Hampstead Theatre has announced the final world premiere for its Downstairs space in 2021.
The theatre’s Artistic Director, Roxana Silbert, (pictured) will direct Nell Leyshon’s new play Folk. Inspired by a true story and set in Leyshon’s home county of Somerset, this beautiful new play will feature live folk song. Ben Allen, Sasha Frost, Mariam Haque and Simon Robson will perform in Folk from 18 December until 5 February 2022.
Related News: little scratch is one of the final world premiere’s of 2021 for Hampstead Theatre
“Folk, is a play with a lot of local resonance for us given that Cecil Sharpe House, the first dedicated folk arts centre in the UK named as a memorial to him, is just down the road from us in Camden. It’s also a very personal story to Nell who was brought up in the same village as Louie Hooper who furnished Sharpe with 300 folk songs and we’re lucky to have members of the cast and the creative team also from that village.
“It’s my privilege to collaborate with them in bringing to the stage a rural culture and voice that is rarely seen or heard and which asks pressing contemporary questions about nationalism and national identity.” – Roxana Silbert, Artistic Director of Hampstead Theatre and director of Folk
1903, Somerset. Rooted in the land where she has lived her entire life, Louie Hooper’s mind overflows with its songs – more than 300 of them passed down from her mother. Cecil Sharp, a composer visiting from London, fears England’s folk songs will be lost forever and sets out on a mission to transcribe each and every one. He believes Louie’s music should speak not just for this place but for the whole of England. But whose England?
Inspired by a true story and set in her home county of Somerset, Nell Leyshon’s beautiful new play features live folk songs. Folk aired on Radio 3 in May 2021 as part of the BBC’s Light’s Up series, which turned the spotlight on plays whose staging had been delayed by the pandemic.
Nell Leyshon’s theatre credits include Comfort Me With Apples (nominated for an Olivier Award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre’ and winner of the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright) and Glass Eels (both Hampstead), Don’t Look Now (Sheffield / Lyric Hammersmith) and Bedlam (Globe).
Hampstead’s Artistic Director Roxana Silbert will direct her second Downstairs production, following Deborah Bruce’s Raya. Other Hampstead productions include The Haystack. She is also directing the Pulitzer winner ‘night, Mother on the Main Stage this autumn. Silbert will be joined by designer, Rose Revitt; lighting designer Matt Haskins; director of music, Gary Yershon and sound designer Tingying Dong.
Folk will feature Ben Allen (Measure for Measure, Donmar), Sasha Frost (The Lightning Child, Shakespeare’s Globe), Mariam Haque (Behind the Beautiful Forevers, National Theatre) and Simon Robson (The Schumann Plan, Hampstead Theatre).
“Folk was inspired by the true story of two sisters who lived near my village, in the landscape which has influenced much of my work. I am so excited to be returning to Hampstead Theatre where I’ve loved working over many years, and look forward to seeing what Roxana and the incredible cast and team bring to the script.” – Nell Leyshon, playwright of Folk
Audiences for both little scratch and Folk will return to full capacity, with a limited number of socially distanced performances also available. Safety precautions such as mask-wearing and temperature checks remain in place inside the venue, with Hampstead’s air handling system introducing 2,028 litres of fresh air per second in the Downstairs studio.
Hampstead Theatre is currently staging Shelagh Stephenson’s critically acclaimed and Olivier Award-winning play The Memory of Water which will run until 16 October. Alice Hamilton directs this poignant and painfully funny comedy about conflicting memories, life and loss which originally premiered at the theatre in 1996. The world premiere of Malindadzimu by Mufaro Makubika is also running at Hampstead Downstairs until 30 October. This delicate, witty and epic new play explores a mother and daughter’s search for belonging and their struggle with a multicultural heritage, with direction by Monique Touko.
Tickets will go on sale from Wednesday 6 October at 10.30am at hampsteadtheatre.com.
