All Seven Secret Theatre Shows to be Performed for the Last Time at the Lyric Hammersmith

As part of a two week Grand Finale the Lyric Hammersmith's Secret Theatre Company will present their full repertory of shows for the last time including the premiere of a brand new play.

The celebration of this provocative project will include the Company's final production Show 7: A Stab in the Dark, a classic British farce set in Afghanistan, written by Joel Horwood. There will also be a range of free events, discussions and masterclasses tailored around the performances. The project will culminate in the final weekend with the company performing all seven Secret Theatre shows over 48 hours.

Secret Theatre was conceived to take place while the Lyric was undergoing substantial refurbishment - a secret theatre at the heart of a building site. At its core were three main artistic ambitions: to reinvent the model of a British repertory theatre company, making work collectively over a long period of time; to challenge issues of diversity in theatre by always having five men and five women on stage, ethnic minority actors on stage and a disabled actor on stage; and to explore together means to present classic texts and new writing in different ways.

Over the last two years the Secret Theatre Company have performed their work within the Lyric building site, taken the Edinburgh Fringe by storm winning The Stage Award for Acting Excellence and toured their repertoire at venues across the country.

Sean Holmes, Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith, said:

'When we launched Secret Theatre I said: I've realised how much I've hidden behind the literal demands of the text and avoided the really difficult questions about representations of gender and race and disability. Secret Theatre is an attempt to challenge every aspect of how we make work at the Lyric, building new structures that could lead to a new type of theatre. It is only now at the end of an extraordinary two years that I've discovered the central purpose of Secret Theatre. To show how the true potential of actors both individually and collectively can be released by the creation of a committed ensemble.'

Listings Information

The Secret's Out
Thursday 12 February - Sunday 01 March 2015

Show 7: A Stab in the Dark
A classic British farce set in Afghanistan
Written by Joel Horwood
Previews 12 - 24 February 7.30pm

Grand Finale weekend
Saturday 28 February
11.00am - Show 4: Glitterland
Hayley Squires' thrilling story of power, corruption and revenge inspired by John Webster's The White Devil.
3pm - Show 6 by Mark Ravenhill
A new thriller from award-winning playwright Mark Ravenhill.
5pm - Show 2: A Streetcar Named Desire
Tennessee Williams' classic story of pride, jealousy and lust.
9pm - Show 5: A Series of Increasingly Impossible Acts
A riotous and uplifting show devised by the Secret Theatre Company.

Sunday 01 March
12pm - Show 3: Chamber Piece
A pitch-black comedy from writer Caroline Bird about power, lethal injection and desperate need for a Twix.
2.30pm - Show 6 by Mark Ravenhill
A new thriller from award-winning playwright Mark Ravenhill.
4.30pm - Show 1: Woyzeck
An explosive staging of David Harrower's version of George Buchner's masterpiece about a man's descent into murder and madness.
8pm - Show 7: A Stab in the Dark
A classic British farce, set in Afghanistan by Joel Horwood.

All tickets £15 (see all seven shows for £75)

Bookings & information 020 8741 6850 / www.lyric.co.uk
Talks, workshops and masterclasses TBC see website for details.
For more information visit www.lyric.co.uk.
Twitter @LyricHammer | Facebook LyricHammersmit

In April 2015 the Lyric Hammersmith will officially re-open following its multi-million pound capital development project.

The project, which is the most significant cultural development to take place in West London for decades, is designed to build upon the Lyric's unique position within the UK's cultural ecology and its dual commitment to producing the highest quality contemporary theatre, alongside nurturing the creativity of young people.

The finished building will offer brand new state-of-the-art facilities and will enable the Lyric to expand its programme of activity with young people, emerging and professional artists.

The Secret Theatre Company is Nadia Albina, Hammed Animashaun, Leo Bill, Caroline Bird, Sean Holmes, Cara Horgan, Joel Horwood, Matti Houghton, Arinze Kene, Adelle Leonce, Nick Manning, Ellen McDougall, Katherine Pearce, Lizzie Powell, Billy Seymour, Hyemi Shin, Hayley Squires, Simon Stephens, Sergo Vares and Steven Webb.

Guest artists include Mikey Czepiel (Composer Show 4), Nick Powell (Composer Show 6), Mark Ravenhill (Writer Show 6), Caroline Steinbeis (Director Show 6), Paul Wills (Designer Show 3).

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