July 2007

THE BUSH THEATRE AUTUMN SEASON 2007

Josie Rourke, The Bush Theatre’s new Artistic Director, and Fiona Clark, Executive Producer, today announce their first season with a diverse programme of new plays. The new season will uncover fresh and emerging talent, whilst welcoming the return of Bush writer Mike Packer and introducing established American dramatist Neil LaBute, with the UK premiere of a double bill of his work.

The season opens with FLIGHT PATH, a funny and touching new play about brotherly love. Written by rising talent David Watson, this production marks a first collaboration with new writing powerhouse Out of Joint, prior to a national tour. This is followed by Josie Rourke’s directorial debut for The Bush Theatre with Ian McHugh’s HOW TO CURSE, a first play that takes Shakespeare’s The Tempest as its inspiration. Mike Packer’s tHe dYsFUnCKshOnalZ! takes a wild and funny look at the culture of punk and the final play of the season is a double bill by Neil LaBute, HELTER SKELTER and LAND OF THE DEAD, presented in association with Dialogue Productions and Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

WHIPPING IT UP, starring Richard Wilson, transferred to the New Ambassadors Theatre on 22nd February and will embark on a Number 1 UK Tour. ELLING, starring John Simm, transfers to the Trafalgar Studios on 6th July for a limited season.

Josie Rourke became Artistic Director of The Bush Theatre in April 2007. Her recent productions include KING JOHN (Royal Shakespeare Company Complete Works) and THE CRYPTOGRAM by David Mamet (Donmar Warehouse). She joins Fiona Clark, Executive Producer, as Joint Chief Executive. The Bush Theatre has been discovering, developing and producing the best new plays and new playwrights for 35 years.

Autumn Season 2007

Flight Path
by David Watson
Directed by Naomi Jones
12 September – 6 October
Press Night – Monday 17 September

How to Curse
by Ian McHugh
Directed by Josie Rourke
10 October – 10 November
Press Night – Tuesday 16 October

tHe dYsFUnCKshOnalZ!
by Mike Packer
14 November – 22 December
Press Night – Tuesday 20 November

Helter Skelter/ Land of the Dead
by Neil LaBute
Directed by Patricia Benecke
15 January – 16 February
Press Night – Thursday 17 January

The Bush Theatre and Out of Joint present the world premiere of

Flight Path

by David Watson

Directed by Naomi Jones
Designed by Polly Sullivan

12 September – 6 October

Press Night - Monday 17 September 7pm

Being eighteen is tough. For Jonathan being eighteen means everyone expects and demands the best from him. When he decides to rebel the shockwaves turn everyone’s world upside-down. FLIGHT PATH is a funny and touching drama about loyalty, families and friendship.

David Watson’s first play, Just a Bloke, was staged at the Royal Court as part of their Young Writer’s Festival when he was seventeen. FLIGHT PATH is his second play and will receive its premiere at The Bush Theatre. He is twenty two.

OUT OF JOINT is one of the UK’s leading touring theatre companies responsible for such hit plays as Our Country’s Good, Shopping and F**king and The Permanent Way.

The Bush Theatre presents the world premiere of

by Ian McHugh

Directed by Josie Rourke
Designed by Christopher Oram
Lighting by Hartley T A Kemp

10 October – 10 November

Press Night - Tuesday 16 October 7pm

A bruising, charged and spellbound play, HOW TO CURSE is the story of three young people marooned in Great Yarmouth. They harness the power of Shakespeare’s The Tempest but have no idea of the dark magic they will unleash.

HOW TO CURSE is Ian McHugh’s first play and will receive its premiere at The Bush Theatre this autumn.

The production will be directed by Josie Rourke, her first as Artistic Director of The Bush Theatre. Her directorial work includes The Cryptogram at the Donmar Warehouse, King John (RSC) and Crazyblackmuthafuckin’self (Royal Court).

The Bush Theatre presents the world premiere of

By Mike Packer

14 November – 22 December

Press Night - Tuesday 20 November 7pm

Punk was the battle against money makers and the establishment of its day. 30 years on, can former band, tHe dYsFUnCKshOnalZ!, keep the Anarchy flag flying by deciding not to sell out to the corporate giants? A caustic tale for a consumer generation.

tHe dYsFUnCKshOnalZ! is Mike Packer’s third comedy for The Bush Theatre, following A Carpet, a Pony and a Monkey (2002) and Card Boys (1999).

Dialogue Productions in associations with Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and The Bush Theatre present the British premiere of

by Neil LaBute

Directed by Patricia Benecke

15 January – 16 February 2008

Press Night - Thursday 17 Jan 7pm

As each story unfolds in their contemporary American settings, sudden impact and shock change will shape each character’s journey to an unexpected end. HELTER SKELTER/ LAND OF THE DEAD are two thrilling new plays that will receive their UK Premiere at The Bush Theatre in early 2008.

Award winning playwright, screen writer and film director Neil LaBute has had recent hits in the West End with Some Girls (Gielgud) and This is How It Goes (Donmar Warehouse) and his films include The Wicker Man, In the Company of Men and The Shape of Things.

Patricia Benecke recently directed Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Qur’an, which toured the UK in 2006 after a sell-out run at The Bush Theatre.

The Bush Theatre in the West End

Elling based on the novel by Ingvar Ambjørnsen
original stage adaptation by Axel Hellstenius
in collaboration with Petter Næss
adapted by Simon Bent

Directed by Paul Miller
Starring John Simm and Adrian Bower
Trafalgar Studios 1
From 4 July
Booking until 6 October

www.theambassadors.com/trafalgarstudios

The Bush Theatre on Tour

Whipping it Up by Steve Thompson
Directed by Terry Johnson
Starring Richard Wilson

4 – 8 September – New Victoria Theatre, Woking
10 – 15 September – Palace Theatre, Southend
17 – 22 September – Cheltenham Everyman
24 -29 September – His Majesty’s, Aberdeen
1 – 6 October – Richmond Theatre
8 – 13 October – Theatre Royal, Brighton
15 – 20 October – Theatre Royal, Bath
5 – 10 November – Theatre Royal, Glasgow
12 -17 November – Churchill Theatre, Bromley
19 -24 November - The Lowry, Salford

www.whippingitup.com

The Bush Theatre Box Office: 0207 610 4224
www.bushtheatre.co.uk
Autumn Season Offer
FOUR SHOWS FOR £50 I £35
TWO SHOWS FOR £25 I £18
Must be booked together. Telephone bookings only

For further information please contact Borkowski PR 0207 404 3000

Ewan Thomson – 0207 492 0614 – ewan@borkowski.co.uk

Giles Cooper – 0207 492 0643 – giles@borkowski.co.uk