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Dateline: 16th July, 2004

His Dark Materials Returns (and Other RNT News)

Nicholas Hytner's production of His Dark Materials, based on the novels by Philip Pullman, adapted by Nicholas Wright, will return to the Olivier this winter, previewing from 20th November, with the press performance on Wednesday 8th December, and playing until 2nd April 2005. The cast is to be announced.

His Dark Materials is one of the National's most ambitious projects, and aims to create an experience as meaningful for 12 year olds as for adults. Parts I and II can be seen on separate dates, or on the same day in a double-bill.

The production is directed by Nicholas Hytner with Matthew Wilde; the associate director and choreographer is Aletta Collins. Set designs are by Giles Cadle, costumes by Jon Morrell, puppets by Michael Curry, lighting by Paule Constable, video projection by Thomas Gray, computer graphics by Yuri Tanaka, music by Jonathan Dove, fights by Terry King and sound by Paul Groothuis.

Stuff Happens
Travelex £10 Season, Olivier Theatre

David Hare's new play Stuff Happens, will be the final production in the Travelex £10 Season, opening on Friday 10th September, directed by Nicholas Hytner. The cast includes Adjoa Andoh, Desmond Barrit, Isla Blair, Dermot Crowley, Nicholas Farrell as Tony Blair, Raeda Ghazaleh, Ian Gelder, Ewan Hooper, Alex Jennings as George W Bush, Iain Mitchell, Philip Quast, Raad Rawi, Larrington Walker and Angus Wright.

Stuff happens... and it's untidy, and freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things. The American Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld's famous response to the looting of Baghdad, at a press conference of 11th April 2003, provides the title for a new play, specially written for the Olivier Theatre, about the extraordinary process leading up to the invasion of Iraq.

How does the world settle its differences, now there is only one superpower? What happens to leaders risking their credibility with sceptical publics? From events which have dominated international headlines for the last two years, David Hare has fashioned both a historical narrative and a human drama about the frustrations of power and the limits of diplomacy.

Stuff Happens will be designed by Christopher Oram, with lighting by Paul Anderson and sound by Paul Groothuis; the associate director is Matthew Wilde.

The National on Broadway

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh will open on Broadway on 7th October, following previews from 20th September, with a cast and theatre to be announced. The NT production, directed by John Crowley, retains the original creative team, with designs by Scott Pask, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Paul Arditti and music by Paddy Cunneen.

The NT production of Michael Frayn's Democracy will open at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York on 18th November, following previews from 2nd November. Directed by Michael Blakemore, the Broadway cast is to be announced. Set design is by Peter J. Davison, costume design by Sue Willmington, lighting design by Mark Henderson and sound design by Neil Alexander.

Education

This autumn, the National Theatre-led website Stagework.org.uk will feature a partnership with Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Touring Consortium, following the production process of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, directed by Jonathan Church. Interviews with creative team members, as well as rehearsal and production footage of Miller's masterpiece, will form a significant addition to a site that already offers a behind-the-scenes insight into the National's productions of Henry V and His Dark Materials (based on the novels by Philip Pullman, adapted by Nicholas Wright), and Bristol Old Vic's 2004 production of Beasts and Beauties (retold by Carol Ann Duffy, adapted by Melly Still and Tim Supple).

Stagework offers users video streamed information about the productions, people and process of creating theatre, as well as providing new learning and teaching materials for English, drama and citizenship in schools, including guidance on careers in the creative industries.

Stagework is commissioned by Culture Online, part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

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©Peter Lathan 2004