Alan Bennett's PEOPLE to Open at the National Theatre in October; Nicholas Hytner to Direct

Alan Bennett's PEOPLE will make its National Theatre debut this October, The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye confirms today.

A celebrated writer for the screen and stage, Alan Bennett's play The History Boys won three Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Play, and six Tony Awards including Best Play. Bennett received an Academy Award nomination for his cinematic adaptation of The Madness of George III. Titled The Madness of King George, the film won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction, and starred the late Nigel Hawthorne as King George III and Helen Mirren as Queen Charlotte.

There's no word on subject matter for the new play yet, but PEOPLE will feature the direction of Nicholas Lytner. 

Since he became Director of the National in April 2003, Nicholas Hytner has directed Henry V, His Dark Materials, The History Boys, Stuff Happens, Henry IV, Southwark Fair, The Alchemist, The Man of Mode, The Rose Tattoo (with Stephen Pimlott), Rafta, Rafta… , Much Ado About Nothing, Major Barbara, England People Very Nice, Phèdre, The Habit of Art, London Assurance, Hamlet and Collaborators.

Read the Daily Mail article here.

Photo: Nicholas Hytner and Alan Bennett; Credit: Alex Bailey