The Father
Thu 7 May 2015 – Sat 13 Jun 2015
By Florian Zeller
In a translation by Christopher Hampton
Directed by James Macdonald
Presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Tricycle Theatre
WINNER of three Moliere Awards including Best Play 2014
Now 80 years old, Andre was once a tap dancer. He lives with his daughter Anne and her husband Antoine. Or was he an engineer whose daughter Anne lives in London with her new lover, Pierre? The thing is, he is still wearing his pyjamas, and he can’t find his watch. He is starting to wonder if he’s losing control.
Author of this intriguing and compelling black comedy, Florian Zeller, has been hailed as “one of the hottest literary talents in France” (Independent). The Father (Le Père) is the winner of the 2014 Moliere Award for Best Play. The Molieres are considered France’s highest theatrical honour.
Nominated for a Tony Award for Stephen Daldry’s An Inspector Calls on Broadway, Kenneth Cranham’s numerous stage credits also include The Cherry Orchard at the National Theatre, The Homecoming at the Almeida and West End productions of Entertaining Mr Sloane, Loot, The Birthday Party and Gaslight. Screen credits range from the title role in Shine on Harvey Moon to Maleficent, Hot Fuzz, Oliver! and Hellbound: Hellraiser II.
For her role in The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse, Claire Skinner won the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress and the Time Out Award for Best Performance Off West End, as well as earning an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance. Her theatre credits also include performances at the National Theatre, RSC, Almeida, Liverpool Everyman and the West End. Television credits include a BAFTA nominated performance in five series of Outnumbered, as well as Silk, Homefront, Doctor Who and Lark Rise To Candleford, while in film she has appeared in When Did You Last See Your Father, Strings and Sleepy Hollow.
Christopher Hampton has translated plays by Ibsen, Molière, Chekhov and Yasmina Reza (including Art and Life x 3). He won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the adaptation of his own play, Dangerous Liaisons. He was nominated again in 2007 for adapting Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement. His television work includes adaptations of The History Man and Hotel du Lac.
James Macdonald has worked extensively Off Broadway where he was recently the winner of the 2014 Obie Award for Best Director for Love and Information. He was Associate Director of the Royal Court from 1992 to 2007 and his numerous credits range from Cock, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You and the European and US tours of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis to Exiles at the National Theatre and Glengarry Glen Ross in the West End.
Cast includes Kenneth Cranham, Claire Skinner, Colin Tierney, Jade Williams, Jim Sturgeon and Rebecca Charles.
Creatives include Miriam Buether (Designer), Guy Hoare (Lighting Designer) and Christopher Shutt (Sound Designer).
Top Theatre Show of 2014
★★★★★ ‘A distinguished rendering of an original drama’
★★★★★ ‘The Father is a quietly spoken revelation’
★★★★★ ‘It’s as sharp and surprising a play as you’ll see all year’
★★★★★ ‘Excellent… Claire Skinner is quietly moving’
★★★★★ ‘Kenneth Cranham giving the performance of his life’
★★★★★ ‘Brilliant… the acting is masterly’
★★★★★ ‘Ferocious, charming, playful’
★★★★★ ‘Cranham’s performance is indelible’
★★★★★ ‘My play – and my production – of the year so far’
★★★★★ ‘Stunning’
★★★★★‘Skinner gives an unselfish, persuasive performance as Anna’
★★★★★ ‘A performance of great emotional intelligence… Claire Skinner is subtly moving… there’s
perfectly pitched support from Jade Williams, Rebecca Charles, Jim Sturgeon and Colin Tierney’
★★★★★ ‘Profoundly moving and darkly comic’
★★★★ ‘Mesmerising’
★★★★‘Heartbreaking… most moving’
★★★★ ‘A searingly honest, admirably empathetic piece of work’
Take a look at some rehearsal photos on our Facebook page
Watch the trailer:
Or watch our Behind-The-Scenes preview with Kenneth Cranham, Claire Skinner and James Macdonald on YouTube
Tricycle Talks: Monday 15 June. 6.30pm. Tickets: £3.50 Playwright, translator and Oscar–winning screen-writer Christopher Hampton will be in conversation with Chris Campbell, Literary Manager at the Royal Court. To find out more and book tickets visit our Workshops And Events page.
