Ben Whishaw, David Morrissey and Rory Kinnear to star in first season at the Bridge Theatre

Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr have announced the first season of work for The London Theatre Company at new venue Bridge Theatre.

The first production of the season will be Young Marx. Richard Bean and Clive Coleman's new play about German philosopher Karl Heinrich Marx will star Rory Kinnear in the title role alongside Oliver Chris as Engels. Directed by Nicholas Hytner it will have designs by Mark Thompson and music by Grant Olding. The show will run from 18 October to 31 December.

This will be followed by Julius Caesar directed by Hytner in promenade. The production, which runs from 20 January to 15 April will star Ben Whishaw (Bakkhai, Skyfall) as Brutus alongside David Calder as Caesar. Michelle Fairley will play Cassius and David Morrissey will star as Mark Antony.

The first season will end with a new play by Critics' Circle Award-winner Barney Norris called Nightfall. Directed by Laurie Sansom the play will run from 28 April to 3 June and is set on a farm outside Winchester. Casting is yet to be announced.

Productions coming up in summer 2018 include a new play by Lucinda Coxon based on the novel Alys, Always by Harriet Lane; a new play by Nina Raine about JS Bach, played by Simon Russell Beale; flatpack, a new play by John Hodge; The Black Cloud, a new play by Sam Holcroft from the novel by Fred Hoyle; and Carmen Havana, a version of Bizet’s opera by Lucy Prebble.

Tickets for the first season go on sale to priority members today, with advance members able to purchase tickets from 26 April and general on sale on 27 April.

Designed by Haworth Tompkins – the architects behind many theatres including Liverpool Everyman, Chichester Festival Theatre and the Young Vic – the 900-seat theatre will be a flexible space able to present work in end-stage, thrust and promenade.

Hytner and Starr left the National Theatre in 2013 after 12 years at the helm. Highlights during their tenure included War Horse, The History Boys, One Man, Two Guvnors, Curious Incident and London Road.