The Olivier Award-winner will premiere his piece in the city where he grew up
A new play by Olivier Award-winning writer Mike Bartlett will premiere this Christmas at Oxford's Old Fire Station.
A Christmas play about an unexpected family reunion and generational conflict, Bartlett's piece will be directed by Clare Lizzimore, who collaborated with the playwright on their Olivier Award-winning Bull at the Young Vic.
The piece will run from 5 to 22 December and has been created especially for the venue, which has a major partnership with the homeless charity Crisis.
Bartlett explains: "Writing my first Christmas show is a great challenge and a new creative spur. Writing it for the Old Fire Station – a venue in partnership with Crisis – is doubly special. It goes back to the heart of good theatre: a sense of community. I grew up in Oxford, but I've never premiered any work here, so it's also a theatrical homecoming of sorts – and there's no better time to come home than at Christmas."
Bartlett is known for writing plays such as King Charles III and Albion, and has overseen TV shows including Doctor Foster and Trauma.