Almeida Theatre announces Rupert Goold’s final season as Artistic Director, including AMERICAN PSYCHO revival and Josh O’conner
Marc Brenner
The final season of Goold’s tenure as Artistic Director: 10 productions, including four world premieres, a musical revival, and reimaginings of classic plays.
The world premiere of ROMANS: A NOVEL, a new play by award-winning writer Alice Birch, featuring Kyle Soller and directed by Sam Pritchard.
Tony Award winner Michael Grandage directs the world premiere of THE LINE OF BEAUTY, adapted by Olivier Award nominee Jack Holden from Alan Hollinghurst’s Booker Prize-winning novel.
Olivier Award winner Sam Grabiner presents the world premiere of CHRISTMAS DAY, directed by James Macdonald.
In his final production as Almeida Artistic Director, Rupert Goold revisits his acclaimed production of musical thriller AMERICAN PSYCHO.
Following her Olivier Award-winning performance in THE YEARS, Romola Garai returns to the Almeida in Henrik Ibsen’s A DOLL’S HOUSE, in a new version by Anya Reiss, directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins.
An adaptation of Babak Anvari’s BAFTA-winning film UNDER THE SHADOW by Carmen Nasr, featuring Leila Farzad and directed by Nadia Latif.
Rebecca Frecknall directs Sarah Kane’s masterpiece CLEANSED, her final production as Almeida Associate Director.
Sam Yates directs BAFTA winner Josh O’Connor in Clifford Odets’ American classic, GOLDEN BOY.
Former Almeida Resident Director Ebenezer Bamgboye returns to direct Zackary Momoh in a revival of DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS by Eugene O'Neill.
Also announced
81 (LIFE) the second in a trilogy of plays exploring what it means to live, work, love, pray, celebrate and mourn in Islington, co-created by Rhianna Ilube with 81 local people and presented in partnership with All Change and Cardboard Citizens.
The Almeida Theatre is one of six theatres to join the newly launched National Youth Advisory Board, established to unite discussions about change in the industry.
The Almeida’s office and rehearsal space will undergo significant refurbishment to improve accessibility, sustainability, and artistic potential.
Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold said, “Today we announce my final season as Artistic Director at the Almeida. A season that, I hope, captures the spirit and values of our past 12 years. We present 10 productions including four world premieres, four revivals of classic plays and a revisit of the musical from my first season at the Almeida.
“New writing has always been a central pillar of our work so I’m proud to be premiering brand new plays from four of the most exciting voices in the country. Three of the writers are new to us in Alice Birch, Jack Holden and Sam Grabiner, while Carmen Nasr returns following her Almeida Young Company production The Maladies in 2022.
Another artist continuing their journey with us is Ebenezer Bamgboye who was on our Resident Director Scheme in 2018 and now gives his take on Eugene O’Neill’s DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS, featuring Zackary Momoh. This great American play joins Joe Hill-Gibbins and Anya Reiss’ new version of A DOLL’S HOUSE, with Romola Garai following up her Olivier Award-winning performance in THE YEARS; Rebecca Frecknall’s production of Sarah Kane’s infamous CLEANSED; and Josh O’Connor featuring in Clifford Odets’ GOLDEN BOY directed by Sam Yates. I will be revisiting my production of AMERICAN PSYCHO, the show with which I launched my tenure back in 2013 – partly to explore what may have changed since then.
It’s a complex feeling to leave Islington and this unique theatre for a new challenge south of the river so it’s particularly pleasing that before I go, we will also present the second instalment of our Islington Trilogy community productions – a project that celebrates Islington and everyone who lives and works here. While we have looked to the world for our stories, our artists and our influence, our identity has remained as a local theatre.
I look forward to seeing you over the next 18 months and thank you to everyone – artists, makers, supporters and above all audiences – for your support over the last decade.”
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