Matthew Bourne’s acclaimed dance theatre production Play Without Words will return in 2027 to mark its 25th anniversary, with a limited four-week season at Sadler’s Wells and two exclusive performances at Curve, Leicester.
Presented by New Adventures in association with the National Theatre, the revival will play Curve on 23 and 24 July 2027 before transferring to Sadler’s Wells from 27 July to 21 August 2027. Casting is yet to be announced.
Inspired by Joseph Losey’s 1963 film The Servant and the British New Wave cinema movement of the 1960s, Play Without Words is set in Chelsea in 1965 and tells a story of power, class and sexual politics entirely through movement. The production features an original jazz-influenced score by Terry Davies, performed live on stage.
First produced by the National Theatre in 2002, the work became an immediate critical and commercial success. It received five Olivier Award nominations and won two awards, including Best Entertainment and Best Theatre Choreographer.
Reflecting on the production’s return, Matthew Bourne said: “When Trevor Nunn asked me if I would like to make a devised piece of theatre for his farewell Transformations season at the NT in 2002, I jumped at the opportunity, telling him that I would like to try and make ‘a play without words’. This was more of a description than a title, but the title stuck and became one of the most adventurous and unique pieces I have ever made. Trevor asked all directors in the season to choose a key word as a starting point for their work, mine was ‘seduction’. Not only did we do away with words, but we added to the intrigue by casting each character two or three times over, identically dressed by Lez Brotherston, each giving a variation on the story. Inspiration came from the cultural revolution and changing times as seen through the lens of the new wave British cinema of the 1960s and most specifically one of my favourite movies of that time, Joseph Losey’s The Servant, with its brilliantly ambiguous screenplay by Harold Pinter, full of dual meanings which directly inspired the central staging idea with its multiple possibilities. I’m delighted that the show, or should I say ‘play’, is not only returning for its 25th Anniversary but also, rightly, as the centrepiece of my company’s 40th Anniversary in 2027.”
Kate Varah, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive of the National Theatre, added: “Matthew Bourne’s Play Without Words premiered at the National Theatre in 2002 as part of Trevor Nunn’s Transformations season dedicated to showcasing newly devised work. A deeply original piece of dance theatre, Play Without Words showcases Matthew’s extraordinary gift for storytelling through movement. We are delighted that this remarkable production will be returning for its 25th anniversary and will be seen by a new generation of audiences at Curve in Leicester, and at Sadler’s Wells in London, as well as being enjoyed by those who remember its extraordinary original run.”
Set in a stylish Chelsea townhouse, the story follows an affluent master, his fiancée and a newly arrived manservant, Prentice. Beneath the surface of domestic order unfolds a compelling battle for control, desire and social status.
The production is devised by Matthew Bourne, with music by Terry Davies, designs by Lez Brotherston and lighting design by Paule Constable.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
