David Hare's THE MODERATE SOPRANO to Transfer to Duke of York's Theatre

Baz Bamigboye of The Daily Mail has reported that Hampstead Theatre's production of David Hare's drama The Moderate Soprano will transfer to Duke of York's Theatre beginning April 5th. Jeremy Herrin is set to direct.

Roger Allam, who plays John Christie, will join co- star Nancy Carroll in the West End transfer of the play.

Baz also reports that the playwright will be making significant changes to the play's second act.

Acclaimed writer David Hare returned to Hampstead following The Judas Kiss which transferred to the West End. His many previous plays include Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Pravda, Plenty, Racing Demon, Skylight, Amy's View, Via Dolorosa, Stuff Happens, The Vertical Hour, Gethsemane, and South Downs, and his screenplays The Hours and The Reader.

This is director Jeremy Herrin's fourth collaboration with David Hare, following The Vertical Hour, South Downs and The Absence of War. Other stage productions include The Nether (Royal Court/West End), Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies (RSC/West End/Broadway). He is Artistic Director of Headlong Theatre Company.

Nobody can doubt John Christie's passion or his formidable will: he wooed his opera singer wife Audrey with a determination befitting a man who won the Military Cross. Now, in 1934, this Etonian science teacher's admiration for the works of Wagner leads him to embark on an ambitious project: the construction of an Opera House on his estate in Sussex.

But such is the scale of the enterprise that passion alone may not be enough. It's only when a famous violinist is accidentally fogged in overnight in Eastbourne that Christie first hears word of a group of refugees for whom life in Germany is becoming impossible. Perhaps they can deliver Christie's vision of the sublime - assuming of course they're willing to cast his wife in the lead. David Hare's new play is the story of an intense love affair between some unlikely bedfellows, and of the unrelenting search for artistic excellence in the face of searing scrutiny, sacrifice and war.

Roger Allam returned to Hampstead Theatre following Seminar last autumn. Recent theatre credits include The Tempest and Henry IV Parts I & II for which he won the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Actor (Shakespeare's Globe) and Uncle Vanya (Chichester Festival Theatre). Films include Girls Night Out, The Book Thief, The Iron Lady, The Woman in Black, The Queen and Tamara Drewe.

Nancy Carroll's many stage appearances include The Magistrate and After the Dance (National Theatre) for which she won Best Actress in both The Olivier and Evening Standard Awards, The Recruiting Officer (Donmar), and House of Games (Almeida). TV includes Father Brown, Holby City, Lewis and Silent Witness, and film includes Iris, The Gathering Storm and An Ideal Husband.

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