Christopher Haydon News

Bristol Old Vic and Royal & Derngate, Northampton have announced the full cast for The Caretaker which will begin rehearsals today.

A year away from revealing the new foyer and studio, Bristol Old Vic celebrates with a bold new version of twentieth century classic, a Kneehigh premiere, a dazzling menu of quality work by our Associate Artists and welcomes Emma Rice to her new creative home in Bristol.

Bristol Old Vic and Royal & Derngate, Northampton today announced Patrice Naiambana will take on the iconic role of 'Davies' in Pinter's blistering classic The Caretaker, celebrated as one of 20th century theatre's most significant plays.

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Sam Hodges, today announced NST Campus' Autumn season, featuring a varied programme of high quality touring work including West End hits People, Places & Things and Hetty Feather. The season is announced as NST moves closer to the opening of NST City, their newly acquired theatre in Southampton's city centre arts venue.

Bristol Old Vic today announced the next raft of productions to hit its stage throughout 2017.   

Britney comes from sell-out, critically acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and VAULT Festival. Due to popular demand, the show returns for its final shows! Britney is a two-woman sketch show from prize-winning playwright Charly Clive and ex-Cambridge Footlight Ellen Robertson.

The Gate Theatre today announces an extension for its critically acclaimed, smash-hit production of George Brant's Grounded which is returning to the Gate following two previous sell-out runs.  The production, starring Lucy Ellinson, now runs for an extra week until 25 March. 

Previously performed at The Gate in 2013 after a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival, Grounded returns to Notting Hill by popular demand. It is immediately apparent why.

Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre, Christopher Haydon, today announces the cast for the UK premiere of Danai Gurira's The Convert. Following the success of her critically acclaimed Eclipsed, which ran at the Gate in 2015, Gurira's The Convert will open the Gate's Resist! season, a series of plays about rebellion and revolution.

Artistic Director of Gate Theatre Christopher Haydon today announces the full cast for Jonas Hassen Khemiri's I Call My Brothers, the final production in its Too Close To Home season. Tinuke Craig, former Associate Director at the Gate, returns to direct Nadia Albina,Lanna Joffrey, Jonas Khan and Richard Sumitro in the production which opens on 14 November, with previews from 10 November, running until 3 December.

Artistic Director Christopher Haydon today announces the Gate Theatre's new season entitled Resist!, his final season as Artistic Director. 

The Gate Theatre today announces that Ellen McDougall has been appointed as its new Artistic Director. McDougall, who takes up the position in March 2017, is currently an Associate Artist at the Gate, served as Associate Director for two years from 2012, and directed an acclaimed production of Idomeneus at the theatre in 2014. She replaces Christopher Haydon who leaves to pursue a Clore Fellowship and a number of freelance opportunities.

Diary of a Madman is a brand new adaptation of Gogol's classic story by Al Smith, reimagined in contemporary Scotland. Directed by Christopher Haydon, the sharply political, witty Diary of a Madman is on at the Traverse Theatre 4-28 August (press performance on 5 August) and at the Gate Theatre 28-30 July and 5-24 September (press performance on 6 September).

Today, the Gate Theatre announce that Jo Royce has been appointed Executive Director of the Gate Theatre. Royce joins the Gate from the National Theatre, where she was Senior Corporate Development Manager, with responsibility for building relationships across the corporate sector and managing the NT's major partnerships with American Express, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and Neptune Investment Management. Royce takes over the role of Executive Director this July following her predecessor, Clare Slater, accepting the role of Literary Manager at the Donmar Warehouse.

Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre Christopher Haydon today announces the full cast for the world premiere DIARY OF A MADMAN. Haydon directs Deborah Arnott (Mavra Sheeran), Liam Brennan (Pop Sheeran), Lois Chimimba (Mel McCloud), Guy Clark (Matthew White) and Louise McMenemy (Sophie Sheeran). Following the success of the Gate Theatre's recent Fringe First winning The Christians and Grounded, Diary of a Madman marks the Gate Theatre's third visit to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Today, 14 June 2016, Christopher Haydon announced he will step down as Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre, leaving in January 2017 after five years of leading the company. His recently announced new season - Too Close To Home, will be his penultimate season at the Gate Theatre. Haydon will continue programming the Gate up until May 2017, with his last season being announced in late 2016. The post of Artistic Director at the Gate Theatre will be advertised shortly.

Artistic Director of the Gate Christopher Haydon today announces their new season: Too Close to Home. The season opens with Diary of a Madman, a brand new adaptation of Gogol's classic story by Al Smith, reimagined in contemporary Scotland (28-30 July, 5-24 September).

Artistic Director Christopher Haydon today announces full casting for the world premiere of The Iphigenia Quartet which includes Agamemnon, written by Caroline Bird and directed by Christopher Haydon; Chorus, written by Chris Thorpe and directed by Elayce Ismail; Iphigenia by Suhayla El-Bushra and directed by Rebecca Hill and Clytemnestra by Lulu Raczka and directed by Jennifer Tang. In Agamemnon, Andrew French plays Agamemnon, Nigel Barratt plays Menelaus, Sharon Duncan-Brewster plays Clytemnestra and Louise McMenemy plays Messenger. The cast of Agamemnon will all play Voice in Chorus. In Iphigenia and Clytemnestra, Shannon Tarbet plays Iphigenia and Maid, Susie Trayling plays Clytemnestra and Professor, Dwane Walcott plays Achilles and Soldier and Anthony Barclay plays Agamemnon and Director. The Iphigenia Quartet opens at the Gate Theatre, on 3 May, with previews from 23 April, until 21 May. Agamemnon and Clytemnestra will play in rep with Iphigenia and Chorus as part of Nuclear: A Season about the Family.

The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama present the Richard Burton Company's annual weeklong celebration of new writing. NEW returns for a third exciting year with another four world premieres at home in Cardiff before transferring once again to the Gate Theatre, a venue known to springboard the most exceptional new talent.

The Gate Theatre announces today that its critically acclaimed production of MEDEA will extend by an extra week.  The production, in association with Belvoir, Sydney and directed by Anne-Louise Sarks, will now run until Saturday 5 December.