Bridge Theatre plans to reopen with season featuring Imelda Staunton, Lucian Msamati and Ralph Fiennes

The Bridge Theatre in London has revealed plans to reopen this autumn with a season of monologues and socially distanced audiences.

The theatre will reduce its capacity to 250 seats and, in the result of cancellations or delayed reopening, automatic refunds will be given.

Yolanda Mercy will perform her one-woman play Quarter Life Crisis, directed by Jade Lewis and formerly adapted for radio, for six performances across October. Poet and playwright Zodwa Nyoni's Nine Lives will be performed by Lladel Bryant and directed by Alex Chisholm, with seven shows being mounted at the end of October.

Across September and October, the central London venue will present live versions of its recently recorded series of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads, which is available to watch now on iPlayer. The list of performers and shows are listed below:

Monica Dolan in The Shrine directed by Nicholas Hytner

Tamsin Greig in Nights in the Gardens of Spain directed by Marianne Elliott

Lesley Manville in Bed Among the Lentils directed by Nicholas Hytner

Lucian Msamati in Playing Sandwiches directed by Jeremy Herrin

Maxine Peake in Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet directed by Sarah Frankcom

Rochenda Sandall in The Outside Dog directed by Nadia Fall

Kristin Scott Thomas in The Hand of God directed by Jonathan Kent

Imelda Staunton in A Lady of Letters directed by Jonathan Kent

Designs are by Bunny Christie, with lighting by Jon Clark, video designs by Luke Halls, sound by Gareth Fry and music by George Fenton.

The venue will also present Inua Ellams' and Fuel's production of An Evening with an Immigrant five times at the end of September, with music selection by DJ Sid Mercutio.

As previously reported, Ralph Fiennes will take on the role of David Hare in Hare's new monologue (all about contracting Covid) when the venue hopes to reopen at the end of August.

Nicholas Hytner will direct, with designs by Bunny Christie, lighting by Jon Clark, sound by Gareth Fry and music by George Fenton. The show will be mounted on a variety of days and dates from the end of August, with a full schedule available below.

The venue said today: "As you'll know, the Government is embarked on a phased return for the performing arts. We are hoping that we will get the green light to open with a reduced capacity of 250 seats and stringent safety measures, and we are inviting audiences from today to book seats with the assurance that, of course, if the season is delayed there will be automatic refunds for any performances that can't go ahead."

"We are all excited at the prospect of re-opening The Bridge after a hiatus of five and a half months but, needless to say, the safety of audiences and the well-being of all those who work at the Bridge remain our chief concern."

SCHEDULE

Saturday 29 August 2pm, 5pm and 8pm Beat the Devil

Monday 31 August 5pm and 8pm Beat the Devil

Tuesday 1 September 5pm and 8pm Beat the Devil

Wednesday 2 September 5pm and 8pm Beat the Devil

Thursday 3 September 5pm and 8pm Beat the Devil

Friday 4 September 5pm and 8pm Beat the Devil

Saturday 5 September 2pm, 5pm and 8pm Beat the Devil

Monday 7 September 8pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine

Tuesday 8 September 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine, 8pm Beat the Devil

Wednesday 9 September 8pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog

Thursday 10 September 5pm and 8pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog

Friday 11 September 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine, 8pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog

Saturday 12 September 2pm and 5pmTalking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine, 8pm Beat the Devil

Monday 14 September 5pm and 8pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine

Tuesday 15 September 5pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine, 8pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog

Wednesday 16 September 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine, 8pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog

Thursday 17 September 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine, 8pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog

Friday 18 September 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine, 8pm An Evening with an Immigrant

Saturday 19 September 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine, 8pm An Evening with an Immigrant

Monday 21 September 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine, 8pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog

Tuesday 22 September 2pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog, 5pm and 8pm Talking Heads: Bed Among Lentils and The Shrine

Wednesday 23 September 5pm and 8pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog

Thursday 24 September 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog, 8pm An Evening with an Immigrant

Friday 25 September 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog, 8pm An Evening with an Immigrant

Saturday 26 September 2pm Talking Heads: The Hand of God and The Outside Dog, 8pm An Evening with an Immigrant

Monday 28 September 8pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches

Tuesday 29 September 5pm and 8pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches

Wednesday 30 September 8pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet

Thursday 1 October 2pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 5pm and 8pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet

Friday 2 October 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 8pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches

Saturday 3 October 2pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 5pm and 8pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches

Monday 5 October 5pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 8pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet

Tuesday 6 October 5pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 8pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches

Wednesday 7 October 8pm Quarter Life Crisis

Thursday 8 October 2pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 5pm Talking Head: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 8pm Quarter Life Crisis

Friday 9 October 2pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 5pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 8pm Quarter Life Crisis

Saturday 10 October 2pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 5pm Talking Head: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 8pm Quarter Life Crisis

Monday 12 October 5pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 8pm An Evening with an Immigrant

Tuesday 13 October 5pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 8pm An Evening with an Immigrant

Wednesday 14 October 2pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 5pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 8pm An Evening with an Immigrant

Thursday 15 October 2pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 5pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 8pm An Evening with an Immigrant

Friday 16 October 2pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 5pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 8pm Quarter Life Crisis

Saturday 17 October 2pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 5pm Talking Head: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 8pm Quarter Life Crisis

Monday 19 October 5pm and 8pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet

Tuesday 20 October 5pm and 8pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet

Wednesday 21 October 2pm and 5pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 8pm Beat the Devil

Thursday 22 October 5pm Beat the Devil, 8pm Nine Lives

Friday 23 October 2pm Beat the Devil, 5pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 8pm Nine Lives

Saturday 24 October 2pm Talking Heads: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, 5pm Beat the Devil, 8pm Nine Lives

Monday 26 October 5pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 8pm Beat the Devil

Tuesday 27 October 2pm and 8pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 5pm Beat the Devil

Wednesday 28 October 2pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 5pm Beat the Devil, 8pm Nine Lives

Thursday 29 October 2pm Beat the Devil, 5pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 8pm Nine Lives

Friday 30 October 2pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 5pm Beat the Devil, 8pm Nine Lives

Saturday 31 October 2pm Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters and Playing Sandwiches, 5pm Beat the Devil, 8pm Nine Lives