Rodney Ackland’s extraordinarily provocative play, Absolute Hell, was condemned as ‘a libel on the British people’ when first performed in 1952. Now it emerges as an intoxicating plunge into post-war Soho; full of despair and longing. Joe Hill-Gibbins returns to the NT to direct a large ensemble in this new production.
Bomb-blasted London. A Soho den in the hangover from World War II, where members drink into the darkness, night after night. Lying, fighting and seducing, these lost souls and bruised lovers struggle from the rubble of war towards an unknown future.
The cast includes Esh Alladi, Elizabeth Andrewartha, Ashley Byan, Jonathan Coote, Rachel Dale, Carole Dance, Joanna David, Charles Edwards, Patricia England, Kate Fleetwood, Jenny Galloway, Frazer Hadfield, Aaron Heffernan, Simon Hepworth, Lloyd Hutchinson, Martins Imhangbe, Stephanie Jacob, Fiz Marcus, Sinéad Matthews, Connor Mills, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Anita Reynolds, John Sackville, Liza Sadovy, Jonathan Slinger, Eileen Walsh, Danny Webb and Jade Yourell.
Absolute Hell is at The National Theatre from 18th April.
1. ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
2. ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
3. ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
4. ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
5. ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
6. ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
7. ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
ABSOLUTE HELL by Ackland, , Writer - Rodney Ackland, Director - Joe Hill-Gibbins, , Set Designer Lizzie Clachan, Costumes - Nicky Gillibrand, Lighting - Jon Clark, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson/
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