AUTUMN
SEP – DEC 2019
UNTIL THE FLOOD by
Dael Orlandersmith
ANNA BELLA EEMA by
Lisa D’Amour
M E E T M E AT D A W N by
Zinnie Harris
BERYL by
Maxine Peake
# WE ARE ARRESTED by
Can Dündar
Adapted by
Pippa Hill & Sophie Ivatts
HUNGER by
Knut Hamsun
Adapted by
Amanda Lomas
ONE UNDER by
Winsome Pinnock
This autumn, see the world afresh See more, save more You’ll pay less when you book for multiple shows at once.
S E E 2 , S AV E £ 2 P E R T I C K E T = £ 4 S AV I N G S E E 3 , S AV E £ 3 P E R T I C K E T = £ 9 S AV I N G S E E 4 , S AV E £ 4 P E R T I C K E T = £ 1 6 S AV I N G S E E 5 , S AV E £ 5 P E R T I C K E T = £ 2 5 S AV I N G S E E 6 , S AV E £ 6 P E R T I C K E T = £ 3 6 S AV I N G S E E 7, S AV E £ 7 P E R T I C K E T = £ 4 9 S AV I N G Applies to Best and Standard seats, subject to availability. Offer may be withdrawn without notice.
www.arcolatheatre.com
020 7503 1646
7 unforgettable stories. All seats £10 – £27. Welcome to autumn at Arcola, one of London’s leading producing theatres. This season, we explore the power of truth and imagination in troubled times. Three true stories offer extraordinary insights. #WeAreArrested, Arcola’s first co-production with the Royal Shakespeare Company, exposes the risks to journalists in an age of fake news. Dael Orlandersmith’s Until The Flood takes a multifaceted look at race in America today, based on real-life interviews. Beryl, Maxine Peake’s freewheeling play about cyclist Beryl Burton, reveals the historic and inspirational struggles of women in sport. Four more masterful plays attest to the power of the imagination. Anna Bella Eema, from Pulitzer Prize finalist Lisa D’Amour, is a wildly inventive blend of ghost story, fairytale and coming-of-age fantasy. Zinnie Harris’ Meet Me At Dawn remoulds the ancient legend of Orpheus and Eurydice into a 21st-century story about a woman stranded with and without her girlfriend. Hunger, adapted from the radical novel by Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun, follows a young, creative mind on the margins. Finally, Winsome Pinnock’s One Under, reimagined for a new staging by Graeae, sparks a vital discussion about mental health and invisible disabilities. Two London premieres, one UK premiere, one European premiere and one world premiere. Every show in the season has been written or adapted by a female writer, and over half are directed by women. I can’t wait to share all seven shows with you. Mehmet Ergen, Artistic Director
Studio
1
4 – 28 September 2019
EUROPEAN PREMIERE
Arcola Theatre presents
UNTIL THE FLOOD Written and performed by
Dael Orlandersmith
Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith (Yellowman, Young Vic) arrives in Europe to perform her urgent and revelatory play. Missouri, 2014. Michael Brown, a black teenager, is shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. A tidal wave of unrest sweeps across the nation, powered by a new activist movement called Black Lives Matter. Its ripples are felt all over the world. In this gripping and revelatory drama, based on reallife interviews from the aftermath of the shooting, Dael Orlandersmith journeys into the heart and soul of modern-day America. Confronting the powerful forces of history, race and politics, she embodies the many faces of a community rallying for justice, and a country still yearning for change.
Director Neel Keller Designer Takeshi Kata Costume Designer Kaye Voyce Lighting Designer Mary Louise Geiger Sound Designer Justin Ellington Video Designer Nicholas Hussong Production Co-Ordinator Geoff Hense
“An urgent moral inquest”– New York Times (Critics’ Pick) Image © Luke Robson
£27* (£22 previews) £24* (£19 previews) £15 (£12 previews) £10
* Concessions available
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm Saturday matinees at 2.30pm Midweek matinee: Wed 25 September at 2.30pm Press night: Fri 6 September at 7pm
Studio
2
11 September – 12 October 2019
UK PREMIERE
Arcola Theatre, Atticist and Ellie Keel Productions present
ANNA BELLA EEMA by
Lisa D’Amour
Pulitzer Prize finalist Lisa D’Amour (Detroit, National Theatre) conjures a twisted fable about courage, resistance and change. Precocious child Annabella lives in a deserted trailer park. Schooled by her eccentric mother Irene, she learns to co-exist with the vampires, werewolves and monsters that lurk in the world outside. Desperate to ward off the new highway that threatens the demolition of their home, Annabella steps outside to build a girl out of mud. The girl comes to life. The girl is Anna Bella Eema.
Director Jessica Lazar Music Director & Sound Designer Tom Foskett-Barnes Original Score Chris Sidorfsky Set & Costume Designer Anna Lewis
Part ghost story, part fairytale, part coming-of-age fantasy, Anna Bella Eema is a dazzling burst of storytelling from the dark heart of American Gothic. Lisa D’Amour’s wildly inventive, spoken-andsung odyssey makes its UK premiere in a new and updated version.
“Truly captivating”– Theatre Weekly on Atticist’s Outlying Islands
£22* (£19 previews) £20* (£17 previews) £15 (£12 previews)
* Concessions available
Lighting Designer David Doyle Movement Director Jennifer Fletcher
Image © Rebecca Pitt
Monday – Saturday at 8pm Saturday matinees at 3pm Press night: Mon 16 September at 7pm Relaxed performance: Sat 5 October at 3pm
Studio
1
9 October – 9 November 2019
LONDON PREMIERE
Arcola Theatre in association with DOT Theatre presents
M E E T M E AT D A W N by
Zinnie Harris
Multi-award-winning writer Zinnie Harris draws on the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice in this gripping tale of devotion and loss. When a boat trip goes horribly wrong, Helen and her girlfriend Robyn find themselves stranded on an island in the middle of the sea. As the night draws in, it becomes clear that the island is not as it first appears. And neither are Helen and Robyn. Meet Me At Dawn comes to London for the first time in a new production by Murat Daltaban, whose staging of Zinnie Harris’ Rhinoceros (after Ionesco) at the Edinburgh Lyceum won widespread acclaim in 2017.
“A remarkable achievement”– The Arts Desk on Rhinoceros
“Blazing with theatrical energy”– Scotsman on Rhinoceros
£27* (£22 previews) £24* (£19 previews) £15 (£12 previews) £10
* Concessions available
Director and Designer Murat Daltaban Lighting Designer Cem Yılmazer Composer Oğuz Kaplangı Zinnie Harris’ plays include How To Hold Your Breath (Royal Court), Further than the Furthest Thing (National Theatre / Tron Theatre) and This Restless House (National Theatre of Scotland / Edinburgh International Festival / Citizens Theatre).
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm Saturday matinees at 2.30pm Midweek matinee: Wed 6 November at 2.30pm Press night: Wed 16 October at 7pm Relaxed performance: Sat 2 November at 2.30pm
Studio
2
16 October – 16 November 2019 Arcola Theatre and East Riding Theatre present
BERYL by
Maxine Peake
Meet Beryl Burton, the greatest woman on two wheels, in this trailblazing tale from actor and writer Maxine Peake. Beryl Burton MBE, OBE – twice World Road-race Champion, five times World Pursuit Champion – was never meant to cycle. Aged 11, a serious illness left her with a weakened heart. Doctors warned against strenuous exercise for the rest of her life. Aged 30, branded ‘the Yorkshire housewife’ and with no financial sponsorship, she became the first sportswoman in history to break a men’s competitive record.
Director Marieke Audsley Set Designer Ed Ullyart Costume Designer Sylvia Eales Lighting Designer Simon Bedwell Stage Manager Nathan Smith
Featuring a host of unforgettable characters and a great big dollop of Northern wit, Maxine Peake’s freewheeling play is the extraordinary true story of a woman who pushed at the limits, took on the status quo – and won. Image © Silent Type
£22* (£19 previews) £20* (£17 previews) £15 (£12 previews)
* Concessions available
Monday – Saturday at 8pm Saturday matinees at 3pm Press night: Wed 23 October at 7pm Relaxed performance: Wed 6 November at 8pm
Studio
1
13 November – 7 December 2019
LONDON PREMIERE
Arcola Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company present
# WE ARE ARRESTED by
Can Dündar
Adapted by
Pippa Hill & Sophie Ivatts
Arcola’s first co-production with the Royal Shakespeare Company is a vital story about the cost of reporting the truth in the age of fake news. When a journalist is sent a flash-drive containing critical evidence of illegal government activity, he is duty-bound to publish the story. But with the nation destabilised and divided, a sinister power is eroding the rule of law. What price will he pay for speaking out?
Director Sophie Ivatts Designer Charlie Cridlan Lighting Designer Claire Gerrens
#WeAreArrested is a gripping play about fighting for truth in a network of lies. Adapted from the book by Can Dündar, who was arrested for publishing footage of Turkish State Intelligence sending weapons into Syria, this deeply personal and universal story finds urgent new life as authoritarian politics spread across the globe.
“Excellent ... audacious ... wholly compelling”– The Guardian
Sound Designer Oliver Soames Movement Director Ingrid Mackinnon Magic Consultant John Bulleid
Photo of Peter Hamilton Dyer by Ellie Merridale © RSC
Commissioned and first produced as part of the RSC’s Mischief Festival at The Other Place in 2018 The work of the RSC Literary Department is generously supported by THE DRUE AND H.J. HEINZ II CHARITABLE TRUST
£27* (£22 previews) £24* (£19 previews) £15 (£12 previews) £10
* Concessions available
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm Saturday matinees at 2.30pm Midweek matinee: Wed 4 December at 2.30pm Press night: Mon 18 November at 7pm Relaxed performance: Sat 30 November at 2.30pm
Studio
2
20 November – 21 December 2019
WORLD PREMIERE
Arcola Theatre and Jump Spark present
HUNGER by
Knut Hamsun
Adapted by
Amanda Lomas
A bold new adaptation of the radical novel by Norwegian author Knut Hamsun. A young man moves to the big city with dreams of becoming a writer. But in this unforgiving metropolis, friends are scarce and jobs are even scarcer. Once hunger rocks the core of his reality, how can his youthful spirit – and his sanity – survive?
Director Fay Lomas Designer Anna Kezia Williams
Hunger is Nobel Prize winner Knut Hamsun’s groundbreaking tale about a mind on the margins, and our universal yearning for connection. Based on his own early experiences of poverty prior to becoming Norway’s most celebrated novelist, Hamsun’s story revolutionised the psychological novel and influenced writers from Franz Kafka to Ernest Hemingway. This fast-paced new adaptation bursts onto the stage in a timely, world premiere production, directed by the winner of the Peter Hall Emerging Artist Fellowship at the Rose Theatre, Fay Lomas.
£22* (£19 previews) £20* (£17 previews) £15 (£12 previews)
* Concessions available
Lighting Designer Rajiv Pattani Composer Lex Kosanke Movement Director Natasha Harrison Producer Ellen Spence
Image © Luke Robson
Monday – Saturday at 8pm Saturday matinees at 3pm Press night: Mon 25 November at 7pm Relaxed performances: Sat 7 Dec at 3pm, Thu 12 Dec at 8pm, Mon 16 Dec at 8pm, Sat 21 Dec at 3pm
Studio
1
10 – 21 December 2019 A Graeae and Theatre Royal Plymouth production
ONE UNDER by
Winsome Pinnock
Commissioned by Ramps on the Moon. Presented in association with Curve.
Winsome Pinnock (Leave Taking, Bush Theatre) reimagines her 2005 play about the power of guilt and the quest for atonement. Cyrus drives a Tube train. Sonny jumps in front of it. Desperate to arrive at the truth of what happened, Cyrus is brought to a troubling possibility: that all routes lead back to him. Award-winning playwright Winsome Pinnock and acclaimed director Amit Sharma (The Solid Life of Sugar Water, National Theatre) join forces for this deeply powerful drama about searching for meaning in a complex world.
Director Amit Sharma Designer Amelia Hankin Lighting Designer Tanya Stephenson
Graeae are world-renowned for placing D/deaf and disabled artists centre-stage. This brand new staging of One Under sparks a vital discussion about mental health and invisible disabilities, and features creative captioning and audio description at all performances. One Under deals with issues and topics which some audience members may find challenging, including depression, paranoia and suicide. Suitable for ages 16+.
£27* (£22 previews) £24* (£19 previews) £15 (£12 previews) £10
* Concessions available
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm Saturday matinees at 2.30pm Press night: Thu 12 December at 7.30pm Relaxed performances: Sat 14 December at 2.30pm, Wed 18 December at 7.30pm
Arcola produces daring, high-quality theatre in the heart of East London and beyond.
We create trailblazing theatre for all. Arcola commissions and premieres exciting, original works alongside rare gems of world drama and bold new productions of classics. Our socially-engaged, international programme champions diversity, challenges the status quo, and attracts over 65,000 people to our building each year. Ticket prices are some of the most affordable in London, and our long-running Pay What You Can scheme ensures there is no financial barrier to accessing the theatre.
“Arcola Theatre brings the very best of the world’s performing and visual arts to the people of the world living and working in London.” — The Guardian
We expand opportunities for everyone to make theatre. Arcola Participation creates over 13,500 creative opportunities every year for the people of Hackney and beyond – including through our youth theatres, courses, and pioneering Queer, Womens’, 50+ and Mental Health community theatre companies. Every year, we showcase original productions by these companies in our Creative Disruption Festival. In 2017 we won the Adiaha Antigha Award for Most Imaginative Approach to Outreach. “Arcola has changed my life for the better.” – Frank, Arcola Youth Theatre Member
We enable new and diverse talent. Arcola finds, nurtures and empowers the next generation in theatre. Since opening in 2000, we have supported thousands of theatre professionals to develop their skills and careers. Alecky Blythe, Rebecca Lenkiewicz and Barney Norris’ first plays were produced at Arcola. Arinzé Kene started acting in our youth theatre; Wunmi Mosaku made her stage debut here. Aml Ameen, Zawe Ashton, Mike Bartlett, Polly Findlay, Lucy Kirkwood, Lynette Linton, Michael Longhurst and Lyndsey Turner all worked at Arcola at the start of their careers. Our annual Grimeborn Festival unlocks opera for everybody. We give young and diverse companies a platform to embark on bold artistic ventures. Contemporary stagings and affordable ticket prices make opera accessible for the many. Arcola’s Playwrought scheme provides opportunities for writers to develop new scripts for production, while Arcola Academy empowers young people to build their futures within the arts. Through Arcola Lab, we offer 26 weeks of free rehearsal space every year to BAME and refugee artists. In 2017, we won the UK Theatre Award for Promotion of Diversity.
“Arcola’s ethos and welcome lets BAME and refugee artists know this theatre is for everyone, not just the privileged few.” — Cathy Tyson, Pitchlake Productions, Arcola Lab participant
We imagine and build a sustainable future. Arcola aims to be the world’s first carbon-neutral theatre. Our environmental sustainability initiatives, developed with our sister company Arcola Energy, are internationally renowned. In 2018 we won The Stage Sustainability Award in recognition of our ongoing attempts to reduce carbon emissions and raise awareness of climate emergency. “Arcola’s plans set the gold standard to which all venues should aspire.” – Mark Watts, Sustainability Advisor to the Mayor of London
“You can’t help loving the Arcola … it mixes the local, the national and the international in one heady brew” – The Guardian
It’s easy to get here 10mins from Shoreditch / Whitechapel 15mins from Kings Cross / Euston / Stratford 20mins from Oxford Circus / Liverpool Street / Camden 25mins from Hampstead / Victoria / Walthamstow 30mins from London Bridge / Waterloo / Charing Cross Overground 2 min walk from Dalston Kingsland & Dalston Junction 5 mins by train from Highbury & Islington (Victoria line) 15 mins by train from Canada Water (Jubilee line) 5 min bus ride / 15 min walk from Hackney Downs Bus
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www.arcolatheatre.com 020 7503 1646 24 Ashwin Street, London E8 3DL Arcola Theatre Production Company is a registered charity no.1108613. Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England no.5242988. Registered Office: 24 Ashwin Street, Dalston, London E8 3DL.