The first production from Elliot and Harper Productions, its Marianne Elliot’s first direction since her majestic Angels in America. Although the canvas is smaller, the questions are still big.
A new production company called Elliott and Harper Productions has been formed by Marianne Elliott, the Olivier and Tony Award-winning director of the National Theatre’s hugely successful productions of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and War Horse and producer Chris Harper. The pair have also announced the UK premiere of their first West End show today: Simon Stephens’ Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle. Starring Anne-Marie Duff and Kenneth Cranham which will be directed by Marianne Elliott. Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle will play at the Wyndham’s Theatre from 3 October 2017 until 9 January 2018. Tickets are on sale at midday today. In this uncertain world, who can predict what brings people together? When two strangers meet by chance amidst the bustle of a crowded London train station, their lives are changed forever. Tony and Olivier-Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens’ Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle is a surprising and life-affirming … Read more
Following successful runs at the Theatre Royal Bath, the Tricycle Theatre in London and a West End season at Wyndham’s Theatre, Florian Zeller’s Moliere award-winning play, The Father will play at the Duke of York’s Theatre for a limited five week run, 24thFebruary – 26th March 2016, prior to a national tour. Kenneth Cranham reprises his role as Andre. Now 80 years old, Andre was once a tap dancer. He lives with his daughter Anne and her husband Antoine. Or was he an engineer whose daughter Anne lives in London with her new lover, Pierre? The thing is, he is still wearing his pyjamas, and he can’t find his watch. He is starting to wonder if he’s losing control. The production is directed by James MacDonald, translated by Christopher Hampton, designed by Miriam Buether with lighting designed by Guy Hoare and sound designed by Christopher Shutt. The Father will transfer … Read more
In the early stages of the play, this approach is both confronting and disarming. I found myself consulting the programme to check who was who before catching on to Zeller’s conceit (as opposed to thinking I had missed something). Once you click into the right receptive mode, accept you will not understand everything, you are free to marvel at Kenneth Cranham’s extraordinary performance as André and gain some understanding of what it is to have your wits challenged by Alzheimer’s.
