Olivier Award-winning director Howard Davies will reunite with playwright Howard Brenton later this year to present the world premiere of Drawing The Line, a new play about the Partition of India and Pakistan.
Playing at the Hampstead theatre from 3 December (press night 9 December) to 11 January, Drawing The Line charts the story of Mr Justice Cyril Radcliffe, the man who was given just six weeks to undertake the extraordinary mission of travelling to India, a place he knew nothing about, with limited survey information and no knowledge of cartography, to draw the border that would create the new sovereign dominions.
The writer/director duo returns to the Swiss Cottage venue following their work together on historical drama 55 Days, which played to critical acclaim in 2012.
Well-known to the Hampstead theatre, Brenton most recently brought his political piece about the detainment of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei to the venue earlier this year.
Winner of three Olivier Awards for Best Director, Davies’ production of Rory Kinnear’s debut play The Herd opened at the Bush theatre last week, with recent credits also including Children Of The Sun and The Last Of The Haussmans at the National Theatre, and Hay Fever in the West End.
Drawing The Line, which is inspired by the playwright’s visit to India in 2009, will bring its tale of political intrigue, religious and racial turmoil, and blood feuds to the Hampstead theatre following the premiere of Simon Paisley Day’s debut play Raving, which plays from 24 October to 23 November with a cast including Tamzin Outhwaite, Robert Webb and Sarah Hadland.