LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA and WILD to Premiere at Hampstead Theatre

Hampstead Theatre today announces two world premieres for the Main Stage, LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA by Howard Brenton and WILD by Mike Bartlett. Casting for LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA and WILD will be announced in due course. Scroll down for details!

LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA

A new play by Howard Brenton Directed by John Dove

Thursday 28 April - Saturday 4 June Press night Thursday 5 May

'In God's name man, you're Lawrence of Arabia! The public won't let you be anything else, no one will let you be anything else.'

Hampstead Theatre presents the world premiere of Howard Brenton's LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA, commissioned to mark the centenary of the start of the Arab revolt. Directed by John Dove.

August, 1922. The most famous man in England has vanished without a trace: T.E. Lawrence has completely disappeared. But in the idyllic calm of the village of Ayot St Lawrence, on the top floor of the home of Mr and Mrs Bernard Shaw, the 'uncrowned King of Arabia' is hiding - with slabs of homemade carrot cake for comfort.

Wearied by his romanticised persona and worldwide fame, disgusted with his country and himself, Lawrence is craving normality. But when you're a brilliant archaeologist, scholar, linguist, writer and diplomat -- as well as a legendary desert warrior - how can you ever be normal? And beyond the Shaws' garden wall, nobody cares how he feels: England just wants its hero back. Can he ever return?

Neil LaBute's other plays include Reasons to be Pretty, bash, The Shape of Things, The Distance From Here, Autobahn, Fat Pig, Some Girls, This Is How It Goes and In A Forest Dark and Deep. His films include In the Company of Men, for which he won the New York Critics' Circle Award for Best First Feature and the Filmmakers' Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival, Your Friends and Neighbors, Nurse Betty, Possession and The Shape of Things - a film adaptation of his play by the same title.

Howard Brenton makes a highly anticipated return to Hampstead following the critically acclaimed historical epics Drawing the Line 55 days and The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. His many plays include Doctor Scroggy's War, Anne Boleyn, In Extremis (Shakespeare's Globe), Dances Of Death (Gate Theatre) The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (Chichester Festival Theatre/ Liverpool Everyman, 2010) Paul, Weapons Of Happiness (National Theatre), Thirteenth Night (RSC); The Genius, Greenland, Berlin Bertie, Bloody Poetry Magnificence (Royal Court) Christie In Love (Portable Theatre, 1969) and Revenge (Theatre Upstairs).

John Dove is a regular collaborator of Howard Brenton, having directed his plays In Extremis, the award- winning Anne Boleyn and Dr Scroggy's War (all at Shakespeare's Globe). A prolific stage director, he is a former Associate of Hampstead Theatre where he has directed 15 productions. He is currently an Associate Artist of the Edinburgh Lyceum where he has just directed The Crucible as the culmination of his epic cycle of six Arthur Miller plays. His most recent production in the West End was Farinelli and the King, which starred Mark Rylance.

WILD

A new play by Mike Bartlett Directed by James Macdonald

Friday 10 June - 16 July Press night Thursday 16 June

'Let me tell you, now you're in the club, that it's important to keep a sense of humour, because things are going to get, now and for the rest of your life, extremely difficult.'

Hampstead Theatre presents the world premiere of Mike Bartlett's darkly comic new play WILD, directed by James Macdonald.

WILD explores the unexpected, bewildering, and life-changing consequences of challenging the status quo at a global level. As the State grows more powerful because of technology, and technology grows more powerful because of the State, where do the self-appointed protectors of the rights of the citizen stand? Heroes? Or traitors?

Last week, Andrew was that guy with his girl lunching in KFC, discussing apartments and making plans for the future. Today he's in Moscow, in an undisclosed hotel room, on the run and at risk of assassination. Last week, a nobody. This week, America's Most Wanted: a man who humiliated his country with one touch of a button.

Mike Bartlett returns to Hampstead following his critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Chariots of Fire. His play King Charles III (Almeida Theatre) enjoyed a West End and Broadway transfer last year. The play won the Olivier Award for Best New Play and the South Bank Sky Arts Theatre Award 2015. Mike's other recent plays include Bull (Young Vic) Game (Almeida), Theatre UK Best New Play winner Love, Love, Love (Paines Plough/Royal Court), 13 (National Theatre) and Earthquakes In London (Headlong/National Theatre). Television credits include Doctor Foster (BBC).

James Macdonald returns to Hampstead Theatre following The Arrest of Ai Weiwei by Howard Brenton. WILD is his second collaboration with Bartlett following c*ck(Royal Court). James's many other theatre credits include Caryl Churchill's Escaped Alone, Cock, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?, Blasted (Royal Court). Other recent work includes The Father (Theatre Royal Bath, Tricycle and West End), Exiles (National) and Glengarry Glen Ross (West End). He was Associate Director at the Royal Court 1992-2007.

Booking is now open to Hampstead Theatre Friends and Patrons. Public Booking opens Thursday 25 February. Contact the Box Office at 020 7722 9301 or online at hampsteadtheatre.com. The Hampstead Theatre is located on Eton Avenue, London, NW3 3EU.

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