Artistic Director Paul Miller and Executive Director Hanna Streeter announce that the Orange Tree Theatre will reopen its doors from 22 May with The Recovery Season, marking the first return of audiences to the Orange Tree in over 14 months.
The season opens with Bernard Shaw’s How He Lied to Her Husband and Overruled directed by Miller, followed by the London première of Bryony Lavery’s Last Easter directed by Tinuke Craig. In a co-production with Actors Touring Company, Matthew Xia directs the UK première of Michele Lee’s Rice, and Miller revives his sold out 2019 production of Terence Rattigan’s While the Sun Shines.
Continuing their partnership with the JMK Award, following the success of 2019 winner Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu’s production of Little Baby Jesus, the Orange Tree will present the 2021 JMK Award-winning production. The play and the director will be announced in the spring.
Paul Miller today said, “It’s been a long time, but with live-streamed new plays this week, and nine months of work to announce, the OT is back. New work, education shows, a British première, entertaining rediscoveries, a London première, and emerging talent championed: this is a classic OT mix to be proud of. We can’t wait to start employing artists and welcoming audiences: the magic begins when everyone works together.”
The OT’s Writer’s Collective also returns with writers Jade Anouka, Nimmo Ismail, Gemma Lawrence, and Tamsin Daisy Rees, and dramaturg Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong. Led by OT Literary Associate Guy Jones, the collective is an opportunity for a group of writers and a dramaturg to share skills and techniques, and to fire up conversations and collaborations.
The OT’s Education and Participation programme will start to return in person, having engaged with the Youth Theatre, Young Company and Over 60s group via Zoom throughout lockdown. Bec Martin’s Shakespeare Up Close productions of Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet filmed in the theatre in March 2021, are available for schools to watch, and the OT will also return to schools with a touring Primary Shakespeare production of Twelfth Night, directed by Fiona Drummond.
Each production in the season will also be filmed by The Umbrella Rooms and streamed online with OT On Screen following the success of the company’s recent new plays project Inside/Outside. Over 3,500 tickets will be available for anyone at £15 across the season.
All productions will be rehearsed and presented in line with government guidelines, with social distancing in place for Shaw Shorts. For full information on how events will be taking place, please visit orangetreetheatre.co.uk/covid-19-safety.
Full season dates and tickets can be found here
