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    Desperately sad and invigoratingly even-handed.
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    A powerful piece.
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Sweat Tickets

The Donmar Warehouse production of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Sweat transfers to the Gielgud Theatre for a strictly limited 50 performances.

Playwright Lynn Nottage's searing drama Sweat floored critics and audiences at the Donmar Warehouse earlier this year. An examination of the collapse of industry and the unscalable pit of poverty, the play gives a glimpse into the reasons for Donald Trump’s unprecedented support from working class voters. The Donmar production, directed by Lynette Linton, now transfers to the Gielgud Theatre for a limited 50 performances from 7 June 2019.

Peopled by a group of friends and factory workers in America's poverty-stricken Reading, Pennsylvania, Sweat examines the struggles of the working class and the moral price of staying afloat in a world skewered against those most in need. Three best friends drink their troubles away in a bar after a gruelling day on their feet. But their place in the world is becoming ever more precarious, with an upcoming promotion sowing seeds of resentment between them, and their jobs threatened by new workers willing to work at the factory for a lower wage. All the while, the suited bosses with their clean hands and air-conditioned offices, are never to be seen. Race, identity and class intersect in this scorching eye-opener of a play.

Lynn Nottage is an American playwright whose work examines those on the fringe of society. Her previous plays include Intimate Apparel, Ruined and By the Way, Meet Vera Stark. In writing Sweat, she spent time with the people of Reading, one of the poorest cities in the U.S. The piece won her the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as the 2017 Obie Award for Playwrighting for its Public Theater run. In addition, it received several Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations.

Martha Plimpton reprises her role as hard-bitten factory worker Tracey. The rest of the Donmar cast also transfer: Patrick Gibson, Leanne Best, Osy Ikhile, Wil Johnson, Stuart McQuarrie, Clare Perkins, Sule Rimi, and Sebastian Viveros.

Design is by Frankie Bradshaw, lighting by Oliver Fenwick, sound and composition by George Dennis, movement by Polly Bennett, fight direction by Kate Waters and video by Gino Ricardo Green.

The play’s transfer is produced by Mark Rubinstein, Gavin Kalin, Joseph Baker, James Quaife and Micah Frank.

Catch this important, galvanising gut-punch of a play from 7 June until 20th July 2019 at the Gielgud Theatre.

Performance dates:
20 Jul 2019 - 20 Jul 2019
Running time:
2 hours 25 mins (including interval)
Venue:
Gielgud Theatre (See map)
Age recommendation:
Recommended 14+
Audience Notes:
Those who loved Nottage's previous works, like Intimate Apparel and Ruined, will find this perhaps the playwright's most powerful work yet. Martha Plimpton's highly acclaimed turn as Tracey also deserves to be seen again and again. If you caught the Donmar Warehouse run, you may like to see how the production transforms on the Gielgud stage, playing to a much larger house.
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Sweat seat view photos show what view you will get for your money. Unfortunately we do not have any seat views for this show.

Latest Audience Reviews

Absolutely loved this play! I had been told a few times that it’s very slow but I thought it flow... More

sarahwells1's avatar
sarahwells1 05 Jul 2019

Sweat was very interesting, there were a few points where I didn’t understand what was happening... More

sarahward's avatar
sarahward Top 50 reviewer 28 Jun 2019

An interesting look at the personal and wider political changes taking place in early 21st centur... More

shaun's avatar
shaun 17 Jun 2019

Sweat is an earthy and absorbing show about believable working-class folk in a time of turmoil. I... More

jimd3's avatar
jimd3 17 Jul 2019

I didn't know what to expect with this production but found it so powerful, engaging and superbly... More

rikkiONshow's avatar
rikkiONshow Top 10 reviewer 10 Jul 2019

Powerful harsh realities & economic struggles of small town community of blue collar workers. Har... More

rachelgreene's avatar
rachelgreene Top 100 reviewer 16 Jun 2019

Show Times

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How Long is Sweat?
Sweat running time is 2 hours and 25 minutes including an interval.
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