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The Son Tickets

Duke of York's Theatre

Florian Zeller's exquisite play The Son receives its West End transfer at the Duke of York's Theatre, following a successful run at the Kiln Theatre. The original cast reprise their roles in this stunning, emotionally articulate study of teenage depression and disrupting family dynamics.

It's a good year for French playwright Florian Zeller; he’s working on a film adaptation of his play The Father which will star Olivia Colman and Anthony Hopkins. And now The Son, the final part in the same trilogy, transfers to the West End. See this acclaimed and exquisitely written piece at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 24 August.

Written in 2018 and translated from the original French by Christopher Hampton, The Son had its UK premiere at London’s Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle) in February 2019. It was an “immaculate production", according to The Guardian's Michael Billington. The play completes the triptych that begins with The Mother and The Father.

Teenager Nicolas is unravelling. He skips school, engages in self-harm and resists his psychiatrist’s attempts to mend him. It’s clear he’s deeply depressed. Anne and Pierre are at a loss for what to do as their son’s mood becomes ever more desperate, only occasionally punctured by moments of soaring, incongruous joy.

The Duke of York’s run sees the cast of the Kiln Theatre run reprise their roles. Laurie Kynaston stars as Nicolas. Amanda Abbington plays Anne, John Light is Pierre and Amaka Okafor takes the part of Sofia.

Florian Zeller is the writer behind The Height of the Storm, which enjoyed an acclaimed run at the West End's Wyndham's Theatre in 2018. He is the recipient of a Prix Interallié and several Molière Awards.

Michael Longhurst (Bad Jews, The History Boys) directs. Translation is by Christopher Hampton. The production is designed by Lizzie Clachan. Lee Curran is the lighting designer, Isobel Waller-Bridge is the composer and sound designer, and Amy Ball is casting director.

Here’s another chance to see Longhurst’s stunning production of The Son. An emotional gut punch that will linger long in the mind, the play runs at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 24 August, with an opening night on 2 September.

Sorry this show closed 02 November 2019, we recommend these similar productions.

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Fawlty Towers
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Performance dates:
01 Nov 2019 - 02 Nov 2019
Running time:
1 hour and 45 minutes.
Age recommendation:
Recommended 14+
Audience Notes:
If you caught Zeller's remarkable The Height of the Storm at Wyndham's Theatre, be sure to catch The Son, which features the playwright's signature emotional weightiness and subtle writing. Please be aware that the play's themes of mental illness and loss means it isn't suitable for those under the age of 14.
Categories:

The Son Reviews

4.4
95 Reviews
  • 5 Stars58%
  • 4 Stars29%
  • 3 Stars9%
  • 2 Stars2%
  • 1 Stars1%

User Reviews

Verified

I cannot find words to describe how this play made me feel - maybe because there were certain aspects that I can really relate to, so it had a huge impact in my emotions. I don’t even think I blinked during the performance... there are also some funn Read more

Performance date: 28 September 2019
Verified

The play was slow to get going. This is a subject that is currently very topical and can be tough to watch. A few laughs sling the way. Performances solid. We saw the understudy “son” but being none the wiser we were happy with his portrayal.

Performance date: 21 September 2019
Verified

Rather harrowing and frustrating to watch the parents fail to listen to and ultimately fail their son. Must be tough on the actors to perform this over and over. Quality acting, but Laurie Kynaston (the son) stood out with his emotional & convincing Read more

Performance date: 11 October 2019
1/32
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