The Magna Carta is the central theme of this coming autumn/winter season at Salisbury Playhouse.
The 800-year-old document is the inspiration behind The Magna Carta Plays, a series of four short commissioned pieces written by leading playwrights Timberlake Wertenbaker, Howard Brenton, Anders Lustgarten and Sally Woodcock.
They are to be directed by Gareth Machin, artistic director at Salisbury Playhouse, and performed by an ensemble company of actors.
Award-winning playwright Hattie Naylor has also penned a new piece for the Magna Carta 800 anniversary commemorations, Clause 39, a promenade piece for Salisbury Cathedral which will feature Stage ’65 youth theatre members.
Salisbury Playhouse additionally hosts a panel discussion investigating the relevance of the Magna Carta today with actor Edward Fox reading extracts from the historic document.
Other highlights of the season include in-house productions of Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels and Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, with pantomime Cinderella between them, whilst further new writing features in the Original Drama programme with Bike by Katherine Mitchell in The Salberg.
Other shows in The Salberg include Eventide by award-winning Salisbury playwright Barney Norris whilst visiting productions include Terence Rattigan’s Flare Path, The Witch of Walkern and Clive Francis In A Christmas Carol.
- Clause 39, June 20 and 21
- Fallen Angels – September 10 to October 3
- Bike – October 7 to 17
- The Magna Carta Plays – October 22 to November 7
- Cinderella –December 2 to January 9
- Deathtrap – February 4 to 27