Lyric Hammersmith to reopen with triple bill of new plays
The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is to re-open in June with a new three-part piece, Out West. Running from 18 June – 24 July, the show will feature texts by three writers – Roy Williams, Tanika Gupta and Simon Stephens. The piece will stream online during this time but for those able to attend in person, the venue will operate a socially distanced seating plan during this time.
The title of Stephens’ play is Blue Water and cold and fresh, which follows a man who is coming to terms with his father’s racism. Williams’ Go Girl focuses on female resilience, celebrating black women and everyday heroism. Gupta’s piece The Overseas Student follows a young Mohandas K Gandhi and is set towards the end of the 19th century when he arrived in the UK to study law.
The venue’s artistic director Rachel O’Riordan features on the creative team as a director, alongside Diane Page.
O'Riordan said: "Out West is the production that reopens our doors after the enforced closure due to the pandemic. The three writers, Tanika Gupta, Simon Stephens and Roy Williams, are some of the most exciting voices in British theatre and I am so proud that they are sharing our stage and bringing the Lyric back to life. All three plays speak to our current moment; questions of race, geography, identity, belonging and hope run through all three. Theatre has the power to move, to challenge and to entertain. It is also the medium through which, for centuries, human beings have attempted to understand each other and the world around us. I cannot think of a more necessary moment for theatre than now. I look forward, with co-director Diane Page, to sharing Out West with you. We are back. We are here."
Completing the creative team will be Soutra Gilmour who is responsible for both set and costume design; and Jessica Hung Han Yan and Simon Slater for lighting and sound design respectively.
A writing workshop, led by poet Zia Ahmed, to create new work will run alongside the season.
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