The Old Vic Announces Bicentenary Season Featuring A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE DIVIDE, and More

200 days ahead of its 200th birthday, The Old Vic today marks the launch of its bicentenary and Matthew Warchus' third year as Artistic Director of The Old Vic with a season of world premiere productions:

• A new adaptation of Charles Dickens' timeless classic A Christmas Carol by Jack Thorne, directed by Matthew Warchus
• The Divide, a 'narrative for voices', by Alan Ayckbourn, directed by Baylis Director Annabel Bolton
• A new adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander by Stephen Beresford, directed by Max Webster
• Mood Music, a new play by Joe Penhall, directed by Roger Michell
• A new adaptation of Patrick Ness' novel A Monster Calls, devised by the company, directed by Sally Cookson
• A new musical dance production, Sylvia, directed and choreographed by Associate Artist Kate Prince
• In the West End: Girl from the North Country at the Noël Coward Theatre from 29 December 2017; and the return of Emma Rice's Brief Encounter at the Empire Cinema, Haymarket from March 2018
• On tour: Dr. Seuss's The Lorax in North and Central America and 'ART' UK wide.

Artistic Director Matthew Warchus commented:

'We love and care for the elderly members of our family and community out of respect for all that they have achieved and contributed in their long lives. On the other hand, we love and care for the young because we are excited about their future and we want them to exuberantly fulfil their potential.

To honour The Old Vic's 200th birthday we are celebrating it partly as a treasured historic icon but mostly as an adventurous, youthful, hub of creativity with a vibrant future ahead of it. To emphasise this forward-facing spirit, I'm delighted to present a Bicentenary Season comprised entirely of world premiere productions, including four new commissions. The Old Vic will of course continue to mix pertinent revivals and refreshed classics into future seasons, but for this birthday year we are allowing ourselves to focus on new work.

We aim for this famous building to be a welcoming, fun, surprising and indispensable cultural landmark, now and for another 200 years. Please join us this celebratory season and entertain something new.'

200 YEARS OF THE OLD VIC - OV200

Today begins a 200-day countdown to The Old Vic's 200th birthday on 11 May 2018. Look out each day for a piece of OV200 content, delving into surprising stories past, present and future along with memories shared by the public. We will be showcasing people's stories throughout the countdown and are still asking people to get in touch with their story through:

• TWITTER: tweet or direct message @oldvictheatre using #OV200
• FACEBOOK: post, message or mention @OldVicTheatre
• INSTAGRAM: share your picture and tag @oldvictheatre using #OV200
• EMAIL: yourstory@oldvictheatre.com
• WRITE: Old Vic Stories, The Old Vic, The Cut, London, SE1 8NB

The 200th birthday itself will be marked with a three-day birthday party - comprising a free, balloted performance on Friday 11 May (the date of the first public performance at The Old Vic in 1818), an open house and street party for families on Saturday 12 May followed by a performance for young people in the evening, and a fundraiser on Sunday 13 May.

During the bicentennial year, we will be working with a number of OV200 partners, including various cultural organisations that began their lives within the walls of The Old Vic: Morley College, the National Theatre and Sadler's Wells. Other collaborators include: Imagination, the Prince's Trust, TfL, University of Bristol Theatre Collection, the V&A and many other friends.

One of those friends is two-time Academy Award-winner and star of last year's production of King Lear, Glenda Jackson, who in a recent interview with The Old Vic said:

'I think The Old Vic has a reputation that is immutable. It's a lovely theatre to be in; it's a lovely theatre to play in. It has, undoubtedly, a well-earned magic which has nothing to do exclusively with longevity.

Looking at The Old Vic, not only because of its past but what it's done in the recent past and what Matthew is doing with it now and in the future, that idea of attracting people who would not automatically think of going to the theatre, shows a vital energy resource. Because there isn't going to be any theatre in the future if we don't create the desire to go; if we don't allow people to understand that it can be a unique experience. When it works, there's nowhere else like it in the world.'

PARTNERSHIPS

The Old Vic continues its top-tier corporate partnerships into a third year.

We are thrilled to continue to work with Royal Bank of Canada as The Old Vic's Principal Partner during our bicentennial year. Our partnership with RBC has powerful echoes of the work started by Canadian impresario Ed Mirvish, three decades ago when he saved The Old Vic and restored the auditorium to its 19th-century glory. In one of our most historically significant years, it is only thanks to RBC's transformational support that The Old Vic remains as artistically vibrant, pioneering and indispensable as when we first opened our doors in 1818, with a full season of premiere productions planned for the year ahead.

The Old Vic and PwC share the belief that the arts are not a luxury but, instead, essential in building thriving, vibrant communities and must be shared as widely as possible. Since the beginning of Matthew's tenure, thanks to the PwC £10 Previews, over 32,000 people have enjoyed world-class theatre for just £10, with 39% of bookers coming through The Old Vic's doors for the very first time. We are incredibly proud to be making The Old Vic's pioneering work widely accessible and inspiring a new audience.

Photo credit: Helen Maybanks

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