From The Editor
The Orange Tree
As this autumn the Orange Tree Theatre are proud to present the English Languge Premiere of Vaclav Havel's latest play Leaving, which premiered in Prague in May and is showing at the Orange Tree between 19th September and 25th October and 1-13 December. Bookings are being taken now!
Vaclav Havel is the ex-president of the Czech Republic, 20th century political hero, and celebrated playwright. Leaving is the first play he has written since the events of 1989 propelled him into political office.
Chancellor Rieger is leaving office. Does leaving office necessarily mean that he, his “long-time companion” and his extended family have to leave the villa which has been their home for years?
While his former secretary, and the former secretary to his former secretary, grapple with the mechanics of change and his family prepare to face an uncertain future, the Chancellor himself considers his legacy amidst visits from journalists, an infatuated student, deputy minister Klein and the attentions of his servant Oswald and Knobloch, the gardener.
The play has echoes of both King Lear and The Cherry Orchard, and addresses the themes of change, dispossession and the passage of power from one generation to the next amidst the chaos of leaving.
The Orange Tree Theatre’s relationship with Havel dates back to 1977 when the theatre presented the British premieres of Audience, Private View and The Memorandum. In the years that followed we also presented Protest, The Increased Difficulty of Concentration, Largo Desolato, Redevelopment and The Beggar’s Opera as well as a second production of The Memorandum.
The theatre has also involved itself in the politics of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic and in 2007 was invited by the Czech Embassy and the Czech Centre to host a 30 year celebration of Charter 77, which was attended by former President Havel and other distinguished guests who had taken part in the events of the late 70s, as well as those, including Tom Stoppard, who had supported the cause from here. We look forward to welcoming Havel again to the Orange Tree Theatre for a private gala performance of Leaving on the 26th September; it will be the first time he has seen one of the Orange Tree Theatre’s productions of his plays.
The Havel season will continue with double bills of Mountain Hotel & Audience, and Private View & Protest.
Directed by: Sam Walters
Cast: Philip Anthony, David Antrobus, Robert Austin, Carolyn Backhouse, Geoffrey Beevers, Fay Castelow, Esther Ruth Elliot, Stuart Fox, James Greene, Christopher Naylor, Paul O'Mahony, Rebecca Pownall, Mike Sengelow, Auriol Smith and Paula Stockbridge.
Orange Tree Theatre, 1 Clarence Street, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2SA
Box Office: 020 8940 3633
Opening hours: 10am - 7pm
Nearest tube and mainline station: Richmond (District Line, South West Trains and Silverlink)
Ticket Prices
Monday evenings, Saturday matinees and previews (first Wednesday and Thursday of the run): £12 (concessions £10)
Thursday matinees (+ post show discussion): £9
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings: £14(£12 concessions)
Friday evenings: £16 (concessions £14)
Saturday evenings: £19
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