The Welkin Tickets

Maxine Peake stars as a midwife grappling with crime, punishment and justice in Lucy Kirkwood’s new play The Welkin. With shades of The Crucible in its story about a community of women and an atmosphere of mob rule, the play premieres at the National Theatre.

As Britain looks to the skies in anticipation of Halley’s comet, a rural village in Suffolk is transfixed by a scandalous murder. The accused, Sally Poppy, claims she is pregnant, and a jury of 12 women are called from their homes to consider the evidence. With the hand of justice bearing down and only midwife Lizzy ready to defend Sally, is she telling the truth – and will it save her?

Maxine Peake (BBC’s Silk; Manchester Royal Exchange: Hamlet) stars as Lizzy, having last appeared on the London stage in Avalanche: A Love Story at the Barbican Centre.

She is joined by a largely female cast including Ria Zmitrowicz (Almeida: The Doctor) as Sally, Cecilia Noble (Nine Night) as Emma, and Zainab Hasan ([BLANK]) as Mary.

The Welkin is Lucy Kirkwood’s follow-up to 2017’s Mosquitoes. Her other plays include the Olivier Award-winning Chimerica and Tony Award nominated The Children.

The creative team includes director James Macdonald (Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp.), set and costume designer Bunny Christie (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and sound designer Carolyn Downing (Chimerica).

The Welkin is a compelling courtroom drama that shines a light on women’s untold history. This gripping new play runs at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton Theatre until 23 May 2020.