Chichester Festival Theatre have announced an exciting line-up for their 2025 Festival Season.
It includes five world and two UK premieres, two musicals, and masterpieces from world drama featuring stars such as: Mark Addy, Natalie Dormer, Beverley Knight, Tom Rosenthal, Jenna Russell and Giles Terera.
The world premieres feature:
The Government Inspector – Gogol’s sparkling satire in a new adaptation by Phil Porter, directed by Gregory Doran, starring actor and comedian Tom Rosenthal.
Choir, a new play by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti celebrating music and togetherness, directed by Hannah Joss
Safe Space, a new play by Jamie Bogyo, delving into volatile campus politics, directed by Roy Alexander Weise.
In addition there will be a brand new production of Irving Berlin’s classic tap extravaganza Top Hat directed and choregraphed by Kathleen Marshall.
And the CFT also hosts a new musical, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, adapted by Rachel Joyce from her bestselling novel, with music and lyrics by Passenger, directed by Katy Rudd, starring Mark Addy and Jenna Russell.
Natalie Dormer stars in Anna Karenina, Tolstoy’s romantic masterpiece in a new adaptation written and directed by Phillip Breen.
And Beverley Knight takes centre stage in Marie and Rosetta by George Brant, directed by Monique Touko in a co-production with Rose Theatre and ETT.
Giles Terera plays the title role in Hamlet, directed by Justin Audibert in Chichester’s first ever production of Shakespeare’s great tragedy.
And the new Festival Season also features William Golding’s compelling adventure Lord of the Flies, adapted by Nigel Williams, directed by Anthony Lau.
Artistic director Justin Audibert and executive director Kathy Bourne said: “We’re delighted to share our new season, which aims to include all the ingredients we know our audiences love – including, of course, an unmissable summer musical. In fact, music of all kinds features strongly in several productions, from stimulating new work to classic masterpieces from the world stage.
“A sense of lives and society in flux is central to many of the dramas this season, with vivid characters facing momentous change – making for compelling storytelling.
“We’re continuing our policy of maximum theatricality in the Festival Theatre, with large casts and striking designs; while in the intimate Minerva, we have four premieres as well as Chichester’s first ever production of Hamlet.
“We will welcome two Resident Assistant Directors, Becca Chadder and Nathanael Campbell; and this summer, we’ll launch our exciting new studio space, The Nest. December brings the first stage adaptation of Matt Haig’s contemporary classic, A Boy Called Christmas, which will mark our brilliant Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s 40th anniversary.”
The full e-brochure can be viewed at https://cft.link/F25e-brochure with more details at www. https://www.cft.org.uk/ or via the Box Office 01243 781312.
Priority booking for Friends & Champions of Chichester Festival Theatre opens on Saturday 22 February (online and booking forms only) and then Tuesday 25 February (phone and in person). Booking for Groups and Schools opens Thursday 27 February and general booking opens Saturday 1 March (online only) then Tuesday 4 March (phone and in person).
- In Common is not for profit. We rely on donations from readers to keep the site running. Could you help to support us for as little as 25p a week? Please help us to carry on offering independent grass roots media. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/incommonsoton