Pinter's Proustian Epic Premieres 23 Nov

Harold Pinter and Di Trevis' long-awaited stage adaptation of Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past, receives its world premiere at the National's Cottesloe Theatre next month. Based on Proust's semi-autobiographical novel and Pinter's earlier screenplay, the production opens on 23 November, following previews from 17 November 2000.

Proust's seven-volume epic brings together memories of childhood and Parisian society before and during the First World War. It is recognised as one of the major literary works of the last century. This new adaptation is based on Pinter's screenplay, written at the request of film director Joseph Losey in 1972.

The production is performed by the NT Ensemble company as the third production in its new repertory season. Sebastian Harcombe, who plays Marcel, has recently appeared in The Oresteia at the National and in The White Devil at the Lyric Hammersmith. Indira Varma, who plays Albertine, has recently appeared in Harold Pinter's Celebration (Almeida), The Country (Royal Court), Three Sisters (Oxford Stage/ West End) and Sam Mendes' production of Othello at the National.

Harcombe and Varma are joined in the cast by John Bett, John Burgess, Judy Campbell, Matthew Frankland-Coombes, Branwell Donaghey, Janine Duvitski, Fritha Goodey, Diana Hardcastle, Sophie James, Jill Johnson, Julie Legrand, Beverley Longhurst, Anita McCann, Steven O'Shea, Bohdan Poraj, Charlotte Randle, David Rintoul, Paul Ritter, Hannah Watkins and Oliver Williams.

Adapted by Pinter and Trevis, the production is also directed by Trevis whose previous productions for the National include Inadmissible Evidence, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and Yerma. Remembrance of Things Past is designed by Alison Chitty, with lighting by Ben Ormerod, music by Dominic Muldowney and movement by Jack Murphy.

A number of Harold Pinter's plays have been premiered at the National - Betrayal, No Man's Land, Other Places and Mountain Language. Other productions of his work at the NT have included The Caretaker, The Birthday Party, The Homecominb and, most recently, Trevor Nunn's revival of Betrayal. A new production of The Caretaker - directed by playwright Patrick Marber and starring Michael Gambon, Douglas Hodge and Rupert Graves - also opens next month at the West End's Comedy Theatre.

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