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Churchill Does Dream Play, Wilton Revisits National

The National Theatre has announced updates to its early 2005 programme in the NT Lyttelton and Cottesloe Theatres. Highlights include: a revival of Complicite’s A Minute Too Late, commemorating the 21st birthday of the renowned British experimental theatre troupe; the return of actress Penelope Wilton to the theatre, after a ten-year absence, in David Hare’s new version of Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba; and, in a collaboration with the Tate Modern art gallery, Caryl Churchill’s fresh translation of Strindberg’s A Dream Play.

In the NT Lyttelton, A Minute Too Late, will run in repertory from 27 January to 26 February 2005 (previews from 20 January). The vaudevillian “comedy of mourning” was the second piece Complicite created. It’s devised by the company and redirected by Simon McBurney, who will also appear along with Jozef Houben and Marcello Magni. Complicite has previously been seen at the National with Mnemonic, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Street of Crocodiles and, as part of this year’s Travelex £10 season, Measure for Measure.

Complicite’s anniversary revival is followed, from 15 March 2005 (previews from 5 March), in the NT Lyttelton repertoire by The House of Bernarda Alba (See News, 5 Feb 2004). Wilton returns to the South Bank to take the title role as the strict matriarch who rules over a household of sexually repressed women. She’s previously appeared at the National in Betrayal, The Secret Rapture, Man and Superman and Major Barbara and has more recently been seen on stage in The Little Foxes and Afterplay.

The Spanish poet and playwright Lorca, whose other plays include Blood Wedding and Yerma, was murdered by supporters of fascist dictator General Franco on 18 August 1936, two months after completing The House of Bernarda Alba. Hare’s new version is directed by Howard Davies and designed by Vicki Mortimer.

In the NT Cottesloe, A Dream Play will join the repertory on 15 February 2005 (previews from 4 February). In the first collaboration between the National and Tate Modern, the word of the Swedish playwright, novelist and artist August Strindberg will be celebrated with this new version of his 1901 play to coincide with an exhibition of his paintings and photography.

In A Dream Play, a dream about a girl from another world who comes to find out why people complain so much. The production, directed by Katie Mitchell, will feature Sean Jackson, Charlotte Roach, Dominic Rowan, Justin Salinger, Susie Trayling and Angus Wright, all of whom appeared in Mitchell’s recent productions of Iphigenia at Aulis and Three Sisters at the National.

- by Terri Paddock

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