Upcoming at the National: Simon Russell Beale to Play Stalin; Tori Amos to Pen Musical, and More

Nicholas Hytner, artistic director of the National Theatre in London, announced the theatre's upcoming plans this morning, reports thestage.co.uk. 

These included a new piece by Mike Leigh, the first to play on a London stage since 2005's Two Thousand Years. The play is set to star Leigh's frequent collaborator Lesley Manville and Ruby Bentall. True to Leigh's style, little is known about the plot, and Hytner admits that he has "no idea what is in [Leigh's] mind". The Cottesloe Theatre will host the production in September.

Juno and the Paycock by Sean O'Casey will open in the Lyttleton Theatre in November, following a new play by Conor McPherson. Juno and the Paycock will first play The Abbey Theatre in Ireland before making the move.

Also announced was a new play entitled Collaborators, starring Simon Russell Beale as Russian dictator Joseph Stalin and Alex Jennings as playwright Mikhail Bulgakov, who must decide what sacrifices he must make creatively to further his career. Hytner will direct the production, which will also be in the Cottesloe.

In 2012, a new musical, based on the George MacDonald story "The Light Princess", will play the Lyttelton Theatre. "The Light Princess" is a fairy tale which follows a princess who has been cursed with a lack of gravity, so that she can be blown away by the wind and will float away if not brought down to the ground. The musical will feature music and lyrics by singer/songwriter Tori Amos with additional lyrics by Samuel Adamson. It will be directed by Marianne Elliott. 

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