After the short run at the Royal Court Theatre sold out in just one day, Jez Butterworth’s epic, new play The Ferryman will transfer to the West End. Multi award-winning actor, director and writer Paddy Considine will be joined by Laura Donnelly and Genevieve O’Reilly in the production directed by Sam Mendes. The cast will also include Bríd Brennan, Turlough Convery, Fra Fee, Tom Glynn-Carney, Stuart Graham, Gerard Horan, Carla Langley, Des McAleer, Conor MacNeill, Rob Malone, Dearbhla Molloy, Eugene O’Hare and Niall Wright with further casting to be announced.
Developed by Sonia Friedman Productions, the premiere of The Ferryman is co-produced with Neal Street Productions and Royal Court Theatre Productions. The West End production will follow the run at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs which begins 24 April 2017, with an opening night on 3 May. Jez Butterworth, whose plays include Jerusalem, Mojo and The River, previously collaborated with Sam Mendes on the scripts for Spectre and Skyfall from the Bond franchise. The Ferryman is the sixth of Butterworth’s plays premiered at the Royal Court Theatre and marks his fourth collaboration with Sonia Friedman Productions.
Sonia Friedman, on behalf of Sonia Friedman Productions, Neal Street Productions and Royal Court Theatre Productions said: "We are delighted that we have made it possible to transfer Jez Butterworth's new play The Ferryman, which will move to the Gielgud Theatre almost immediately after its run at the Royal Court Theatre finishes.
When it first went on sale at the Court, it sold out in record time. It became clear to us even then that there was a far larger demand to see the play than the Court run could ever accommodate. We have therefore worked at speed to find the production another home as quickly as possible, which is no mean feat, and we are very grateful to the company for helping us make this happen.
It is thrilling to know that wider audiences will now have a chance to see this extraordinary new work from one of our most important writers. The scope, scale and ambition of Jez’s new play deserves this opportunity and I am delighted that together with Royal Court Theatre Productions and Neal Street Productions we are in the privileged position to make it happen.”
The Ferryman is directed by Sam Mendes, designed by Rob Howell, with lighting by Peter Mumford, and music and sound by Nick Powell.
