The Night Watch at Royal Exchange

The Royal Exchange Theatre presents
THE NIGHT WATCH
By Sarah WatersAdapted by Hattie NaylorDirected by Rebecca GatwardDesigned by Georgia Lowe

Thursday 19 May – Saturday 18 June - The Theatre 

 

SET against the backdrop of a post-war, damaged London Sarah Waters’ evocative novel THE NIGHT WATCH has been beautifully adapted for the stage by Olivier-nominated writer Hattie Naylor. Commissioned by the Royal Exchange Theatre and the first of five world premiere’s this season, this reworking of Waters’ award-winning novel paints captivating portraits of characters caught in the upheaval of wartime Britain and runs from Thursday 19 May – Saturday 18 June.

 

Theatrically inventive and emotionally gripping, THE NIGHT WATCH is directed by Rebecca Gatward whose production of Maxine Peake’s BERYL has delighted audiences across the country. The production is designed by Georgia Lowe who returns following her designs for YEN and POMONA, and features sound design and composition by a BAFTA and Ivor Novello Award-winning Dan Jones and lighting design by Elliot Griggs.

 

It’s the late 1940s. Calm has returned to London and five people are recovering from the chaos of war.

Fractured and lost, Kay wanders the streets searching for purpose; in a quiet dating agency Helen and Viv unpick the details of other people’s love-lives, unable to speak of their own. Duncan, Viv’s fragile brother, finds solace in the mundane routine of factory life and Julia’s strength is a façade she cannot let slip. The stories of five ordinary lives intertwine as we uncover the passions, desires and regrets that have bound them together through the upheaval of wartime London.

 

Sarah Waters is a multi-award-winning writer: she has written six novels including: TIPPING THE VELVET (1998), AFFINITY (1999), FINGERSMITH (2002), THE NIGHT WATCH (2006), THE LITTLE STRANGER (2009), THE PAYING GUESTS (2014). Adaptations of her work include TIPPING THE VELVET (multi-award-winning, BAFTA nominated) by Sally Head Productions for BBC; FINGERSMITH (BAFTA nominated) by Sally Head Productions for BBC; AFFINITY (several awards worldwide) by Box TV for ITV; THE NIGHT WATCH for BBC.

 

Hattie Naylor is an award-winning writer whose plays include IVAN AND THE DOGS (nominated in the Olivier Awards for Outstanding Achievement, and winner of the Tinniswood Award in 2010), GOING DARK (Sound&Fury Young Vic) BLUEBEARD (Soho Theatre, Bristol Old Vic 2013),  THE DIARIES OF SAMUEL PEPYS (nominated Best Radio Drama 2012), THE AENEID (nominated in the BBC Audio Awards for Best Radio Adaptation 2013). Opera includes ODYSSEUS UNWOUND with composer Julian Grant for Têtê à Têtê, PICCARD IN SPACE with composer Will Gregory (Goldfrapp) for the Electronica Festival at the Southbank 2012 and broadcast on Radio 3. WEIGHTING for the circus company Extraordinary Bodies is currently touring.

 

Rebecca Gatward, a theatre and television director, makes her Royal Exchange debut. Her recent theatre credits include Maxine Peake’s critically acclaimed play BERYL (West Yorkshire Playhouse & touring) and THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (Grosvenor Park, Chester Performs). She has also recently made two short films of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and THE MERRY WIVES for Shakespeare's Globe Complete Walk Festival on London's Southbank. 

 

Following her performance in HAMLET, Jodie McNee returns to the Royal Exchange to take on the role of Kay. Jodie has previously appeared at the Royal Exchange Theatre in ORPHEUS DESCENDING and A TASTE OF HONEY. Recent work includes: THREE WINTERS and OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD (National Theatre), GAME (Almeida), HOBSON’S CHOICE (Regent’s Park Theatre); TWELFTH NIGHT (Liverpool Everyman). The cast also includes Ben Addis, Lucy Briggs-Owen, Christopher Ettridge, Kelly Hotton, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Joe Jameson and Thalissa Teixeira.