Daldry Returns to Court Post-Billy Elliot

Director Stephen Daldry returns to the stage this week, fresh from his film debut success with Billy Elliot. Daldry's world premiere production of Caryl Churchill's new play Far Away opens at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs this Thursday, 1 December 2000, and continues to 22 December.

Daldry has been a darling of the London stage since his 1991 expressionist revival of JB Priestley's An Inspector Calls, which won a string of awards and has been running continuously at the West End's Garrick Theatre for six years. He's a former artistic director of the Sheffield Crucible as well as London's Royal Court Theatre, where his productions have included David Mamet's Oleanna and David Hare's Via Dolorosa. He was also instrumental in the Royal Court's recent £26m refurbishment.

Daldry left the Royal Court in 1997 (though he remains an associate director) to pursue his film career but, in spite of his success with Billy Elliot, Daldry has said he has no intention of abandoning either London or the theatre. In a recent interview, he commented that other theatre aficionados turned filmmakers, including Nicholas Hytner and the Donmar Warehouse's Sam Mendes, had proven 'that you don't have to choose one over the other'.

In recent weeks, Daldry's name has also been repeatedly mentioned as a possible successor to Trevor Nunn as artistic director at the National Theatre. Daldry has not ruled himself out of the appointment, saying enigmatically that 'I'm sure I'll want to run another theatre at some point in my life'.

Far Away concerns a young girl who pays a visit to her auntie's house and feels out of sorts in the strange place. It stars Linda Bassett, who appeared in East is East on both stage and screen.

One of Britain's leading contemporary playwrights, Caryl Churchill's many plays include Top Girls, Serious Money, Cloud Nine and Blue Heart. Far Away is designed by Ian MacNeill, with lighting by Rick Fisher and sound by Paul Arditti.

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