No longer booking
  • Venue Donmar Warehouse, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 29 July 2023
  • Running time 2 hours 25 minutes (including interval)

★★★★ “Utterly compelling” – The Times

The world premiere of Jack Thorne’s new play When Winston Went to War with the Wireless comes to the Donmar Warehouse in 2023.

Acclaimed, multi-award-winning playwright Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, BBC’s His Dark Materials) brings the world premiere of his new play to the Donmar Warehouse in June.

Directed by Katy Rudd (Ocean at the End of the Lane, Eureka Day) and based on a true story, the play is a gripping and timely examination of the BBC’s independence during the 1926 General Strike.

The play stars Stephen Campbell Moore (The History Boys, The War of the Worlds) as John Reith, Adrian Scarborough (The Chelsea Detective, Leopoldstadt) as Winston Churchill, and Haydn Gwynne (The Windsors, The Great British Bake Off Musical).

When Winston Went To War With The Wireless is playing at the Donmar Warehouse from 2 June to 29 July 2023.

A true story about truth

In May 1926 Britain grinds to a halt, as workers down tools for The General Strike.

With the printing presses shut down, the only sources of news are the government’s The British Gazette, edited by Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill, and the independent, fledgling British Broadcasting Company, led by John Reith. What follows is a fierce battle for control of the news and who gets to define the truth

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of When Winston Went To War With The Wireless?

The cast features Stephen Campbell Moore as John Reith and Adrian Scarborough as Winston Churchill, alongside Haydn Gwynne as Stanley Baldwin, Kitty Archer as Isabel Shields; Ravin J Ganatra as Archbishop of Canterbury / JCC Davidson; Mariam Haque as Muriel Reith; Kevin McMonagle as Ernest Bevin; Luke Newberry as Charlie Bowser; Seb Philpott as Speaker of the House/Musician; Elliott Rennie asp Arthur Pugh/Musician; Laura Rogers as Clemmie Churchill/Amelia Johnson; and Shubham Saraf as Peter Eckersley.

Who are the creative team of When Winston Went To War With The Wireless?

The play is written by Jack Thorne and directed by Katy Rudd, with design by Laura Hopkins, sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, lighting design by Howard Hudson, movement direction by Scott Graham, music by Gary Yershon, video design and animation by Andrzej Goulding and casting by Anna Cooper CDG.

 

Important Notes

Accessible performances

CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE – Monday 17 July 7.30pm (captioned by Stagetext)
AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE – Saturday 8 July 2.30pm, touch tour at 1pm (audio described by VocalEyes)
BSL PERFORMANCE – Friday 22 July 7.30pm (interpreted by THEATRESIGN)

Content warning

This production contains strobe lighting, haze, the smoking of a vapour cigar, and the appearance and firing of a gun

Venue Information

Donmar Warehouse , 41 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LX

Nearest Tube or Train: Leicester Square, Covent Garden

Nearest Buses: 14, 19, 24, 29, 38, 176, N5, N19, N20, N29, N38, N41, N279

Directions

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Critics' reviews of When Winston Went To War With The Wireless

★★★★ "Utterly compelling" - The Times

★★★★ "Fascinating" - The Evening Standard

Also see: When Winston Went To War With The Wireless Reviews Round-up

Frequently Asked Questions

When Winston Went To War With The Wireless is playing at the Donmar Warehouse in London
The running time of When Winston Went To War With The Wireless is 2 hours 25 minutes (including interval)
Yes, When Winston Went To War With The Wireless has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday
No, sorry, When Winston Went To War With The Wireless has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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