Olivier Award winner Howard Davies will direct a revival of Tom Stoppard’s 1980s Cold War drama Hapgood at the Hampstead Theatre this winter.
Davies will return to the North London venue following previous hits including 55 Days and Drawing The Line to direct an as yet unannounced cast in the production from 4 December (press night 9 December) to 16 January.
First seen on the stage in 1988, Hapgood is set in London in the same year and tells the story of spymaster Elizabeth Hapgood. With the Cold War approaching its endgame, loyalties are called into question when Hapgood beings to suspect her star double agent is leaking secrets.
Setting a trap to discover their true intentions, Hapgood’s plan becomes a hall of mirrors as betrayal becomes personal and treachery a trick of the light.
The intriguing drama brings together two of British theatre’s leading creatives. Multi award-winning playwright Stoppard’s numerous works include the National Theatre’s recent hit The Hard Problem, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia and Rock’n’Roll.
Director Davies has a similarly legendary list of productions to his name including Olivier Award-winning takes on The White Guard, Electra and All My Sons.
The revival joins a previously announced autumn/winter season at Hampstead Theatre that includes the current Simon Russell Beale-led new comedy Mr Foote’s Other Leg and the premiere of David Hare’s latest work The Moderate Soprano, which will star Roger Allam and play from 23 October.