The Old Vic has today announced the Voices Off events for Mike Bartlett’s new play The 47th, set during the 2024 elections to decide the next US president. The world premiere production is directed by Rupert Goold and co-produced with Sonia Friedman Productions and Annapurna Theatre. Voices Off explores themes raised by productions at The Old Vic through various post and pre-show talks, debates and Q&As – led by leading voices in the arts, media, science and politics.
On Monday 25 April, The 47th cast members Bertie Carvel (Matilda the Musical, Doctor Foster), Tamara Tunie (Julius Caesar, Dreamgirls) and Lydia Wilson (King Charles III, Walden) will gather for a post-show Q&A to discuss the rehearsal process and the challenges of transforming into their characters: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and Ivanka Trump.
On Tuesday 10 May, Writer Mike Bartlett and Director Rupert Goold will take to the stage before the 7.30pm performance to discuss creating this viciously funny new play that provides a chaotic glimpse into the underbelly of the greatest political show on earth – the next presidential race.
Tickets for both events are £6 each and are on sale now.
VOICES OFF: THE 47TH CAST IN CONVERSATION
Mon 25 Apr 2022, 10.30pm
Join The 47th cast members Bertie Carvel (Matilda the Musical, Doctor Foster), Tamara Tunie (Julius Caesar, Dreamgirls) and Lydia Wilson (King Charles III, Walden) for a 45-minute post-show Q&A.
While playing the roles of Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and Ivanka Trump in The 47th, they’ll be discussing the rehearsal process for Mike Bartlett’s new play and the highlights and challenges of transforming themselves into real people from the world’s political stage.
VOICES OFF: MIKE BARTLETT AND RUPERT GOOLD IN CONVERSATION
Tue 10 May, 5pm
Writer Mike Bartlett and Director Rupert Goold will discuss what it’s like bringing this provocative new play to The Old Vic stage and what the state of American politics might really be in 2024. The event will be 45 minutes and takes place in the theatre before the evening performance.
PANELLIST BIOGRAPHIES
CAST
Bertie Carvel
Donald Trump
Theatre includes: The Hairy Ape (The Old Vic); Ink — Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play (Almeida Theatre/West End/Broadway); Matilda The Musical — Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical (RSC/West End/Broadway); Bakkhai, Rope (Almeida Theatre); The Pride (Royal Court); Parade (Donmar); Damned by Despair, The Man of Mode, Coram Boy, The Life of Galileo (National Theatre); Revelations (Hampstead); The Circle (Chichester/UK tour). Television includes: Dalgliesh, The Sister, The Pale Horse, Baghdad Central, Doctor Foster, Coalition, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Babylon, The Crown. Film includes: The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Tamara Tunie
Kamala Harris
Theatre includes: Julius Caesar, Dreamgirls, Oh Kay!, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music (Broadway); Building the Wall (New World Stages); Familiar — Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actor (Playwrights Horizons); American Son — Berkshire Theater Award Best Actor (Barrington Stage Company); The Library (The Public Theater, New York); Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Virginia Stage Company). Television includes: Cowboy Bebop, Black Earth Rising, Dietland, The Red Road, Law & Order: SVU, See, Almost Family, Better Call Saul, Blue Bloods, Billions, 24. Film includes: A Journal for Jordan, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Flight, The Devil’s Advocate, City Hall, The Caveman’s Valentine.
Lydia Wilson
Ivanka Trump
Theatre includes: King Charles III(Almeida Theatre/West End/Broadway); Walden (West End); The Duchess of Malfi (Almeida Theatre); Hysteria (Hampstead); ’Tis Pity She’s A Whore (Cheek By Jowl); The Acid Test, The Heretic (Royal Court); Blasted (Lyric Hammersmith); Pains of Youth (National Theatre); The House of Special Purpose (Chichester). Television includes: The Swarm, Flack, Requiem, Ripper Street, Misfits, The Making of a Lady, Dirk Gently, Black Mirror, South Riding, Crimson Petal and the White, Any Human Heart. Film includes: The Score, All is True, Star Trek Beyond, About Time, Never Let Me Go, Love is Thicker Than Water.
CREATIVE TEAM
Mike Bartlett
Writer
Theatre includes: King Charles III (Almeida Theatre/West End/Broadway/UK & international tour); Cock (Royal Court/West End); Mrs Delgado (Arts at the Old Fire Station/Theatre Royal Bath); Albion, Game (Almeida Theatre); Snowflake (Arts at the Old Fire Station); Wild (Hampstead); An Intervention (Paines Plough/Watford); Bull (Sheffield Theatres/Off Broadway/Young Vic); Medea (Headlong/Citizens/Watford/Warwick); 13, My Child (Royal Court); Decade (Headlong); Earthquakes in London (Headlong/National Theatre); Love, Love, Love (Paines Plough/Plymouth Theatre Royal/Royal Court/Roundabout Theatre Company, New York/Lyric Hammersmith); Contractions (Royal Court/Sheffield Theatres); Artefacts (Bush/Nabokov). Television includes: Life, Doctor Foster, King Charles III, Sticks and Stones, Trauma, Press.
Rupert Goold
Director
Theatre includes: Ink (Almeida Theatre/West End/Broadway); Medea, Merchant of Venice, King Charles III (Almeida Theatre/West End/Broadway/UK and international tour); Made in Dagenham (West End); Macbeth (Chichester/West End/Broadway); No Man’s Land (The Gate, Dublin/West End); ENRON (West End/Broadway); American Psycho (Almeida Theatre/Broadway); Spring Awakening, The Hunt, Shipwreck, Albion, Richard III, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Almeida Theatre); The Effect, Earthquakes in London (National Theatre); King Lear (Young Vic). Film includes: Macbeth, Richard II, Judy, True Story, King Charles III. Awards include: two Olivier Awards, Critics’ Circle Award and Evening Standard Award for Best Director. Rupert has been the Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre since 2013, prior to which he was founding Artistic Director of Headlong Theatre Company. He was awarded a CBE for services to drama in 2017.
CO-PRODUCERS OF THE 47TH
Sonia Friedman Productions
Current theatre includes: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End/Broadway/Worldwide); The Book of Mormon (West End/UK & European tour); To Kill a Mockingbird, The Human Voice, Jerusalem (West End); Dreamgirls (UK tour); Mean Girls (US tour). Since 1990 Sonia Friedman Productions has developed, initiated and been lead producer of over 180 new productions and together the company has been responsible for winning 58 Olivier Awards, 34 Tonys and 2 BAFTAs. In 2019, Sonia Friedman OBE was awarded ‘Producer of the Year’ at the Stage Awards for a record breaking fourth time. In 2018, Friedman was also featured in TIME 100, a list of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2017 she took the number one spot in 'The Stage 100', becoming the first number one in the history of the compilation not to own or operate West End theatres and the first solo woman for almost 20 years.
Annapurna Theatre
Annapurna Theatre is the award-winning live stage division of Annapurna. Founded by Megan Ellison in 2011, Annapurna focuses on creating and acquiring high-quality original content appealing to audiences across film, television, interactive, and theatre. Theatre includes: Fleabag (West End/New York/Live broadcast); Beat the Devil (Showtime/Sky Arts); The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Nine Night, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Death of a Salesman, Home, I’m Darling – Olivier Award for Best New Comedy (West End); The Lehman Trilogy (West End/Broadway); Network, Company, Betrayal, Macbeth, American Utopia – Tony Award (Broadway).
TOMORROW AT THE OLD VIC
This year, The Old Vic will break ground on the £14m capital project to create The Annex, with preparatory works starting in the spring. The Old Vic is a theatre unique in its commitment to social mobility and, for over a decade, the theatre has led the way in offering employability training and resources, and groundbreaking cultural education programmes to people from its local community and beyond. The Annex will support the theatre in going further in achieving the ambition to reach more people than ever before through the creation of the Clore Learning Centre, access to interactive technology and a digital archive, a playtexts library, a studio theatre space and a lively café and bar. The new space will be an extension of the existing 200-year-old building, providing a space for all people to come together to meet, create, explore and learn.
ACCESSING OUR THEATRE
OV TOGETHER
Starting at £65 per year, our Membership scheme, OV Together, offers a variety of ways for audiences to get closer to The Old Vic, including priority booking, special events and supporting our work both on and off-stage. For more information, please visit our website.
OV LOCAL MEMBERSHIP
The Old Vic has been at the centre of its local community for over 200 years and has remained a place open to all, whether it be to see a show, take part in an education project, attend a talk or workshop or to simply meet a friend for a coffee. This Season, to encourage those who live locally to use us as a meeting place to come together with others, we have launched OV Local, a free membership. Aimed at those who live in Lambeth or Southwark and designed to give them more out of their visits to The Old Vic, people from those boroughs can register online for access to ticket discounts and money off food and drink in our café and bars. Local people can sign up online.
PWC £10 PREVIEWS
The Old Vic and PwC will once again be offering 17,500 seats across our preview performances for just £10, available to anyone and everyone with no criteria for access other than to book five weeks before the first preview.
MATINEE IDOLS
Inspired by recent studies reporting growing numbers of older people feeling lonely or isolated, and The Old Vic’s belief in the restorative power of the arts, we are excited to continue Matinee Idols, our scheme for people over 60. Open to individuals and groups, the scheme is free and offers the opportunity to attend a matinee at low cost and take part in a social event either pre or post show. This could involve a workshop led by one of the production’s creative team, a Q&A with someone from the show, a talk with Old Vic staff or a look backstage – all with plenty of opportunities to chat and make new friends.
