Theatre Royal Stratford East to stage new Roy Williams play and Infidel musical

Theatre Royal Stratford East is bringing back its production of Oh What a Lovely War as part of its forthcoming season, which will also include a new version of Antigone by Roy Williams and David Baddiel’s musical The Infidel.

The season, which runs from August this year, opens with Spoiling, written by John McCann. This will premiere at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, before playing at TRSE from August 28 to September 13, with press night on September 2. It is directed by the venue’s artistic director Orla O’Loughlin.

This will be followed by Rhetorical, a new play by Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom and Aubrey Sekhabi and co-produced by Rendition Productions.

It will run from October 14 to 18 and will be staged at Stratford Circus, marking the first time TRSE has staged professional work there.

The Infidel will run from October 3 to November 2, and is directed by TRSE’s artistic director Kerry Michael with Baddiel. It has music by Erran Baron Cohen. As previously reported, funding for the musical was raised through a successful crowdfunding campaign.

TRSE’s season also includes Beauty and the Beast, which will run over Christmas, before Oh What a Lovely War – which ran at the theatre earlier this year – returns from January 29 to February 7.  It will then embark on a UK tour.

Williams’ Antigone plays from February 19 to March 14, with press night on February 24, 2015. It is produced by Pilot Theatre, Derby Theatre and TRSE, with Marcus Romer directing. It will also be available to watch online, with the production being live streamed. Ahead of its London opening, the show will premiere at Derby Theatre on September 19, before embarking on a national tour until November 29.

TRSE artistic director Kerry Michael said he was “delighted to be working with a range of artists and performers, many for the first time”.