With Labour of Love and Ink currently running in the West End, James Graham achieves a hat trick as his sell-out ‘major coughing hit’, Quiz, transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre. A provocative re-examination of the conviction of Charles Ingram for cheating on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Quiz ‘highlights the dangerous blending of entertainment, politics and justice today.’ (Sunday Times). Quiz opens on 10 April 2018, with previews from 31 March, and runs for a strictly limited London season until 16 June.
Daniel Evans’ production marks the second London transfer for Chichester Festival Theatre – and the first to the West End – under the tenure of Daniel Evans as Artistic Director and Rachel Tackley as Executive Director.
James Graham commented, “Being given the chance to share Quiz with more people – and with the opportunity to develop and push our gameshow-meets-theatre concept even further – is beyond exciting for all of us.
“I would never have imagined years ago I’d get a chance to put any of my new plays into the West End. So to be able to return so quickly to the Noël Coward – which has been the happiest of homes for Labour of Love – feels surprising, and properly humbling to have the trust, belief, and support in the show from our producers, the amazing Daniel Evans, and the team of actors and creators who help me tell this gobsmacking story of the so-called Coughing Major and the most successful game show of all time.”
Daniel Evans said today, “It’s been an enormous privilege to have presented James Graham’s Quiz as part of our inaugural season at Chichester. James is an exceptional writer with a knack for examining our recent history through an alternative lens. We’re thrilled to be able to revisit the production for the West End, and share Chichester’s work with a wider audience.”
James Graham’s theatre work includes Labour of Love (Noël Coward Theatre), Ink (Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre – nominated for Best Play at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards), This House (National Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play, and Garrick Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best Revival), Monster Raving Loony(Theatre Royal Plymouth and Soho Theatre), The Vote (Donmar Warehouse, broadcast live on More4 on election night and nominated for Best Live Event at the BAFTA TV awards), The Angry Brigade (Theatre Royal Plymouth and Paines Plough), the Broadway musical Finding Neverland, written with Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy, Privacy (Donmar Warehouse), The Man (Finborough Theatre and on tour), The Whisky Taster (Bush Theatre) and Tory Boyz (Soho Theatre).
Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre Daniel Evans directs. His work for the company includes Forty Years On and Fiddler on the Roof. He was previously Artistic Director ofSheffield Theatres, where he directed Flowers for Mrs Harris, Show Boat (also West End), The Effect, Anything Goes (also UK tour), The Sheffield Mysteries, Oliver! (Best Musical Production, WhatsOnStage Awards 2015), This Is My Family (UK Theatre Award for Best Musical Production – also on tour), The Full Monty (UK Theatre Award for Best Touring Production – also national tour and West End), My Fair Lady (Best Musical Production, WhatsOnStage Awards 2014), Macbeth, Othello, Racing Demon as part of The David Hare Season, and An Enemy of the People – the opening production of his inaugural season. He also recently directed American Buffalo in the West End.
Quiz is a fictional imagination based on real events which took place in 2001 following an episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? It is not in any way connected with the makers of the programme or any of the individuals portrayed.
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