The Lyric Hammersmith has announced its spring 2019 season, the final productions programmed by outgoing artistic director Sean Holmes. The season celebrates Holmes’ tenure – bringing back one of his most successful shows, reflecting the Lyric’s partnerships with the UK’s leading theatre companies, and embodying a reputation for daring new work alongside a commitment to nurturing the creativity of young people.
Highlights include:
- Leave to Remain – the world premiere of a new play with songs by Matt Jones and Kele Okereke opens the season. Commissioned by the Lyric, directed by Robby Graham and designed by Rebecca Brower, with Olivier Award nominated actor Tyrone Huntley in the lead role. The first song from Leave to Remain, ‘Not The Drugs Talking’, written and performed by Bloc Party’s Okereke, is released today.
- The Lyric welcomes the highly acclaimed 1927 Theatre Company with The Animals and Children Took to the Streets and Kneehigh’s Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs).
- Ghost Stories – following worldwide success and the hit movie, the original is back. Written by Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson and directed by Nyman, Dyson and Holmes.
- Continuing the theatre’s commitment to providing opportunities for young creative talent, Holly Race Roughan is announced as the director for the Lyric Ensemble for 2019 and TD Moyo as the director for the lead show of the Evolution Festival.
- A new season of Little Lyric shows is announced for families and children under 11, presented in the newly refurbished studio theatre.
Sean Holmes said: “This new season follows an exciting autumn with Jude Christian taking over the Main House; first with othellomacbeth, her innovative synthesis of two of Shakespeare’s most iconic plays. Then Cariad Lloyd joins Jude to give Dick Whittington the full Lyric treatment, celebrating 10 years of the Lyric Pantomime, first introduced during my initial season as artistic director.
“Our new spring season is everything I’ve always strived for the Lyric to be – provocative, entertaining and eclectic bringing the best theatre artists to our beautiful Hammersmith home. I’m especially excited by the potential of our first show of the season, Leave to Remain, a new play with songs.
“We have brought leading artists from different fields together – Matt is one of the UK’s leading television writers, Kele is an astonishing musical talent, both as a solo artist and with his band Bloc Party, Robby has a beautifully physical choreographic style and Rebecca is an exciting award-winning designer. They are creating something unique for us and I can’t wait to experience this truly special piece of work. The opening of Ghost Stories was a monumental moment when it first landed on our stage in 2010. It has since gone on to achieve worldwide cult status, most recently as a hit movie. Now horror is coming home to Hammersmith.”
Leave to Remain
18 January to 16 February 2019 (press night is 24 January)
Opening the season is Leave to Remain, written by Matt Jones, with music by the lead singer of Bloc Party Kele Okereke and directed by Robby Graham. Starring actor Tyrone Huntley in the role of Obi, with further casting to be announced.
A remarkable story of a young gay couple suddenly faced with an uncertain future, told through a mixture of music, drama and movement, Leave to Remain explores the effects of one couple’s marriage, and what happens when it begins to fracture both their families.
The Animals and Children Took to the Streets
19 February to 16 March 2019 (press night is 22 February)
The innovative theatrical company 1927 brings back its highly acclaimed show, The Animals and Children Took to the Streets, a blend of macabre and spectacular through music, animation and live performance storytelling.
Ghost Stories
29 March to 11 May 2019 (press night is 5 April)
Written by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, directed by Dyson, Nyman and Sean Holmes. Following sell-out shows, a West End transfer, productions in Shanghai, Australia, Canada, Italy, Germany and a hit film, the original live production is back.
Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs)
21 May to 15 June 2019 (press night is 23 May)
Based on the Beggar’s Opera, John Gay’s classic musical satire, Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs) is presented by Kneehigh’s extraordinary cast of actor-musicians.
The Lyric’s Evolution Festival, the four-day, multi-artform festival set up to support young artists in London aged 18-25 and to showcase their talent, will take place from 6 to 9 March 2019.
