PRESSURE Comes to the Royal Alexandra Theatre in January

David Mirvish will present the North American premiere of Pressure, written by British stage and screen star and playwright David Haig and directed by John Dove (Farinelli and the King on Broadway starring Mark Rylance) .

Performances begin January 24 to March 5, 2023 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Tickets go on sale Saturday October 1 through mirvish.com.

D-Day, June 1944. The Allied forces led by General Eisenhower are poised to invade continental Europe from Britain. The decision of when to launch the invasion comes down to the weather. What date will have the best conditions to cross the notoriously dangerous English Channel?

There are two meteorologists advising Eisenhower. Scottish Group Captain James Stagg is the chief meteorologist, who believes that, despite a prolonged heatwave, weather conditions will suddenly deteriorate on the day the invasion is planned. But American meteorologist Colonel Irving P. Krick strongly disagrees. He forecasts another calm sunny day.

The most accurate weather forecast is a matter of life and death for the 350,000 people involved in the invasion, and for the millions of people whose freedom was denied by the German occupation of Europe.

The Play and Production John Dove, then Associate Director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, had approached David Haig about writing a new play. When Haig delivered the play a few years later a co-production was struck between the Lyceum and the Chichester Festival. For the premiere production, Haig, one of the UK's most lauded actors, took on the role of Stagg himself. In an interview with the Scotsman newspaper, Haig explained:

"One thing I am drawing on is people who carry anxiety well camouflaged within an apparently confident exterior. That's me, but it also happens to be James Stagg. His brusqueness, his efficiency, his professionalism is what came out on the top, but inside he's extremely anxious about the whole scenario. He goes through a journey in trying to keep it together."

The production played the Lyceum for the month of May 2014, transferring to the Chichester Festival for the month of June. It was met with excellent reviews and enthusiastic audiences.

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