John Osborne’s ground-breaking classic Look Back in Anger and The Damned United, the tale of former Derby County manager Brian Clough’s short stay at Leeds, are highlights of Derby Theatre’s spring 2016 season.
Artistic director Sarah Brigham said, “on the back of our hugely successful autumn season, when we attracted record numbers, we’re incredibly excited about our spring season.
“Our home-grown show is Look Back in Anger. I’m excited to bring this classic text to our Derby audiences, especially given its local resonance. John Osborne worked as an actor and stage manager at Derby Playhouse. He set the play in a large East Midlands town and his autobiography suggests some similarities with the characters and his own life.
“He offered the piece to Derby Playhouse who turned it down before the Royal Court accepted it. It went on to change the face of British theatre, being the first play to place the working man’s voice centre stage, coining the term ‘angry young men’. We promise a top-class cast and a compelling night out of searing drama in our theatre.
“A show I’m particularly excited about is The Damned United presented by Red Ladder Theatre Company and West Yorkshire Playhouse. I look forward hopefully to welcoming a host of football fans into our theatre for this thrilling and controversial play about Cloughie.”
Look Back in Anger, a co-production with Octagon Theatre, Bolton, takes to the Derby Theatre stage from 4 until 26 March while The Damned United runs from 7 until 16 April.
There will be two plays in the RETOLD series: classic tales seen afresh from the perspective of female characters. Jinny, penned by Derbyshire writer Jane Wainwright, is a companion piece to Look Back in Anger and plays from 7 until 23 March. A previous RETOLD play, JOAN, will return from 18 until 20 March.
Touring shows include a new stage adaptation of The Great Gatsby by Blackeyed Theatre, bringing to life the glittering decadence of America’s jazz age, from 9 until 13 February, Terrence Rattigan’s Flare Path from 19 until 23 April and the return of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap from 6 until 11 June.
The full programme is available at the Derby Theatre web site.