Sacha Wares Returns To Almeida Theatre to Direct World Premiere of BOY, April 5

Sacha Wares will be returning to Almeida Theatre to direct the world premiere of Leo Butler's new play Boy, after her directorial success with the critically acclaimed production, Game, by Mike Bartlett, in 2015. Boy will run at the Almeida Theatre from 5 April until 28 May 2016, with press night on 12 April 2016. Director Sacha Wares is joined by a formidable creative team, including two powerhouse contemporary designers, Miriam Buether for set design (Wild Swans, Sucker Punch, My Child, Generations), who worked with Sacha on Game at the Almeida in 2015, and Ultz for costume (Jerusalem, Hobson's Choice, Fallout, Pied Pier), who will be collaborating with Miriam, on design, for the very first time. Further creative credits include movement by Leon Baugh, lighting by Jack Knowles and sound by Gareth Fry.

A boy

At a bus stop.

Easily missed.

Playwright Leo Butler casts a sharp eye over the city and picks someone for us to follow.

Sacha Wares (Director) is associate director at the Young Vic and was previously Associate Director of the Royal Court from 2007-2013. Most recently Sacha directed Game by Mike Bartlett at the Almeida. Her other previous director credits include Wild Swans and Generations at the Young Vic, Sucker Punch, My Child and Credible Witness at the Royal Court, Random at the Royal Court and UK Tour, Trade at the Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Soho Theatre,Platform at the Institute of Contemporary Arts London, A Number for the Theatre Project, Tokyo, Guantanamo: "Honour Bound to Defend Freedom" at the Tricycle Theatre, Ambassador's Theatre and Lafayette Theater, New York, Bintou at the Arcola Theatre, Six Degrees of Separation at the Sheffield Crucible and Pera Palas at the Gate Theatre.

Leo Butler's (Writer) playwriting credits include Alison! A Rock Opera at the Royal Court, King's Head Theatre and the Spread Eagle Theatre, Could You Please Close The Door Please at the FIND Festival and Schaubuhne, Berlin, Sixty-Nine at The Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Festival, Juicy Fruits at Paines Plough, Traverse Theatre and Royal Exchange, Come to Where I'm From at Paines Plough and Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, The Early Bird at the Queen's Theatre, Belfast and Finborough Theatre, I'll Be The Devil which was produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Tricycle Theatre, Heroes which toured for the National Theatre, Devotion at the Theatre Centre and Do It!, Airbag, Faces in The Crowd, Lucky Dog, Redundant and Made of Stone at the Royal Court Theatre. Leo's screen credits include Jerusalem the Golden and Self Made.

Leo Butler won the George Devine Award in 2001 for Redundant and was the Writer's Tutor for the Royal Court's Young Writers programme from 2006 - 2014. Leo has had plays performed in countries across the world, including South Africa, Hungary, Russia, the United States, Brazil and Australia.

PARTNERSHIP WITH ARSENAL IN THE COMMUNITY

Alongside Boy, a project funded by The Arsenal Foundation between the Almeida and Arsenal in the Community will see the partners work together over coming months to reach young people in Islington who haven't previously been involved in theatre, encouraging them to create and share their own stories.

Rupert Goold, Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre said "As a die-hard Arsenal fan I'm well aware of the established and respected track record the club has in supporting our local community. It's great to be able to partner with Arsenal in the Community on a project of such relevance and importance".

Four professional playwrights will work with 40 young people recruited through Arsenal in the Community networks over the course of 10 weeks to encourage them to develop ideas for short plays and monologues. The plays will respond to the themes in Boy, giving young people a voice. The resulting plays will then be presented by professional directors and actors on the set of Boy in the Almeida Theatre.

We are commissioning a professional filmmaker to document the entire project.

Young people will also be invited to participate in a panel discussion led by young people for young people interrogating questions determined by the participants themselves to explore their views on the world they live in.

Arsenal Football Club Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis said "Community has always been at the heart of Arsenal Football Club. It is a fundamental part of what we do and what we represent.

"Arsenal has a unique relationship with its local community through the work of our Arsenal in the Community team and a variety of projects and causes supported by funding from The Arsenal Foundation.

We're thrilled that Arsenal in the Community will be working with a fellow Islington organisation to help young people thrive by finding their own voice."

NOTES TO EDITORS

INFORMATION ON ALMEIDA PARTICIPATION

We are committed to ensuring that every child and young person, whatever their circumstances, has the opportunity to access our unique theatre and the activity it has to offer. We offer a high quality and innovative programme for, by and with young people, aged 5 - 25.

Our participation team works primarily with the young people of Islington and its surrounding boroughs. Islington is a complex, culturally diverse, socially and economically deprived inner city borough. It has the second highest level of child poverty in London, where 15,000 children live in families where nobody works.

In all, we aim to work with over 3,000 young people a year in structured programmes to inspire, challenge and engage them as audience members, participants and theatre makers; creating opportunities that work to increase confidence, communication and team-work. We want to ensure that we are reaching everyone - not just those who are already keen and committed, and that our work is accessible for a diverse range of young people.

ARSENAL IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE ARSENAL FOUNDATION:

Arsenal in the Community was established in 1985, when Arsenal became one the first clubs in the UK to set up a dedicated community team. Through the diverse programmes that have developed over time such as social inclusion, employability, education and sport initiatives, Arsenal in the Community has made a real, positive impact on the lives of over a million young people in its community.

The Arsenal Foundation was launched in May 2012 and uses the Arsenal name to change lives through the projects and causes it supports.

The Arsenal Foundation goes from strength to strength, expanding its local impact through a global partnership with Save the Children. Most recently, The Arsenal Foundation has worked with the charity to fund two football pitches in refugee camps in Iraq for displaced young people, giving them a safe place to play.

The Arsenal Foundation works hand in hand with Arsenal in the Community to inspire and support young people in its local community.

www.arsenal.com/thearsenalfoundation

ALMEIDA QUESTIONS

Dramatising Poverty - Thursday 12 May at 6 pm

Does modern drama have a responsibility to put stories of the poor and disadvantaged on stage and screen? Is there a danger of cultural voyeurism?

To discuss, Boy playwright Leo Butler will be joined by Selina Todd (author, fellow and vice principal of St Hilda's College, Oxford), with further panellists to be announced.

Answers Back: Young People's Panel - Thursday 5 May at 6 pm

This panel for young people will explore ideas raised in our production of Boy.

CURRENTLY AT THE ALMEIDA THEATRE...

UNCLE VANYA

BY ANTON CHEKOV

A NEW VERSION CREATED BY ROBERT ICKE

FROM 5 FEBRUARY 2016

Jessica Brown Findlay (Sonya), Vanessa Kirby (Elena), Richard Lumsden (Telegin), Hilton McRae (Serebryakov), Tobias Menzies (Astrov), Ann Queensberry (Nanny) and Susan Wooldridge (Maria) join the previously announcedPaul Rhys (Vanya) in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, a new version created by and directed by Associate Director, Robert Icke, at the Almeida Theatre. Running from 5 February until 26 March 2016, with press night on 12 February, Uncle Vanya is Icke's next production following the critically acclaimed Oresteia, which ran at the Almeida Theatre, transferred to the West End, and recently won him the Evening Standard Award for Best Director.

Things your life could be:

(1) a farce. (2) a tragedy. (3) pointless. (4) all of the above.

Things you could do about it:

(1) keep living. (2) stop living. (3) stop someone else living. (4) nothing.

Even so, what has your life been worth?

Chekhov's late masterpiece examines human behaviour in all of its beautiful, terrible, laughable contradiction.

AND ELSEWHERE...

KING CHARLES III

A NEW PLAY BY MIKE BARTLETT

DIRECTED BY RUPERT GOOLD WITH WHITNEY MOSERY

UK TOUR

FROM 4 SEPTEMBER 2015

Following critically acclaimed sell-out runs at the Almeida Theatre and in the West End, King Charles III is currently on a UK Tour. Robert Powell takes on the role of King Charles. The company includes Penelope Beaumont, Jennifer Bryden, Richard Glaves, Dominic Jephcott, Geoffrey Lumb, Lucy Phelps, Ben Righton, Giles Taylor, Tim Treloar, Beatrice Walker and Paul Westwood.

Written by Mike Bartlett and directed by Rupert Goold with Whitney Mosery, King Charles III is designed by Tom Scutt, with music composed by Jocelyn Pook, lighting by Jon Clark and sound by Paul Arditti.

King Charles III runs at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Richmond Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Milton Keynes Theatre, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Canterbury Marlowe Theatre, Malvern Festival Theatre, Guildford Yvonne Arnaud, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal, Chichester Festival Theatre, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Leicester Curve Theatre, Sheffield Lyceum, Brighton Theatre Royal, Oxford Playhouse, Cheltenham Everyman, Manchester Opera House and Norwich Theatre Royal.

The King Charles III tour is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson Productions, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Charles Diamond and the Almeida Theatre, in association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and by arrangement with Lee Dean.

KING CHARLES III

A NEW PLAY BY MIKE BARTLETT

DIRECTED BY RUPERT GOOLD

MUSIC BOX THEATRE, NEW YORK

FROM 10 OCTOBER 2015

King Charles III is currently running on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre. Tim Pigott-Smith reprises the role of Charles as performed at the Almeida Theatre and in the West End, alongside Oliver Chris, Richard Goulding, Adam James, Margot Leicester, Miles Richardson, Tom Robertson, Sally Scott, Tafline Steen and Lydia Wilson.

Written by Mike Bartlett and directed by Rupert Goold, King Charles III is designed by Tom Scutt, with music composed by Jocelyn Pook, lighting by Jon Clark and sound by Paul Arditti.

The Almeida Theatre production of King Charles III is presented on Broadway by Stuart Thompson Productions, Sonia Friedman Productions, Almeida Theatre, Robert G Bartner, Norman Tulchin, Lee Dean & Charles Diamond, Scott M Delman, Ruth Hendel, Stephanie McClelland, Jon B Platt, Scott Rudin, Richard Winkler, Zeilinger Productions, The Shubert Organization.

KING CHARLES III

A NEW PLAY BY MIKE BARTLETT

DIRECTED BY RUPERT GOOLD WITH WHITNEY MOSERY

ROSLYN PACKER THEATRE, SYDNEY

FROM 31 MARCH 2016

King Charles III opens in Sydney in March 2016 at the Roslyn Packer Theatre. Robert Powell will reprise the role of Charles as performed on the UK Tour.

Written by Mike Bartlett and directed by Rupert Goold with Whitney Mosery, King Charles III is designed by Tom Scutt, with music composed by Jocelyn Pook, lighting by Jon Clark and sound by Paul Arditti.

King Charles III is produced in Sydney by Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson Productions, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Charles Diamond and the Almeida Theatre in association with Birmingham Repertory and by arrangement with Lee Dean.

AMERICAN PSYCHO

A NEW MUSICAL BASED ON THE AWARD-WINNING NOVEL BY BRET EASTON ELLIS

MUSIC & LYRICS BY DUNCAN SHEIK

BOOK BY ROBERT AGUIRRE-SACASA

DIRECTED BY RUPERT GOOLD

GERALD SCHOENFELD THEATRE

FROM 24 MARCH 2016

The Almeida and Headlong production of American Psycho will be presented on Broadway by Act 4 Entertainment (David Johnson & Jesse Singer), Jeffrey Richards, and Jerry Frankel in cooperation with Edward R Pressman.

American Psycho had its world premiere at the Almeida on 3 December 2013 running until 1 February 2014 and was Rupert Goold's first production in his tenure as Artistic Director.

The Broadway production will star Benjamin Walker (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) as Patrick Bateman.

Living the high life in 1980s Manhattan, Patrick Bateman has it all - looks, money, style and status. He and his entourage buy the most expensive designer clothes, eat at the most exclusive restaurants and party at the hottest clubs. But privately, Patrick indulges in another kind of transgression. And people - including those closest to him - keep disappearing.

THE ALMEIDA THEATRE

A small room with an international reputation, the Almeida began life as a literary and scientific society - complete with library, lecture theatre and laboratory. From the very beginning, its building existed to investigate the world. Today, the Almeida makes bold new work that asks big questions; of plays, of theatre and how we live. It brings together the most exciting artists to take risks, to provoke, inspire and surprise its audiences, to interrogate the present, dig up the past and imagine the future. Whether new work or reinvigorated classic, whether in its theatre or elsewhere, the Almeida makes work to excite and entertain with extraordinary live art, every day.

Founded by Pierre Audi in 1980, his successors were Jonathan Kent and Ian McDiarmid in 1990, and Michael Attenborough in 2002. Productions including Hamlet with Ralph Fiennes in 2005, Rufus Norris' Festen, Ruined by Lynn Nottage and most recently Chimerica, Ghosts and King Charles III have given the theatre international renown.

In summer 2013, Rupert Goold joined the Almeida as Artistic Director. His first production as Artistic Director was American Psycho: A new musical thriller, which opens March 2016 on Broadway. In 2014 the Almeida productions ofGhosts and Chimerica won eight Olivier Awards including Best Actress, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best New Play, Best Director and Best Revival and enjoyed transfers to the West End and Broadway respectively. This was followed by King Charles III, which then transferred to the West End at the Wyndham's Theatre and won the Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2015. King Charles III opened on Broadway on November 1, is currently on a national UK tour this autumn, and will open in Sydney in March 2016.

The Almeida recently presented Almeida Greeks, which included three major new productions of Oresteia, Bakkhai and Medea, the latter of which was directed by Goold, with a festival of events, performances, talks and readings running alongside.

He co-directed The Iliad and The Odyssey with Almeida Associate Director Robert Icke. Involving more than 60 readers, The Iliad reached an audience of over 50,000 people across the world, watching online, or in person at the British Museum and the Almeida Theatre. The Odyssey followed the huge success of The Iliad, and involved an army of artists in various locations around London, four of which audiences could attend. As with The lliad, both theatrical events were live streamed throughout and achieved groundbreaking levels of online engagement.

Other notable productions include: 1984 by George Orwell in a new adaptation created by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan who won Best Director at the 2014 UK Theatre Awards for 1984; and The Merchant of Venice, directed by Rupert Goold and originally produced for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2011.

Rupert Goold was Artistic Director of Headlong from 2005 until 2013 where his work included The Effect, ENRON, Earthquakes in London and Decade. Other theatre credits include The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Almeida, Macbeth at Chichester Festival Theatre, in the West End and on Broadway and No Man's Land at The Gate and in the West End. In 2014 he directed Made in Dagenham at the Adelphi Theatre. He was Associate Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2009 to 2012 and was Artistic Director of Northampton Theatres from 2002 to 2005. He has twice been the recipient of the Laurence Olivier, Critics' Circle and Evening Standard Awards for Best Director. For television he has directed Macbeth and Richard II for the BBC and Neal Street Productions, the latter of which was nominated for a BAFTA. His first feature film, True Story, which stars James Franco and Jonah Hill for Plan B and Fox Searchlight, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

The Almeida is grateful to its Principal Partner Aspen, in its second term as the Almeida's most significant corporate supporter. Aspen has contributed specifically to the Almeida Participation programme since 2011. Aspen was established in 2002 and is a leading global insurance and reinsurance company.

www.aspen.co

The Almeida is supported using public funding by Arts Council England

LISTINGS INFORMATION

5 February - 26 March 2016

UNCLE VANYA
Anton Chekhov
a new version created by Robert Icke
Press Night 12 February, 7pm

5 April - 28 May 2016

BOY

Leo Butler

Directed by Sacha Wares

Press Night 12 April, 7pm

Address Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, London, N1 1TA

Café Bar The Almeida Café Bar is open from 11.30am -11.00pm, Monday to Saturday

Box Office

Phone 020 7359 4404 (10am - 7.30pm Monday - Saturday)

Online almeida.co.uk

In person 10am - 7.30pm, Monday - Saturday

Uncle Vanya performances Monday - Saturday at 7.30pm
Saturday matinees at 2.30pm from 20 February
Wednesday matinees at 2.30pm from 17 February (apart from 22 March)

Boy performances

Tues 5 - Sat 9 April

performances at 8pm

Mon 11 April - Sat 28 May

Performances at 7.30pm

Saturday Matinees at 2.30pm

from Sat 16 April

Midweek Matinees

Wed at 2.30pm on 27 April & 18 May

Website almeida.co.uk

Twitter @AlmeidaTheatre

Facebook facebook.com/almeidatheatre

Instagram @almeida_theatre

Access Uncle Vanya Audio Described performance by VocalEyes Saturday 12 March at 2.30pm, Touch Tour 12.45pm and Friday 18 March at 7.30pm, Touch Tour 6pm.

Uncle Vanya Captioned performance Monday 7 March

Boy Audio Described performance Saturday 21 May at 2.30pm (touch tour at 12.30pm)

Boy Captioned performance Monday 16 May at 7.30pm

Boy Relaxed performance Wednesday 11 May at 2.30pm

Talkback Post-show discussion with members of the company

Free to same day ticket holders

Uncle Vanya Monday 7 March*

* to include live speech to text transcription by Stagetext.

Boy Monday 16 May *

*to include live speech to text transcription by Stagetext.

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