Barry Diller and Sonia Friedman announce today that the critically-acclaimed commercial hit production of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird – a new play by multi-award-winning Aaron Sorkin, directed by Tony Award-winning Bartlett Sher, extends for a final time at the Gielgud Theatre.
The production, which opened in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, will have run for over a year when it completes its run on 20 May 2023. The 32 strong current cast, led by Matthew Modine as Atticus Finch, will continue with the run.
Nominated for 3 WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Play, the production has played to over 400,000 patrons thus far. Since opening, the production has put access at the heart of its ethos, staging schools’ matinee performances with accompanying education packs and bespoke Q&As, and initiating an All Rise ticket scheme ensuring that £15 tickets were available across the sold out run.
In addition, the producers have set aside £5 tickets for every performance that are offered directly to those currently under-represented in West End theatre audiences – to date 75% of those tickets have been used by young people, for many of whom To Kill a Mockingbird is their first time at the theatre. These schemes have accounted for 10% of the total seats sold.
Matthew Modine continues his role as Atticus Finch with Harry Attwell (Mr. Cunningham/Boo Radley), Helen Belbin (Miss Stephanie/Dill’s Mother), Niall Buggy (Judge Taylor), Cheryl Burniston, Colin R Campbell (Mr Roscoe/Dr Reynolds), Jack Crumlin, Alan Drake, Max Ferguson, Phillipa Flynn, John Hastings (Bailiff), Rebecca Hayes (Mayella Ewell), Simon Hepworth (Link Deas), Ellis Howard (Dill Harris), Jason Hughes (Bob Ewell), Niamh James, Julie Legrand (Mrs Dubose), Nigel Lister, Tom Mannion (Sheriff Heck Tate), Sam Mitchell (Jem Finch), Anna Munden (Scout Finch), Tiwai Muza, Cecilia Noble (Calpurnia), Itoya Osagiede, Jude Owusu (Tom Robinson), Oyin Oyija, David Sturzaker (Horace Gilmer), George Telfer, Natasha Williams (Mrs Dubose’s Maid), and Candida Caldicot (on organ), Ciyo Brown and Jack Benjamin (on guitar).
The Harper Lee adaptation has been one of the major hits in the West End, playing to packed houses at the Gielgud Theatre since its opening in March 2022.
Set in Maycomb, Alabama in 1934, To Kill a Mockingbird has provided American literature with some of its most indelible characters: lawyer Atticus Finch, the tragically wronged Tom Robinson, Atticus’ daughter Scout, her brother Jem, their housekeeper and caretaker Calpurnia and the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley. For the past six decades and for every generation, this story, its characters and portrait of small-town America have helped to, and continue to, inspire conversation and change.
Bartlett Sher and the original Broadway creative team – Miriam Buether (Set), Ann Roth (Costume), Jennifer Tipton (Lighting), Scott Lehrer (Sound), Adam Guettel (Original Score), Kimberly Grigsby (Music Supervision) and Campbell Young Associates (Hair & Wigs) – were joined for the West End production by Serena Hill as Casting Director, Hazel Holder as Voice & Dialect Coach, Titas Halder as Associate Director, Candida Caldicot as Musical Director, Tavia Rivée Jefferson as Cultural Coordinator and Rasheka Christie-Carter as Assistant Director.
