Artistic Director Daniel Evans and Executive Director Kathy Bourne have announced full details of Chichester Festival Theatre’s ‘Festival 2020‘ season, which will open with a new production of Bertolt Brecht‘s epic drama, THE LIFE OF GALILEO, translated by David Edgar, directed by Jonathan Church, and starring the multi-award-winning Henry Goodman in the title role.
THE LIFE OF GALILEO plays in the Festival Theatre from 24 April to 16 May 2020.
THE LIFE OF GALILEO will be designed by Simon Higlett, with lighting by Mark Henderson, music by Matthew Scott, sound by Paul Groothuis, video by Dick Straker, movement by Jenny Arnold, casting by Juliet Horsley and children’s casting by Verity Naughton.
Simon Evans will then direct Richard Coyle and Lisa Dillon in a new production of Tom Stoppard‘s Tony Award-winning exploration of love and fidelity, THE REAL THING, which will run in the Minerva Theatre from 7 May to 6 June 2020.
THE REAL THING will be designed by Grace Smart, with music and sound by Alex Baranowski and casting by Juliet Horsley.
Following here triumphant productions of Shadowlands (2019), The Winslow Boy (2018) and Half A Sixpence (2016), Rachel Kavanaugh returns to CFT to direct a new production of Jay Presson Allen’s bold, searching and funny 1966 play, THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE, adapted from the 1961 novel of the same name by Muriel Spark.
THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE will run in the Festival Theatre from 29 May to 20 June 2020.
It will be designed by Robert Jones, with lighting by Howard Harrison, music by Catherine Jayes, sound by Fergus O’Hare, movement by Georgina Lamb and casting by Charlotte Sutton.
THE VILLAGE BIKE will be designed by Madeleine Girling, with lighting by Prema Mehta, sound by George Dennis and casting by Charlotte Sutton.
Artistic Director Daniel Evans will then direct a major new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein‘s much-loved, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, SOUTH PACIFIC, which plays in the Festival Theatre from 6 July to 29 August 2020.
Making their Chichester debuts will be: Gina Beck as Nellie, Julian Ovenden as Emile, Joanna Ampil as Bloody Mary, and Rob Houchen as Cable.
The set and costume designer is Peter McKintosh, and the choreographer and movement director, Ann Yee. Musical supervision is by Tom Murray, musical direction by Cat Beveridge, orchestrations by David Cullen, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Paul Groothuis and casting by Charlotte Sutton.
There will be a Dementia Friendly performance of SOUTH PACIFIC on 19 August at 2.30pm, welcoming individuals living with dementia, as well as their friends, families and carers.
Amanda Abbington, Frances Barber and Reece Shearsmith will lead the cast of THE UNFRIEND, a new play by Steven Moffat, which will run in the Minerva Theatre from 17 July to 22 August 2020.
THE UNFRIEND takes a hugely entertaining and satirical look at middle-class England’s disastrous instinct to always appear nice. Manners can be murder.
THE UNFRIEND will be directed by Mark Gatiss, designed by Robert Jones, with lighting by Mark Henderson and casting by Charlotte Sutton.
THE LONG SONG will play in the Minerva Theatre from 28 August to 26 September 2020.
THE LONG SONG will be designed by Alex Lowde, with lighting by Mark Doubleday, musical direction, vocal arrangements and additional composition by Michael Henry, sound by Helen Skiera, video by Dick Straker, movement by Rachael Nanyonjo and casting by Charlotte Sutton with Chandra Ruegg.
Award-winning director Jonathan Munby returns to Chichester to direct the world premiere of THE TAXIDERMIST’S DAUGTHER, adapted for the stage by Kate Mosse from her own best-selling novel.
THE TAXIDERMIST’S DAUGTHER is a thrilling Gothic mystery set in and around historic Chichester and will play in repertoire in the Festival Theatre from 12 September to 30 October 2020.
THE TAXIDERMIST’S DAUGTHER will be designed by Jon Bausor, with lighting by Peter Mumford, sound by Christopher Shutt, movement by Charlotte Broom, fight direction by Kate Waters and casting by Juliet Horsley.
Polly Findlay will make her CFT debut to direct a new production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Tony Award-winning musical, ASSASSINS, in celebration of Sondheim’s 90th birthday year.
ASSASSINS takes us on a daring, darkly comic, time-bending journey through American history.
ASSASSINS will be designed by Lizzie Clachan, with casting by Charlotte Sutton.
Ola Ince will then direct THE NARCISSIST, a new play by Christopher Shinn, which runs in the Minerva Theatre from 2 to 24 October 2020.
THE NARCISSIST is a gripping, inventive and witty take on personal and political communication in the internet age.
THE NARCISSIST was initially commissioned by Fictionhouse. The casting director is Amy Ball.
Tinuke Craig will direct a revival of Sarah Kane‘s powerful play, CRAVE, a deeply personal meditation on the meaning of love.
CRAVE will be performed in The Spiegeltent from 16 to 31 October 2020.
It will be designed by Alex Lowde, with sound by Anna Clock and casting by Charlotte Sutton.
Finally, Chichester Festival Youth Theatre will present a brand new version of PINOCCHIO, written especially for the company by CFT’s Writer-in-Residence Anna Ledwich.
Director Dale Rooks will bring her trademark visual flair and gift for storytelling to this darkly magical reinvention.
PINOCCHIO will be performed in the Festival Theatre from 12 to 31 December 2020.
The set will be designed by Simon Higlett, with costumes by Ryan Dawson Laight, lighting by James Whiteside, music by Tom Brady, sound by Gregory Clarke and movement by Lauren Grant.
Recommended for ages 7+. There will be a Relaxed Performance of PINOCCHIO on 28 December at 4pm, and a Polish-translated performance on 21 December at 7pm.
