The Lyric Hammersmith in West London has announced its new season for Autumn & Winter 2023 to 2024.
Highlights of the season include a new production of Yasmina Reza’s Oliver Award-winning play God of Carnage, in a translation by Christopher Hampton, to be directed by the Lyric’s Associate Director Nicholai La Barrie.
God of Carnage will run from 1 to 30 September 2023.
As announced earlier today by the RSC, their revival of The Empress by Tanika Gupta, directed by Pooja Ghai, is also coming to the Lyric Hammersmith, playing from 4 to 28 October 2023.
The Empress‘ Designer is Rosa Maggiora, with Lighting Designer Matt Haskins, Music and Sound by Ben and Max Ringham, Movement by Wayne Parsons, and Fights and Intimacy by Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown
As previously announced, this year’s Lyric Hammersmith pantomime will be Cinderella in a new adaptation by award-winning writer, composer and comedian Vikki Stone, and following the success of their Christmas 2022 production of Aladdin.
Cinderella will run from 18 November 2023 to 6 January 2024 at the Lyric Hammersmith.
The first show to come out of the Lyric’s new co-producing partnership with Frantic Assembly will be an adaption of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, by Lemn Sissay, directed by Scott Graham.
The production tours the UK in 2023, before running at the Lyric from 1 February to 2 March 2024.
Also in the line-up is a new revival of Brian Friel’s masterpiece Faith Healer, directed by the Lyric’s Artistic Director, Rachel O’Riordan.
Faith Healer will play the Lyric from 14 March to 13 April 2024.
In other Lyric news, “For the Culture: Celebrations of Blackness”, a multi-art form festival championing and celebrating Black British artists, activists, and thinkers, is to return to the Lyric Theatre for its third year in Autumn 2023, curated by Associate Director Nicholai La Barrie.
Rachel O’Riordan, Artistic Director & CEO of Lyric Hammersmith Theatre said in a statement:
“This new season is interrogative and imaginative, with plays by bold and exceptional writers – Brian Friel, Tanika Gupta, Yasmina Reza, Lemn Sissay and Vikki Stone. These plays are an interrogation of identity, truth and the power of storytelling. How reliable are the stories history tells us, or those that we tell each other and ourselves? Theatre generates open debate and conversation; it provokes, challenges and can also create a unique sense of unity in an audience. It reflects our stories back to us, and asks us to understand those stories that are far from our own experience. This is live theatre’s most special power- the creation of new understanding, empathy and compassion in a shared space. Come and be thrilled, entertained, challenged and charmed in our beautiful theatre. We can’t wait for you to join us for this unflinchingly and entertaining season of new stories.”
Shows coming to the Lyric Hammersmith in spring / summer 2023 include Accidental Death of an Anarchist, from 13 March 2023; and The Good Person of Szechwan from 21 April 2023.
More about these Lyric Hammersmith productions
God of Carnage
The other day in the park, 11 year old Ferdinand knocked 11 year old Bruno’s two front teeth out. Their parents meet up to have a civil conversation about the misdemeanours of their children in a suitably calm and rational way… what can go wrong? As night falls chaos ensues with explosive tantrums, name-calling and tears. They say kids will be kids, but the adults are worse – much worse.
Lyric Associate Director Nicholai La Barrie directs Yasmina Reza’s Olivier and Tony Award winning play, translated by Christopher Hampton. With her sharp corrosive wit, Reza rips the thin veneer of civility with heart-pounding honesty. God of Carnage is the unmissable darkly funny roller-coaster you won’t want to end.
The Empress
It is 1887, the year Queen Victoria celebrates her Golden Jubilee. Sixteen year old Rani Das, ayah (nursemaid) to an English family arrives at Tilbury docks after a long voyage from India, to start a new life in Britain. On the boat, Rani befriends a lascar (sailor), an Indian politician and a royal servant destined to serve the Queen. Full of hopes and dreams of what lies ahead, they each embark on an extraordinary journey. Will their expectations come true or will they have to forge a different path in their new country?
Metamorphosis
One morning Gregor Samsa awakes to find himself changed. To those around him he is dangerous, untouchable vermin. Worse than that, he is a burden. A word said, an action out of place, the opening of old wounds, none of which can be undone. Until now Gregor has woken every morning, quietly left to take the same train, and worked to pay off the family debt. But that world explodes on this morning of brutal metamorphosis.
Faith Healer
Trawling through the remote and lonely villages of Ireland, Wales and Scotland is, The Fantastic Frank Hardy, who for one night only promises miracle cures for the sick and the suffering. He might just be more showman than shaman but… the promise of the impossible is irresistible.
But it’s Frank’s shapeshifting gift and proclamations that bring him into conflict with his wife Grace and manager Teddy. As they each recount their lives together, they unveil a well of fractured memories.
