Tweet

National Democracy Follows Dinner at Wyndham's

The National Theatre’s production of Michael Frayn's Democracy has confirmed details of its West End transfer (See The Goss, 13 Nov 2003). Following a fresh run in repertory at the NT Lyttelton, from 12 February to 30 March 2004, the play will reopen at Wyndham’s Theatre on 20 April 2004 (previews from 15 April).

Democracy had its world premiere on 9 September 2003 at the NT Cottesloe, where its sell-out run ended on 30 December 2003. The play won last year’s Evening Standard award for Best Play and has been nominated for a Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award (Click here to vote!)

Roger Allam and Conleth Hill, who has also been nominated for his second Whatsonstage.com Best Actor award for Michael Blakemore’s production (having previously won for Stones in His Pockets), will accompany the transfer, playing the roles of West German chancellor Willy Brandt and his personal assistant Gunter Guillaume.

Another Frayn play that, like his multi award-winning Copenhagen, melds 20th-century European historical fact with fiction, Democracy is set in 1969 in West Germany where Brandt begins his brief but remarkable career as the first left-of-centre Chancellor for nearly 40 years. Always present but rarely noticed is Guillaume, who's a devoted PA to Brandt as well as a devoted spy for the East German Stasi secret police.

The rest of the cast are Nicholas Blane, Paul Broughton, Jonathan Coy, Christopher Ettridge, Paul Gregory, Glyn Grain, Steven Pacey and David Ryall. The production is designed by Peter J Davison, with costumes by Sue Wilmington, lighting by Mark Henderson and sound by Neil Alexander.

Democracy is presented in the West End by Michael Codron and Lee Dean, who’ve also produced the transfer of Wyndham’s current resident and fellow NT transfer, Moira Buffini’s Dinner, which is booking to 3 April 2004, having opened on 9 December 2003 (previews from 4 December).

- by Terri Paddock

Related Content