In 1900 on board a great Atlantic cruise liner, Novecento was born. He became the greatest jazz musician the world would never know. For six years before World War II, Tim Tooney played trumpet with him and Novecento gave him his story…

Novecento is written by novelist, director and performer Alessandro Baricco and was first staged in Italy in 1994. It was later adapted for the screen. Baricco’s other stage works include Omero and Illade, while his novels include Castelli di Rabbia, Oceano Mare and Seta, which was adapted to create the 2007 film, Silk.

Novecento is staged as part of Donmar Trafalgar, a new initiative giving recent graduates of the Donmar Warehouse’s Resident Assistant Director (RAD) scheme the chance to stage their own production.

Róisín McBrinn, who was part of the RAD scheme in 2003, directs Novecento. Her other directing credits include The Field (Tricycle theatre), A Thousand Yards (Southwark Playhouse) and Gompers (Arcola theatre).

For more about Novecento at the Trafalgar Studios read Direct to the West End or the First Night Feature.