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| Sam Mendes returns to National Theatre with Lehman Brothers drama | Sam Mendes returns to National Theatre with Lehman Brothers drama |
| (4 months later) | |
| Three-part epic about firm whose collapse triggered financial crisis is one of highlights of 2018, alongside Labour leadership drama | |
| Mark Brown | |
| Tue 3 Oct 2017 16.33 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 16.01 GMT | |
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| Sam Mendes is returning to the National Theatre to direct a three-part epic charting the 150-year rise and fall of Lehman Brothers, the firm whose collapse in 2008 triggered the largest financial crisis in history. | Sam Mendes is returning to the National Theatre to direct a three-part epic charting the 150-year rise and fall of Lehman Brothers, the firm whose collapse in 2008 triggered the largest financial crisis in history. |
| It will be one of the highlights of 2018, part of a programme announced by the National’s artistic director, Rufus Norris, which also includes a new play by Sir David Hare about a Labour party leadership battle and a contemporary reworking of Strindberg’s Miss Julie by Polly Stenham, starring The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby. | It will be one of the highlights of 2018, part of a programme announced by the National’s artistic director, Rufus Norris, which also includes a new play by Sir David Hare about a Labour party leadership battle and a contemporary reworking of Strindberg’s Miss Julie by Polly Stenham, starring The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby. |
| Norris, who also announced initiatives to help address “relentless and incredibly short-sighted” Conservative government cuts in arts education, welcomed the return of Mendes. | Norris, who also announced initiatives to help address “relentless and incredibly short-sighted” Conservative government cuts in arts education, welcomed the return of Mendes. |
| “One of the first conversations I had after I got the job [in 2015] was with Sam about what might be a good project to bring him back. We agreed then that a new play might be the most appealing thing for him’” he said. | “One of the first conversations I had after I got the job [in 2015] was with Sam about what might be a good project to bring him back. We agreed then that a new play might be the most appealing thing for him’” he said. |
| He described The Lehman Trilogy as “a cautionary tale”, telling the story of three generations of the family, from their rise to calamitous fall. The play is written by the Italian playwright Stefano Massini and has been a hit in Italy, France and Germany since it premiered in 2014. | He described The Lehman Trilogy as “a cautionary tale”, telling the story of three generations of the family, from their rise to calamitous fall. The play is written by the Italian playwright Stefano Massini and has been a hit in Italy, France and Germany since it premiered in 2014. |
| Mendes saw it at Milan’s Piccolo Theatre in 2015, the last production directed by his friend Luca Rondoni, who died shortly afterwards, aged 81. | Mendes saw it at Milan’s Piccolo Theatre in 2015, the last production directed by his friend Luca Rondoni, who died shortly afterwards, aged 81. |
| Ben Power, the National’s deputy artistic director, who has adapted the play into English, said Mendes saw it and immediately wanted to direct it. | Ben Power, the National’s deputy artistic director, who has adapted the play into English, said Mendes saw it and immediately wanted to direct it. |
| The play charts the story of the Lehmans from the arrival in New York from Bavaria of Henry Lehman in 1844, dreaming of a new life. He is soon joined by his two brothers and they create a modest cotton brokering company that grew and grew. The play ends in 2008, the year of Lehman Brothers’ collapse. | The play charts the story of the Lehmans from the arrival in New York from Bavaria of Henry Lehman in 1844, dreaming of a new life. He is soon joined by his two brothers and they create a modest cotton brokering company that grew and grew. The play ends in 2008, the year of Lehman Brothers’ collapse. |
| Power said the play would be staged in three parts over one evening, but shorter than the five hours-plus running time of the original. | Power said the play would be staged in three parts over one evening, but shorter than the five hours-plus running time of the original. |
| Norris said Mendes obviously had “a very busy dance card so I’m delighted we managed to get this one in”. | Norris said Mendes obviously had “a very busy dance card so I’m delighted we managed to get this one in”. |
| Since filming two James Bond movies, Skyfall and Spectre, Mendes has returned to theatre with the hugely successful production of The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth, which opened at the Royal Court before transferring to the West End transfer. | Since filming two James Bond movies, Skyfall and Spectre, Mendes has returned to theatre with the hugely successful production of The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth, which opened at the Royal Court before transferring to the West End transfer. |
| At the National, Mendes has mostly directed Shakespeare and revivals including Othello, King Lear, Edward Bond’s The Sea and Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party. | At the National, Mendes has mostly directed Shakespeare and revivals including Othello, King Lear, Edward Bond’s The Sea and Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party. |
| The Lehman Trilogy will be staged in the National’s Lyttelton Theatre, which is also the venue for a new play from Hare called I’m Not Running, which tells the story of a 20-year friendship set against the battle for the leadership of the Labour party. | The Lehman Trilogy will be staged in the National’s Lyttelton Theatre, which is also the venue for a new play from Hare called I’m Not Running, which tells the story of a 20-year friendship set against the battle for the leadership of the Labour party. |
| Norris said Hare was one of the National’s “most beloved and prolific writers”. His new work was completely fictional with no recognisable characters. “We’ve had a discussion recently where we’ve been talking about casting and making sure we’re steering away from that.” | Norris said Hare was one of the National’s “most beloved and prolific writers”. His new work was completely fictional with no recognisable characters. “We’ve had a discussion recently where we’ve been talking about casting and making sure we’re steering away from that.” |
| It will be directed by one of the giants of Australian theatre, Neil Armfield, and will, Norris said, be a play that raises “sharp questions about how to do good in the new century, which is, I am sure, something that troubles us all.” | It will be directed by one of the giants of Australian theatre, Neil Armfield, and will, Norris said, be a play that raises “sharp questions about how to do good in the new century, which is, I am sure, something that troubles us all.” |
| Other new productions announced include the first National Theatre production of a play by the absurdist writer Eugène Ionesco. Patrick Marber will direct the comedy Exit the King starring Rhys Ifans and Indira Varma. | Other new productions announced include the first National Theatre production of a play by the absurdist writer Eugène Ionesco. Patrick Marber will direct the comedy Exit the King starring Rhys Ifans and Indira Varma. |
| Ian Rickson is to direct a new production of Brian Friel’s Translations, starring Colin Morgan; Simon Godwin will direct Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo in Antony and Cleopatra; and Carrie Cracknell will direct Stenham’s updating of Strindberg, called Julie and set in contemporary London with Kirby – The Crown’s Princess Margaret – in the lead role. | Ian Rickson is to direct a new production of Brian Friel’s Translations, starring Colin Morgan; Simon Godwin will direct Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo in Antony and Cleopatra; and Carrie Cracknell will direct Stenham’s updating of Strindberg, called Julie and set in contemporary London with Kirby – The Crown’s Princess Margaret – in the lead role. |
| Norris also announced NT initiatives to get more arts into schools. “A big threat to art in this country is the relentless and incredibly short-sighted sidelining of arts in education,” he said. | Norris also announced NT initiatives to get more arts into schools. “A big threat to art in this country is the relentless and incredibly short-sighted sidelining of arts in education,” he said. |
| “There is a growing mountain of evidence proving the benefit of the arts for young people as well as well-documented economic benefit to the country from our creative industries. It is very, very frustrating to witness this slide.” | “There is a growing mountain of evidence proving the benefit of the arts for young people as well as well-documented economic benefit to the country from our creative industries. It is very, very frustrating to witness this slide.” |
| Projects include a school tour of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. | Projects include a school tour of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. |
| Another hotly debated issue in the arts is diversity with the National working to meet targets it has set to be achieved in 2021. | Another hotly debated issue in the arts is diversity with the National working to meet targets it has set to be achieved in 2021. |
| Norris said the theatre had gathered more data on gender and BAME balance than ever before. “I totally, totally agree with naming and shaming on this one, we’ve got to be really open. The statistics which came out recently about the film industry were pretty shocking and rightly there is a lot of focus on making sure that for all the blah-blah people talk about diversity and balance there is action to back it up.” | Norris said the theatre had gathered more data on gender and BAME balance than ever before. “I totally, totally agree with naming and shaming on this one, we’ve got to be really open. The statistics which came out recently about the film industry were pretty shocking and rightly there is a lot of focus on making sure that for all the blah-blah people talk about diversity and balance there is action to back it up.” |
| • This article was amended on 6 October 2017 to correct a quote from Rufus Norris about David Hare’s new play. | • This article was amended on 6 October 2017 to correct a quote from Rufus Norris about David Hare’s new play. |
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