General booking opens at Chichester Festival Theatre for packed summer season

Directed by CFT artistic director Daniel Evans, it comes as a co-production with the National Theatre running in Chichester from April 22-May 14, following success in London despite Covid hiccoughs.

Alecky Blythe’s panoramic new verbatim play tells the stories of a generation. It was created from five years of interviews with 12 young people from all four corners of the UK. Daniel said: “It has been an amazing experience with the fantastic cast we have got, even though we have been hit by Covid both in rehearsals and in previews, and we had to delay our press night twice but it has been a wonderful experience.

“It is a durational play. We meet the people when they are young teenagers, 12 or 13 or 14 and by the end of the evening we are meeting young adults. We go through their adolescence with them, the pain, the joys, the anguish, not just from them but also their parents and grandparents and teachers.

“And by the end you can feel their transformation. The last part of the play happens during lockdown and you can really get to feel the effect it has had on these people, these past two years. But it is not a downer. Absolutely not. The audience have been standing by the end every time. We have had five previews so far and we’ve had five standing ovations.

“And it has been wonderful to be working with the National. Collaborations are very important and this season we are doing a number of collaborations. It is a great way of getting to share the work and getting to share the expertise.”

Collaborations this summer also include the new musical The Famous Five, music and lyrics by Theo Jamieson, book by Elinor Cook, based on books by Enid Blyton, directed by Tamara Harvey in a co-production with Theatr Clwyd; and Stephen Beresford’s The Southbury Child, directed by Nicholas Hytner in a co-production with The Bridge Theatre.

The full season is

The Taxidermist’s Daughter, adapted for the stage by Kate Mosse, a new play based on her novel, directed by Róisín McBrinn, April 8-30, Festival Theatre.

Our Generation, a new play by Alecky Blythe, directed by Daniel Evans, a co-production with the National Theatre, April 22-May 14, Minerva Theatre.

Henry Goodman in Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig, May 13-June 4, Festival Theatre.

Amanda Abbington, Frances Barber and Reece Shearsmith in The Unfriend, a new play by Steven Moffat, May 21-July 9, Minerva Theatre.

Alex Jennings in The Southbury Child, a new play by Stephen Beresford, June 13-25, Festival Theatre.

Crazy For You, music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, July 11-September 4, Festival Theatre.

Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads by Roy Williams, directed by Nicole Charles, July 22– August 13, Minerva Theatre.

The Narcissist, a new play by Christopher Shinn, directed by Josh Seymour, August 26-September 24.

Woman In Mind by Alan Ayckbourn, directed by Justin Martin, September 23-October 15, Festival Theatre.

Local Hero, book by David Greig, nusic and lyrics by Mark Knopfler, based on the Bill Forsyth film, October 8-November 19, Minerva Theatre.

The Famous Five, a new musical, music & lyrics by Theo Jamieson, based on books by Enid Blyton, October 21-November 12, Festival Theatre.

General booking opens: Saturday, March 19 (online only); Tuesday, March 22 (phone and in person).

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