National Theatre announces new season of work into 2022

The National Theatre has revealed a wealth of new shows taking it into 2022.

All three National venues will be back in action before too long, with a variety of socially distanced hits and more available. The venue has revealed it will no longer play shows in rep, and present fewer shows in total due to the fall-out from the pandemic.

Following the Michael Sheen-led production of Under Milk Wood, Kae Tempest's Philoctetes will run in the Olivier, directed by Ian Rickson (Translations). The cast is led by Lesley Sharp and features Claire-Louise Cordwell, Amie Francis, Sutara Gayle, Anastasia Hille, Jennifer Joseph, Sarah Lam, Penny Layden, Kayla Meikle, ESKA, Gloria Obianyo and Naomi Wirthner.

On the creative team are set and costume designer Rae Smith, with lighting design by Mark Henderson, compositions
by Stephen Warbeck, movement by Coral Messam, sound design by Christopher Shutt, and fight direction by Terry King. It runs from 4 August to 11 September

After this, Dominic Cooke's production of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart, originally set to run early in 2021, will be presented. You can find out more about the production here.

Across Christmas, Rufus Norris will direct Hex, a new musical based on Sleeping Beauty. Further information is available here.

In 2022, Indhu Rubasingham will direct Anupama Chandrasekhar's new play The Father and the Assassin, telling the story of Nathuram Godse, described sometimes as "India's first terrorist".

In the Lyttelton, the Birmingham Rep's revival of East is East will transfer to the National in October after its premiere in the UK's second city. After that, Moira Buffini's new play Manor, directed by Fiona Buffini, finds new dates with a cast led by Nancy Carroll and Michele Austin.

The production features set and costume design by Lez Brotherston, lighting design by Jon Clark, composition and sound design by Jon Nicholls, video design by Nina Dunn, fight direction by Kate Waters.

Emma Rice's version of Wuthering Heights will play in early 2022 after its Bristol premiere – you can read all about that here.

Cooke will also direct The Corn is Green, Emlyn Williams' piece, in its first London revival in 35 years. Nicola Walker and Iwan Davies lead the company featuring Adam Baker, Gareth David-Lloyd, Megan Grech, Jonathan Hawkins, Steffan Rizzi, Rebecca Todd and Rufus Wright. The piece is set in 19th-century Wales and features set and costume design by ULTZ, lighting design by Charles Balfour, music arrangements and direction by Will Stuart, sound design by Christopher Shutt and choreography by Bill
Deamer.

In the Dorfman, following the world premiere of After Life (currently in previews), Miranda Cromwell will direct Winsome Pinnock's play Rockets and Blue Lights, a co-production with the Royal Exchange Theatre. Playing from 25 August to 9 October, the piece will star Anthony Aje, Paul Bradley, Karl Collins, Kiza Deen, Rochelle Rose, Matthew Seadon-Young, Kudzai Sitima, Cathy Tyson, Everal A Walsh and Luke Wilson.

The production features set and costume design by Laura Hopkins, lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun, composition and music direction by Femi Temowo, sound design by Elena Peña, movement direction by Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster, fight direction by Yarit Dor and staff director Mumba Dodwell.

Nancy Medina will direct Alice Childress' Trouble in Mind at the venue in December. Led by Tanya Moodie with set and costume design by Rajha Shakiry, Childress' piece won an Obie Award for the text in 1956 – the first African-American woman to do so. It tells the story of Willeta Mayer, an African American singer and actress aiming to get her name lit up in stars.

Into 2022, Alecky Blythe will return to the National with new verbatim piece Our Generation, directed by Daniel Evans. Co-produced with Chichester Festival Theatre, the piece follows a group of teenagers as they grapple with growing up in the 2010s. It has set design by Vicki Mortimer, costume design by Kinnetia Isidore, video design by Akhila Krishnan, lighting design by
Zoe Spurr, sound design by Paul Arditti, movement direction by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, music composition, production and direction by DJ Walde.

The National will also create a new film, Death of England: Face to Face, a follow-up to both Death of England and Death of England: Delroy. Created once more by Clint Dyer and Roy Williams, the show stars Neil Maskell (Peaky Blinders, Small Axe) as Michael, Giles Terera (Hamilton, Flack) as Delroy, Phil Daniels (I Hate Suzie, Adult Material) as Michael's father Alan, Amy Newton as Carly and Maggie Saunders as Maggie. It is created alongside Sky Arts.

Norris said today: "Theatre is a world-class UK industry, and brings with it a bucket-load of economic and social benefits.
The National Theatre has a crucial role to play in supporting the nation's creativity; it's an incredible place full of amazing people and elicits enormous affection, pride and passion in audiences around the world. National Theatre Together celebrates the work we create with theatre-makers and communities, for young people and audiences – and asks our friends to once again stand with us and equip us to do what we do best: shape a bright, creative future for this nation."