dangerous, twisted and funny as his National Theatre and Broadway hit The Pillowman, Martin McDonagh's new play travels deep into the abysses of the imagination.

Martin McDonagh is an award-winning writer and director. His plays are The Beauty Queen of Leenane, A Skull in Connemara, The Lonesome West, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Pillowman, A Behanding in Spokane and Hangmen. As a writer and director for film his credits are Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges, Six Shooter as well asThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri which won Best Screenplay at this year's Venice Film Festival, the Grolsch People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival and was the closing film at this year's BFI London Film Festival.

Jim Broadbent is a BAFTA and Academy award-winning actor. He has previously appeared in Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman at the National Theatre where he was also seen in Improbable Theatre's Theatre of Blood. Broadbent has worked extensively for The Donmar Warehouse, the Old Vic, the Royal Court and the Royal Shakespeare Company and has most recently been seen on stage in A Christmas Carol at The Noel Coward Theatre. His many film credits include Iris, for which he won an Academy Award, The Lady in the Van, Paddington, Brooklyn, Iron Lady, Le Weekend, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Moulin Rouge and King Lear, currently in production. His more recent television credits includeGame of Thrones, War and Peace, London Spy and The Go-Between as well as his BAFTA winning role in Longford.

Matthew Dunster directed McDonagh's Hangmen at the Royal Court where he has also directed Liberian Girl. Other directing credits include The Seagull and A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Open Air Regent's Park, Love's Sacrifice for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Love the Sinner for the National Theatre, Doctor Faustus, Imogen, The Frontline and Much Ado About Nothing for Shakespeare's Globe, Mametz for the National Theatre of Wales, Before the Party for the Almeida Theatre and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Macbeth and Mogadishu for the Royal Exchange Theatre. As a writer his plays include Children's Children which premiered at the Almeida Theatre and You Can See the Hills which premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre as well as an adaptation of 1984.

London Theatre Company will announce the remainder of the Bridge programme for 2018 early next year.

Young Marx, the opening production at the Bridge continues to 31 December 2017. Nicholas Hytner's promenade production of Julius Caesar with David Calder, Michelle Fairley, David Morrissey and Ben Whishaw follows from 20 January - 15 April 2018. The world premiere of Barney Norris' Nightfall, directed by Laurie Sansom, runs from 28 April - 3 June 2018.

www.bridgetheatre.co.uk