The Nuffield Theatre’s Director Samuel Hodges (who is now in his second year of leading the company) has announced the upcoming autumn/winter season, alongside plans for his Nuffield directorial debut. The Nuffield previously won ‘Regional Theatre of the Year’ at The Stage Awards 2015.
The upcoming season features two new Nuffield productions. Samuel Hodges will direct a production of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, with design by Ultz (Olivier Award winner for The Royal Court’s Jerusalem).
Hodges said: “I am thrilled that my Nuffield debut as a director will be the masterpiece The Glass Menagerie. This is one of the finest works from one of the greatest twentieth century dramatists and was his first great Broadway success. It was radical and bold when it was first produced almost 70 years ago, a quality which it retains uniquely to this day, making it a perfect fit for the work we are creating at Nuffield.”
Nuffield’s second production this season will be the legend of Merlin, this Christmas. This co- production with Royal & Derngate, Northampton, is created by Ella Hickson and Olly Birch – with music by Rob Castell (BAFTA nominee, Officially Amazing, CBBC). Directed by Liam Steel, the production will see Nuffield transformed into the enchanted medieval court of King Arthur, re-telling the tale of Merlin and his raucous magical adventures.
The season will also see a host of leading touring companies visit Nuffield, beginning with Little Bulb Theatre Company. Following the success of their work-in-progress piece Wail at this year’s annual Fulcrum Festival, Little Bulb are set to return with their 1930’s music hall retelling of the love story Orpheus.
Nuffield will then welcome Belgrade Theatre & Sell a Door Theatre Company’s musical adaptation of Ian Serrallier’s novel, The Silver Sword. Also part of Nuffield’s season will be The Witches, a Curve Leicester and Rose Theatre Kingston production of the classic Roald Dahl story.
Nuffield’s Laboratory Associates will come together to create a work-in-progress production entitled Juicy and Delicious – an epic, magical, coming-of-age story – on 12th and 13th November.
From September to February, Nuffield also presents an outstanding programme of theatre for younger children aged 3+, including What The Ladybird Heard, a new stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks’ book of the same name, and a variety of Saturday shows presented by some of the best children’s theatre companies in the country.
To find out more about the upcoming productions and information about tickets, visit the Nuffield website, here.
