New Artistic Director David Greig Announces First Season at Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

Award-winning playwright David Greig has announced the details of his first season as Artistic Director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Scotland's largest producing theatre. The 2016/17 season features 11 main stage productions, including the revival of an iconic political play, a new twist on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, Caryl Churchill's A Number, and a large-scale production featuring the citizens of Edinburgh.

The season opens in August with theatre gig Wind Resistance, the world premiere of Scottish singer/songwriter Karine's Polwart's theatrical debut, followed by Joe Douglas's Dundee Rep production of The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil - John McGrath's iconic political play hasn't been seen on the Lyceum stage since the original production in 1973. The Suppliant Women reunites the creative team of international hit The Events. David Greig, Ramin Gray and John Browne create a new version of an Ancient Greek story about the flight of refugees and human rights, with 50 Edinburgh citizens playing the suppliant women.

Daniela Nardini returns to the Lyceum for April De Angelis's hit comedy Jumpy, directed by Cora Bissett, Anthony Neilson and composer Nick Powell create a magical Victorian version of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and the Lyceum welcomes its first ever international main stage production when it hosts the UK premiere of Malthouse Theatre Melbourne and Black Swan State Theatre Company's Picnic at Hanging Rock. Max Webster directs The Winter's Tale, Dominic Hill helms Noël Coward's riotous farce Hay Fever, in a co-production with Citizens Theatre Glasgow, and, as part of a new partnership with the Edinburgh International Science Festival, Zinnie Harris directs Caryl Churchill's acclaimed sci-fi work A Number.

Matthew Lenton directs the world premiere of Scottish playwright Douglas Maxwell's Charlie Sonata, David Greig makes his directorial debut with Glory on Earth, a new work by Linda Maclean, and the citizens of Edinburgh are invited back on stage for the season finale, Peter Handke's The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other. This wordless production is directed by Lyceum associate artist Wils Wilson and features a 100-strong cast and a soundtrack of entirely new music. There will also be Sunday Variety Nights for musicians, poets and theatre-makers.

David Greig, whose recent credits include The Lorax (Old Vic), The Events (Traverse, Scotland and Young Vic - pictured right) and West End hit Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, said: "The Lyceum's 50th Anniversary has been an extraordinary year for the company, and the success of Mark Thomson's final year has allowed me to put together this expansive and ambitious programme for my first season as Artistic Director. We will be presenting more work with 11 main stage productions, four of which are world premieres, and many of the artists involved will be making work with The Lyceum for the very first time.

"I'm keen to make new meaningful partnerships, such as our new exciting relationship with the Edinburgh Science Festival, and build on existing relationships, such as our involvement with the Edinburgh International Festival, to ensure that we stay at the heart of this fantastic city and truly be a Civic Theatre for the people of Edinburgh and our visitors.

"This is a programme that takes risks and is full of experiment and adventure - I believe that Edinburgh deserves nothing less. The time has come in this Athens of the North, birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment, for the city to stake its claim to a theatre of world-class ambition and scope. Last year, after a decade of standstill funding, The Lyceum received news of public funding cuts of nearly £700,000 from Creative Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council. Not enough to close our doors but enough to significantly narrow our horizons.

"Thankfully, the legacy of the company's celebrated 50th anniversary and the fantastic appetite of our audiences and supporters have given me a year to be experimental - a one season window of opportunity. I intend to use it to make the case for a producing theatre in Edinburgh's capital which is worthy of the city. A theatre which engages and excites our citizens year round and is capable of taking Edinburgh to the world and bringing a world of theatre to Edinburgh."

Season tickets are on sale now, and general public booking opens June 11. For more information and to book tickets, visit http://lyceum.org.uk/

Photo credits: Aly Wight, Stephen Cummiskey

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