CLICK FOR TOM STOPPARD'S ARCADIA TOUR DATES BELOW

English Touring Theatre and Theatre Royal Brighton Productions have announced a new touring production of Tom Stoppard's comedy masterpiece Arcadia. This tour will be the first major national tour since 1993, opening in Brighton on 30 January 2015 the tour will then take in Bath, Bromley, Woking, Aylesbury, Truro, Birmingham, Cambridge, Malvern and Oxford.

In a stately home in 19th century rural Derbyshire , secret desires and professional rivalries take hold of the residents of Sidley Park. The daughter of the house, Thomasina Coverly, is a bright and talented pupil tutored by Byron's friend Septimus Hodge, who makes a startling discovery well ahead of her time. In the present day, academics Hannah Jarvis and Bernard Nightingale attempt to piece together the fragments of truth that tell her story. Arcadia explores the delicate relationship between past and present, and is a witty and absorbing portrait of two generations of an aristocratic family as the focus moves from 1809 to now, and back to the past.

Tom Stoppard said: 'I'm delighted that a new tour of Arcadia, directed by the young, visionary Blanche McIntrye, is to take place next year reaching audiences across the UK. The current challenges for regional theatre in the UK mean that a production of this scale and quality are very rarely toured.'

Dakota Blue Richards will make her stage debut as Thomasina, with other cast including Kirsty Besterman, Robert Cavanah, Tom Greaves, Nakay Kpaka, Ed MacArthur, Charlie Manton, David Mara, Flora Montgomery, Wilf Scolding, Larrington Walker and Ria Zmitrowitz.

First premiered at the National Theatre in 1993 directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, Tom Stoppard's Arcadia is considered one of the greatest plays of the last century, winning countless awards including the 1993 Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best New Play. Arcadia has twice been produced on Broadway, winning the 1995 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, and the 2011 Tony Award for Best Revival of Play. This production sees a new collaboration between English Touring Theatre (Translations, Ghosts, The Misanthrope)and Theatre Royal Brighton Productions (Dandy Dick, Blue Orange). Arcadia marks English Touring Theatre's second time working with director Blanche McIntyre this year, following the tour of Noel Coward's Tonight at 8.30. Arcadia was recently voted one of the nation's top five plays in English Touring Theatre's 'My Favourite Play' poll, which was conducted to mark the company's 21st Birthday celebrations.

ARCADIA 2015 TOUR DATES

30 January - 7 February 2015

Theatre Royal Brighton

New Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1SD

9 - 14 February 2015

Theatre Royal Bath

Saw Close, Bath BA1 1ET

16 - 21 February 2015

Churchill Theatre

High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA

23 - 28 February 2015

New Victoria Theatre

Peacocks Centre, Woking, Surrey GU21 6GQ

2 - 7 March 2015

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

Exchange Street, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 1UG

9 - 14 March 2015

Hall for Cornwall

Back Quay, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2LL

23 - 28 March 2015

New Alexandra Theatre

Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DS

30 March - 4 April 2015

Cambridge Arts Theatre

6 St Edward's Passage, Cambridge CB2 3PJ

6 - 11 April 2015

Festival Theatre

Grange Road, Malvern, Worcs WR143HB

Book Online Now 13 - 18 April 2015

Oxford Playhouse

11-12 Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2LW