The Belgrade Theatre presents

The Father

By August Strindberg. A new version by Laurie Slade. Directed by Joe Harmston.

Sat 31 March – Sat 14 April 2012

Presented at Belgrade Main stage
Tickets: £14 - £27.50

For Sale

“Am I – or am I not – the child’s father?”

A brand new Belgrade Theatre production, The Father is a highly-charged, compelling drama by August Strindberg, directed by Joe Harmston in a new version by Laurie Slade.

An uneasy stand-off exists between the Captain and his wife, Laura. But a disagreement over the future of their daughter, Bertha, triggers an all out war.

Laura will stop at nothing to gain control of her daughter’s education and when she suggests to the Captain that he may not actually be the girl’s father at all, she sets a chain of events in motion that cannot be stopped.

Joe Harmston’s acclaimed productions of Agatha Christie plays have been hugely successful at the Belgrade in recent years.

Complementary perspectives on the battle of the sexes are explored by the Belgrade this season with The Father and Nora, Ingmar Bergman’s adaptation of A Doll’s House. The Father was Strindberg’s response to A Doll’s House. Starting with an explosive power-struggle between a married couple both plays move towards equally devastating but radically different outcomes.

Both The Father and Nora follow previous Belgrade productions such as Uncle Vanya and Scenes from a Marriage in a line of plays which examine the nature of marriage – a timeless issue as relevant today as it was when these classic plays were first written.

Please note: this production contains strong language.

Running time: 1 hour 40 mins with no interval.

Sat 31 Mar	7:45pm	Preview
Mon 2 Apr	7:45pm	Preview
Tue 3 Apr	7:00pm
Wed 4 Apr	7:45pm
Thu 5 Apr	7:45pm
Sat 7 Apr	2:30pm
Sat 7 Apr	7:45pm
Wed 11 Apr	2:30pm
Wed 11 Apr	7:45pm
Thu 12 Apr	7:45pm	Post-Show Discussion
Fri 13 Apr	7:45pm	Captioned Performance
Sat 14 Apr	2:30pm	Audio Described
Sat 14 Apr	7:45pm

The Women of The Father: Sat 14 April 11.30am – 1pm
Venue: Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

This is a special event from the Herbert about the role of women in 19th century society to complement The Father.

See examples from the Herbert’s collection and listen to experts from their team and Coventry University.

Dr. Cathy Hunt from Coventry University is working with Ali Wells, who curates the Herbert’s costume collection, to develop a talk covering aspects of women’s lives in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This will cover family life, marriage, motherhood and child rearing, as well as changing legislation, working patterns and leisure.

Costume from the Herbert’s collection will be used to illustrate the talk.

Tickets to this event are FREE to anyone who buys a ticket to The Father and for Friends of the Belgrade and Friends of the Herbert. Alternatively tickets for the event alone can be purchased from the Herbert, priced £3.50.