Following a cracking year of hit, sold-out shows, The Young Vic‘s artistic director, Kwame Kwei-Armah, has announced the 2019 season which, as you’d expect, is full of must-see shows.
Kicking things off in the Main House from 1 May to 29 June is the next production from Olivier Award-winner, Marianne Elliot. The Company director will be directing Arthur Miller’s Death Of A Salesman. It’ll star Wendell Pierce, Sharon D. Clarke and Arinzé Kene as Willy, Linda and Biff Loman respectively.
Next, from 29 July to 24 August, will be Tree – a new musical created by Idris Elba and Kwame, based on Idris’ album Mi Mandela. The production will be directed by Kwame himself.
From 19 September to 2 November will be a new version of Federíco Garcia Lorca’s Blood Wedding by Marina Carr. It’ll be directed by multiple award-winning director Yaël Farber.
Closing the Main House programme is Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury on from 28 November to 18 January. It has sold-out runs in New York and will be directed by Young Vic’s Genesis Fellow / Associate Director, Nadia Latif.
In the Maria Studio, Draw Me Close will open 2019 with performances from 21 January to 2 February.
Genesis Future Directors Award-winner Lekan Lawal will then direct April De Angelis’ surreal Wild East which will be on from 6-16 February.
It will be followed by The Jumper Factory By Luke Barnes, which was conceived by Young Vic Taking Part and Justin Audibert, and it’ll be directed by Josh Parr. Showing from 27 February to 9 March.
From 1-29 June, Bronx Gothic by 2018 MacArthur Genius Award recipient Okwui Okpokwasili. It has been created in collaboration with Peter Born and will be making its UK premiere.
10-20 July will see Hattie Naylor’s Ivan & Dogs which will be directed by Caitriona Shoobridge.
A final production of The 8 Club – a co-production between David Weale-Cochrane and Kwame Kwei-Armah Jr – will also be playing during the 2019 season but the date is yet to be announced.
During the season, there will also be two Taking Part Productions. The Freedom Project is a co-commission between the UK’s first two Theatres of Sanctuary, the Young Vic and Leeds Playhouse, exploring the ideas of social freedom. And The Wonderful Way To Marbleous Town a playful non-verbal performance fusing clowning, contemporary dance and physical theatre returns for children who prefer a relaxed environment.
To find out more, visit the Young Vic website.