The acclaimed Chichester Festival Theatre production of Quiz is to become the latest play by James Graham to transfer to London.
Gavin Spokes (Charles Ingram) and Keir Charles (Chris Tarrant) in Quiz. Photo: Johan Persson
With the playwright’s hits Labour of Love and almeida-theatre-3stars">Ink currently running in the West End, Quiz will transfer to the Noël Coward Theatre, opening on 10 April 2018, with previews from 31 March, and running for a strictly limited London season until 16 June.
Quiz, which is running in Chichester’s Minerva Theatre until 9 December, is a provocative re-examination of the conviction of Charles Ingram for cheating on TV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2001.
It marks the second London transfer for Chichester Festival Theatre – and the first to the West End – under the tenure of Daniel Evans as artistic director - who also directed Quiz - and Rachel Tackley as executive director.
James Graham said: “Being given the chance to share Quiz with more people – and with the opportunity to develop and push our game-show-meets-theatre concept even further – is beyond exciting for all of us. “I would never have imagined years ago I'd get a chance to put any of my new plays into the West End. So to be able to return so quickly to the Noël Coward – which has been the happiest of homes for Labour of Love – feels surprising, and properly humbling to have the trust, belief, and support in the show from our producers, the amazing Daniel Evans, and the team of actors and creators who help me tell this gobsmacking story of the so-called Coughing Major and the most successful game show of all time.” Daniel Evans added: “It’s been an enormous privilege to have presented James Graham’s Quiz as part of our inaugural season at Chichester. James is an exceptional writer with a knack for examining our recent history through an alternative lens. We’re thrilled to be able to revisit the production for the West End, and share Chichester’s work with a wider audience.”
Produced by Chichester Festival Theatre with William Village and Playful Productions, Quiz has been designed by Robert Jones with lighting by Tim Lutkin, music and sound by Ben and Max Ringham and video by Tim Reid.
James Graham’s other shows have included Monster Raving Loony at Theatre Royal Plymouth and Soho Theatre, The Vote at the Donmar Warehouse, which was broadcast live on More4 on election night, Privacy at the Donmar, and the Broadway musical Finding Neverland, written with Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy.
Tickets for Quiz are on sale on Monday 4th December 2017
Mark Ludmon has been a journalist for over 20 years, specialising in writing about theatre and the arts as well as bars, pubs and drink. He has been on the theatre judging panel for London’s Olivier Awards and has a masters degree in English literature, specialising in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama. He has an MA in theatre research, criticism and dramaturgy from the University of London’s Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. You can find him tweeting about theatre as @MarkLudmon and writing about theatre at markludmon.com.
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