Photo Flash: In Rehearsal with the National's NINE NIGHT

Roy Alexander Weise directs Natasha Gordon's debut play Nine Night is a touching and very funny exploration of the rituals of family.

Gloria is gravely sick. When her time comes, the celebration begins; the traditional Jamaican Nine Night Wake. But for Gloria's children and grandchildren, marking her death with a party that lasts over a week is a test. Nine nights of music, food, sharing stories - and an endless parade of mourners.

Speaking about her play Natasha said, "When I wrote the play I was grappling with how grief moves through us, the importance for ritual and ceremony for some people, yet for others it's a quieter, private observance that's important. I experienced the tradition of Nine Night for the first time when my Grandmother passed away four years ago. I was struck by the importance of the tradition for my Grandmother's generation and for the people in my family that were born in Jamaica. This is the first time Roy and I are working together and I'm really looking forward to it, he's a fantastic director and we have an amazing cast who are all so talented, I can't wait."

The cast includes Oliver Alvin-Wilson, Franc Ashman, Ricky Fearon, Michelle Greenidge, Hattie Ladbury, Rebekah Murrell andCecilia Noble.

Design by Rajha Shakiry, with lighting design by Paule Constable, sound design by George Dennis and movement direction by Shelley Maxwell.

Previews from 21 April, Press night 30 April playing until 26 May

Photo Credit: Helen Murray

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