Venue: National Theatre
Website
Larry Kramer’s ground-breaking play The Normal Heart, about the AIDS crisis in New York in the 1980s, is to be revived at the National Theatre this autumn.
Incredibly, it will be the first professional production of the play in London since its European premiere in 1986, when Martin Sheen played Ned in the Royal Court Theatre’s production.
Dominic Cooke is to direct the play, which stars Ben Daniels (The Crown, The Exorcist, House of Cards) as Ned Weeks, the co-founder of an AIDS advocacy group, fighting to change the world around him.
The cast also includes Danny Lee Wynter as Tommy Boatwright, Daniel Monks as Mickey Marchus and Stanley Townsend as Ben Weeks. Other cast include Robert Bowman, Liz Carr, Daniel Krikler, Elander Moore, Luke Norris, Henry Nott and Freddie Stabb.
The Normal Heart will open in September in the National’s Olivier Theatre, in an in-the-round season. Vicki Mortimer is Set Designer, Paule Constable is Lighting Designer, costume design is by Lisa Duncan, sound design is by Carolyn Downing and fight direction is by Bret Yount.
The play premiered Off-Broadway at The Public Theater in April 1985, running for nearly 300 performances. Its Broadway premiere didn’t come until 2011, with Joel Grey (Cabaret) directing a run at the Golden Theatre, starring Joe Mantello as Ned, Ellen Barkin as Dr. Brookner, John Benjamin Hickey as Felix, Lee Pace as Bruce Niles, and Jim Parsons as Tommy Boatwright.
Screen adaptations include the 2014 version, with Ryan Murphy directing Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts and Alfred Molina in the HBO adaptation.
Larry died in May last year at the age of 84.
Website & BookingVenue Information
Upper Ground , London, SE1 9PXUnderground & Trains: Waterloo, Embankment, Charing Cross
Buses: 1, 4, 26, 59, 68, 76, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 243, 341, 521, X68
