The Veil Tickets

This autumn, the Lyttelton Theatre at the National Theatre welcomes the debut production of much-lauded Irish playwright Conor McPherson's newest work, 'The Veil'. Directed by the playwright himself, this production is scheduled to run from the 27^th of September to the 2^nd of November 2011. Bringing together a love story and Ireland's turbulent past in McPherson's unique style, this promises to be a compelling and exhilarating experience for any theatre-goer.

The play focuses on the experiences of two intriguing characters, the defrocked Reverend Berkeley, and his charge, a seventeen year-old girl named Hannah. The year is 1822, in the midst of the harsh Irish famine, and Reverend Berkeley has been given the responsibility of escorting the beautiful Hannah to England, where she has been promised in marriage to a wealthy Marquis, in exchange for which the extensive debts on Hannah's mother's estate will be settled. However, before he is able to fulfil his obligations, the Reverend finds himself captivated by the mysterious forces which seem to surround both Hannah and the house she occupies. The house itself is understood to be haunted, a once-great stately home, now surrounded by a feverish wasteland and its starving inhabitants, and Hannah is plagued by eerie spectral voices, sometimes singing, sometimes crying. Reverend Berkeley feels compelled to conduct a séance in the house to investigate the supernatural forces which pervade the space, but this may prove to be a foolhardy decision, resulting in disastrous consequences for the characters.

This production is a world premiere for the National Theatre, and in artfully combining the pursuit of love and happiness with the grim reality of its historical context and the profound implications of its supernatural elements, it is a perfect example of what we have come to expect from Conor McPherson. This immensely talented writer/director previously produced the Tony award-winning play 'The Seafarer' for The National Theatre in 2006-07, which received great critical acclaim. Reverend Berkeley will be played by Jim Norton, who won a Best Featured Actor Tony award for his performance in 'The Seafarer', and Hannah will be played by Emily Taaffe, who has previously appeared in 'The Cherry Orchard' at the National Theatre, along with other theatre and television work. The Wednesday 2^nd November performance of this play will be captioned. Tickets go on sale to the general public on the 21^st of June – don't miss out.