First look at Summer And Smoke in the West End

The throes of winter may well be upon us, but Summer And Smoke has arrived in the West End to heat things up. Transporting us to a scorching Mississippi summer – you’ll see much fewer coats inside the Duke of York’s Theatre than out – the critically acclaimed show plays its second official opening night this evening (20 November).

And with the full cast returning to the West End transfer of the Almeida Theatre production – including leads Patsy Ferran and Matthew Needham – Summer And Smoke’s second run has been eagerly anticipated.

So to get fully clued up about the production, take a look below at our exclusive interview with the cast, and the first West End production shots.

Set in small-town Mississippi, Summer And Smoke is an absorbing classic about love, loneliness and self-destruction, in which Alma, seemingly under the wings of an angel, meets John – and their worlds are turned upside down.

Evoking the simmering passions of a sweltering summer, the duo soon find themselves trapped between fear, obligation – and their own sheer desire.