Following the UK and international tour in 2023 and 2024, ETT today announces Macbeth will return to the stage for a limited run. Artistic Director of ETT, Richard Twyman will direct Alex Austin in the titular role as Macbeth and Lois Chimimba as Lady Macbeth in the 2025 production at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.

Macbeth will open on 5 March, with previews from 28 February and runs until 29 March 2025 at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.

ETT’s Artistic Director Richard Twyman and Executive Producer Sophie Scull said today, “Following a UK and international tour in 2023/2024, seen by more than 40,000 people, we are delighted to be bringing our production of Macbeth to the Lyric Hammersmith, with the exciting talent of Alex Austin and Lois Chimimba playing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. We can’t wait to introduce you to the rest of the cast and hope that audiences in London will find something both familiar and provocative in the story and society that unfolds on stage.”

Full cast to be announced shortly.

New photography by Pamela Raith taken at Northern Stage in Newcastle upon Tyne, ahead of our national tour.

Full tour dates HERE.

A sparkling new production of Mike Leigh’s cult-classic comedy, Abigail’s Party will premiere at Northern Stage in September, then on to Mercury Theatre, Blackpool Grand and Rose Theatre.

Jack Bradfield, winner of the prestigious RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award presented by Sir Ian McKellen, will bring a fresh new perspective to Leigh’s ground-breaking play which garnered cult status following the 1977 BBC TV Play for Today starring Alison Steadman.

An award-winning playwright and director, Jack is Artistic Director of Poltergeist and is currently Associate Director on Player Kings in the West End and on tour. He said, “I’m thrilled to be reviving Mike Leigh’s savage suburban comedy. We’re ratcheting up the awkward, the inappropriate, the unbearable and the plain strange, and staging the play in a whole new way. At Northern Stage and across the country, our incredible cast and creative team are going to light a fire under this classic and bring it bright and burning into 2024.“

ETT and Office of Everyone announce the cast for In Time which is the first series launched on their newly created augmented reality app Through the Cracks. Co-created by Office of Everyone’s Jack Hardiker and ETT’s Artistic Director Richard Twyman, the instalment is written by Sonali Bhattacharyya. Jennifer Bakst directs Ian McKellen(Narrator), Sophie Melville (Milly), Annabel Baldwin (Patricia/Pearl), and Dorothea Meyer-Bennet (Maggie).

This brand new free Augmented Reality app which shares untold stories of people whose tales have fallen – both figuratively and literally – through the cracks. Using the app on their smartphones or tablets, audiences will see a virtual crack appear on the physical floor beneath them. Through this crack, they will watch and listen to a story unfold beneath their feet. This method of presenting stories through Augmented Reality has the quality of an intimate performance that can be experienced anywhere.

After a successful UK and international tour across England, Luxembourg and Dubai in 2023 and 2024, our production of Macbeth celebrates its London premiere at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre from 28 February – 29 March 2025.

Richard Twyman, Artistic Director of ETT, directs this stylish and formidable contemporary production of Shakespeare’sseminal play, presenting a ruthless anatomy of ambition, power, and paranoia.

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre today announces ETT’s critically acclaimed, contemporary re-imagining of Macbeth (originally co-produced by ETT, Shakespeare North Playhouse, Northern Stage and Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, in association with Bristol Old Vic) as part of its 2025 programming, playing from 28 February – 29 March 2025. Directed by ETT Artistic Director Richard Twyman, this production of Shakespeare’s cautionary tale, celebrated an extensive UK and international tour, culminating in this London transfer.

Full casting will be announced in due course.

Rachel O’Riordan, Artistic Director and CEO of Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, said:
“I am delighted to be welcoming English Touring Theatre (ETT) in 2025, bringing their production of Macbeth to London audiences. Their re-lensing of Shakespeare’s iconic drama, directed by Richard Twyman, interrogates the psychological breakdown of the characters, set against a backdrop of modern society controlled by CCTV, paranoia, and desire. Lyric audiences will be drawn into the visceral re-imagined world of Macbeth and will get to experience the thought-provoking story unfold on our beautiful stage here in West London.”

Richard Twyman, Artistic Director & CEO, and Sophie Scull, Executive Producer of ETT, said: “We are hugely proud to have toured Macbeth across England, and internationally, to over 41,000 people, including over 10,000 school children, and excited that audiences in London will get a chance to see the production. We had a wonderful time working with the team at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre on The Good Person of Szechwan last year, and we can’t wait to bring Macbeth here, it feels like the perfect space to bring it in to.”

Kiln Theatre and ETT today announce the cast for the world première of The Ballad of Hattie and James by Samuel Adamson. Artistic Director of ETT, Richard Twyman directs Sophie Thompson and Charles Edwards as Hattie and James, with Suzette Llewellyn as Bo, Mrs Arbuthnot, Rosamund, Louise, Eve and Madame Schultz.

The production opens at Kiln Theatre on 18 April, with previews from 11 April, and runs until 18 May.

Kiln Artistic Director Amit Sharma said today, “We are thrilled to unveil the phenomenal cast who will bring The Ballad of Hattie and James to life. The combined talents of Sophie Thompson, Charles Edwards and Suzette Llewellyn promise an unforgettable exploration of lifelong friendship in Samuel Adamson’s poignant play. Under Richard Twyman’s harmonious direction, I’m confident audiences will be deeply moved by this powerful story. All of us at Kiln are delighted to be working with ETT on this epic play.”

Richard Twyman added, “We’ve managed to put together a truly brilliant cast and creative team for the Ballad of Hattie & James, and I can’t wait to start work with them to realise Sam’s beautiful and quietly radical new play. It’s shaping up to be a really exciting collaboration between the whole team, and between Kiln and ETT, and we look forward to sharing what we make with audiences.”

Orange Tree Theatre (OT) with co-producers ETT (English Touring Theatre) and Octagon Theatre Bolton today announces full casting for the UK première of Kate Attwell’s Testmatch. Diane Page directs Aiyana Bartlett (India Two and Daanya), Aarushi Ganju (India One and Messenger), Haylie Jones (England Three and Two), Tanya Katyal (India Three and Abhi), Bea Svistunenko (England One and One) and Mia Turner (England Two and Memsahib). Testmatch opens at the Orange Tree on 24 April and runs until 18 May, with previews from 24 April and will then tour to Octagon Theatre Bolton from 24 May until 1 June, with previews from 23 May.

Diane Page said today, “I’m really excited to be directing the UK premiere of Kate Attwell’s play Testmatch and to be back again at the Orange Tree. I’m looking forward to working on the play with our fantastic cast and team, and to sharing it with audiences in both Richmond and Bolton.”

New photography by The Other Richard taken at Northern Stage in Newcastle upon Tyne, ahead of our national and international tour.

Full tour dates HERE.

At the start of its 30th anniversary year celebrations, ETT (English Touring Theatre) is touring Macbeth and I, Daniel Blake to 20 cities across the UK and internationally, and has more stage productions in development, including the UK première of Kate Attwell’s Testmatch. Together with its foundational commitment to touring, ETT champions storytelling both in live performance and through innovative digital technology. In November, ETT will launch a new Augmented Reality project Through The Cracks and presents its co-production of award-winning mixed reality installation Museum of Austerity in Manchester, with other dates to be confirmed. 

Building on the achievements of the company since 1993 and continuing its mission to take creatively ambitious theatre across the UK and around the globe, ETT’s 30th anniversary programme demonstrates its aim to push creative boundaries and highlights its commitment to touring and innovation. Over the past 30 years, ETT has toured 110 productions to 95 towns and cities in the UK, their work has been seen by over 2 million audience members presented in 136 theatres, and ETT’s international touring has taken the company to Australia, Dubai, China, Luxembourg and Taiwan.

With two theatre productions on the road in the autumn, on 30 November ETT will launch Through the Cracks, a free Augmented Reality app which shares untold stories of people whose tales have fallen – both figuratively and literally – through the cracks. Using the app on their smartphones or tablets, audiences will see a virtual crack appear on the physical floor beneath them. Through this crack, they will watch and listen to a story unfold beneath their feet. This method of presenting stories through Augmented Reality has the quality of an intimate performance that can be experienced anywhere. More details on the first story in the series are to be announced.

Visitor Information 

We want to welcome everyone to Museum of Austerity and to make your visit as easy as possible. Here is some information that we hope is useful. 

Mixed Reality

Museum of Austerity offers a promenade gallery experience that involves use of a Hololens 2 mixed reality headset. This is a relatively lightweight, adjustable headset with a glass screen that enables you to see the room you are in at the same time as seeing holographic images inside the room. You are invited to wear this headset along with a set of headphones that will deliver a multilayered soundscape including testimony and original music. 

Content Warning

Museum of Austerity contains distressing and challenging material. 

This includes:

• Holographic depictions of: death and mental distress 
• Audio references to: mental distress and death, including three instances of suicide*, linked to the benefit system           
• Audio references to: domestic violence, alcoholism, self harm, eating disorders, dementia   

*Note: One story includes a detail relating to the method of someone’s death by suicide. There is an option to have this story and any others you may have concerns about removed from your experience in advance.

Age Recommendation: 18+  

Before the experience

Before entering, a host will ask you about any access requirements you have and will help you put on and adjust your headset and headphones.  

If there is something in the content warnings you may find especially challenging, please let your host know as we can filter some specific content based on individual preference.  

During the experience  

Museum of Austerity is designed for audiences of no more than ten.

A host will be nearby throughout the experience.   If you need any assistance, at any time, including to request a portable seat or to remove your headset, just raise your hand and the host will come immediately to assist you. 

There will be a place within the experience that you can sit to take a break from listening to the narratives, where you’ll only hear music.

The experience lasts approximately 35 minutes but you are able leave at any time. There is a quiet seated area next to the gallery.

After the experience

You are welcome to stay in the lounge area after the experience for a short while to look at the wall displays or to have a rest on one of the sofas.

Get Involved

John Pring, co-editor of Museum of Austerity, invites you to explore the Deaths by Welfare timeline, co-created with Dr China Mills at Healing Justice Ldn.  www.deathsbywelfare.org

Workshops

More info coming soon.

Access

Please let us know your access requirements in advance, you can do this by emailing:

Galvanising Workshop, Kent at boxoffice@kent.ac.uk

Bristol Old Vic at access@bristololdvic.org.uk

Museum of Austerity is accessible to wheelchair users and can also be experienced:

• Walking and standing as a promenade experience including with portable folding stools      

The following options and equipment are also available:

• BSL Introduction on iPad, which you can watch HERE
• In headset captions      
• Dialogue only version (reduced background sound)      
• Silent version      
• Large over-ear headphones which can encompass a behind-ear hearing aid      
• A volume control allowing independent control of volume in the left or right ear      
• A 3.5mm mini-jack socket for hearing aids with direct input cable      
• A personal induction loop for hearing aids with a T-setting     
• Transcript available on request       
• Headphones free audio
• Audio description (Introduction and Through Description). Audio Description Introduction for Kent is here. The full text guide to the written materials in the Museum of Austerity can be listened to here. 
• Stationary, seated, audio only version      
• Sighted Guide host support (arranged in advance) 
• The mixed reality headset can be worn over most glasses and contact lenses      
• Headset brightness adjustment      
• Large print version of brochure, signage and audio description transcript available in paper or digital form on request and via VocalEyes    
• Guide dogs welcome
• Free companion tickets available at time of booking 

Keeping Safe: HoloLens 2   

Touch points on headsets, earphones and iPads will be sanitised between use.

The HoloLens 2 Safety Warnings and Instructions are available HERE. Printed versions of this can be provided by your host. We recommend you read the full guidance before making a decision to enter:       

• If you have an electronic medical device fitted (e.g pacemaker)      
• If you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or epilepsy      
• If you have a pre-existing vision condition, as a small percentage of people have a pre-existing vision condition that may be aggravated when using HoloLens 2.   

Some people may experience discomfort such as nausea, motion sickness, dizziness, disorientation, headache, fatigue, eye strain, or dry eyes when using mixed reality. If you experience discomfort, alert your host and rest until you feel better. If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.

Helplines / Further Support  

For every showing of Museum of Austerity there will be a host present should you need support.

If you have found the content challenging, you may choose to listen to the audio breathing exercise resource prepared by the production’s Wellbeing advisor. You can listen HERE.

Alternatively,

Healing Justice Ldn Aftercare menu – offers some approaches to care for yourself in the way you might need following engaging with their timeline: https://healingjusticeldn.org/resources/aftercare-menu-2/

Disability News Service : For details of organisations that provide free advice and support to disabled people, on issues such as benefits, housing, independent living, and how to become involved in disability rights campaigning visit: disabilitynewsservice.com/advice-and-information

If you or someone you know are feeling emotionally distressed, the following organisations offer advice and support.

Samaritans Call 116 123, for a free listening service 24 hours, 365 days a year samaritans.org

Calm  Call 0800 58 58 58 5pm – midnight, 365 days a year thecalmzone.net 

Mind  Call 0300 123 3393, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm  mind.org.uk

Feedback

We welcome feedback. If you have any suggestions about how we could have improved your experience of Museum of Austerity, please email admin@ett.org.uk or pop a message in our exhibition postbox.