Nottingham Playhouse announces 2022 spring/summer season including Parent Trap musical Identical
Nottingham Playhouse has unveiled its 2022 spring/summer plans.
From 12 to 26 February, Simon Reade's adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel Private Peaceful will premiere ahead of a national tour.
Elle While will direct the show, which has a cast including Daniel Boyd, Emma Manton, Daniel Rainford and Liyah Summers. The creative team includes designer Lucy Sierra, lighting designer Matt Haskins, sound designer Dan Balfour, movement director Neil Bettles, composer Frank Moon and casting director Ginny Schiller CDG.
After this, Caroline Bird's long-awaited Red Ellen, co-produced with Northern Stage and Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, will run. Telling the story of Labour MP Ellen Wilkinson, it is directed by Wils Wilson and plays from 13 to 30 April.
Nathaniel Price's First Touch, a tale beginning in 1980s Nottingham, runs from 7 to 21 May. It is directed by Jeff James, while the set and costume designer is Charlotte Espiner, lighting designer Hansjörg Schmidt, sound designer Kieran Lucas and casting director Polly Jerrold.
Trevor Nunn will direct the new musical adaptation of Erik Kästner's novel The Parent Trap, titled Identical, which runs from 26 July to 14 August. The piece has music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, and a book by Stuart Paterson. It is co-produced with Kenny Wax (Six). Cast and creative team are to be announced.
Artistic director Adam Penford said: "I'm proud that our spring/summer season contains four back-to-back world premieres. New writing is the heartbeat of theatre and we wanted to give the space over to living writers and their unique voices.
"Many freelance theatremakers suffered over the last 18 months, and we were determined to honour our commitment to projects which had been interrupted by Covid, celebrating the rich talents of the freelance artists we work with.
"The productions are linked by a search for belonging, identity and family; what is our place in the world and how do we connect with those around us."
