Mescal, Corrin, Clarke Lead National Theatre 2027 Slate — SkimNews
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- The National Theatre unveiled its 2027 program: 18 productions across the Lyttelton, Dorfman, and beyond, including eight world premieres, with co-chief executive Indhu Rubasingham noting the NT audience now spans 184 countries.
- Paul Mescal returns to the Lyttelton for a repertory season as Biff Loman in Rebecca Frecknall's 'Death of a Salesman' and as Michael Carney in 'A Whistle in the Dark,' a co-production with Ireland's Abbey Theatre; Tracy Letts makes his UK stage acting debut as Willy Loman opposite Monica Dolan.
- Emma Corrin stars in Michael Grandage's first NT production since 2010, a revival of Tennessee Williams' 'Suddenly Last Summer' with Harriet Walter and Arty Froushan, while Emilia Clarke makes her National Theatre debut in David Hare's 'Plenty' directed by Richard Eyre, staged ahead of Hare's 80th birthday and the play's 50th anniversary.
- Rosamund Pike will make her Broadway debut reprising her role in 'Inter Alia' at the Music Box Theater from Nov. 10, with co-stars Jamie Glover and Cormac McAlinden also debuting on Broadway as the NT hit transfers.
- Uzo Aduba, a three-time Emmy winner, debuts at the venue in 'The Adeyemis – A Family Saga' under Lucian Msamati's direction; other world premieres include James Graham's 'Major' (John Major's rise to PM), Moira Buffini's 'The Great Indaba' (1998 Good Friday Agreement), Carmen Nasr's 'Samira' (Arab Spring), and a Natasha Gordon stage adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo's 'Mr Loverman.'
- Robert Hastie's staging of 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' marks 60 years since the original productions and stars Mawaan Rizwan and George Fouracres, while the slate also includes a Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell co-directed 'West Side Story' revival using Jerome Robbins' original choreography.
- National Theatre at Home will add 25 new titles in 2027, and touring productions include 'Ballet Shoes' with Anton Du Beke, Frozen Light's multisensory shows, and 'The Rise and Fall of Little Voice' visiting seven regional theaters.
Why it matters: The 2027 slate puts 18 productions and eight world premieres before a National Theatre audience now spanning 184 countries, with NT at Home adding 25 more streaming titles. For London's flagship publicly funded venue, pairing A-list casting with eight new works — from a John Major political drama to an immersive Punchdrunk piece — tests whether commercial draw can sustain a programming model built on bold new writing.
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