Switzerland
This thrilling play is a delight for literary and theatrical fans alike, don’t miss Switzerland tickets
Following on the tail of an acclaimed season at Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio, Switzerland arrives in the West End. This engrossing thriller imagines a meeting between novelist Patricia Highsmith and a mysterious visitor, and was deservedly named winner of Best New Australian Work at the Sydney Theatre Awards. It ran at Ambassadors Theatre from November 2018.
The play is set in the Swiss Alps, where the reclusive writer Highsmith spends her days accompanied only by cats and beloved books. Her solitude is interrupted by an impeccably groomed young gentleman arriving at her door. He tells her that it’s very important that she write one final instalment about her notoriously manipulative character Tom Ripley. As dawn breaks, it slowly becomes evident that this young stranger has a far more sinister purpose to his visit.
Joanna Murray-Smith is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, columnist and novelist whose other works for the stage include The Female of the Species, Scenes from a Marriage and Three Little Words. Among her myriad accolades, she counts a 2004 Fringe First Award to her name and was the Inaugural Winner 2016 of the Mona Brand Award.
Highsmith is played by Phyllis Logan, the award-winning actress perhaps best known for her part as Mrs Hughes (later Carson) in ITV’s Downton Abbey. New York publishing envoy Edward Ridgeway is played by Calum Finlay, whose other theatre credits include the Almeida productions Mary Stuart and Hamlet.
Lucy Bailey directs. The co-founder and former co-artistic director of The Print Room, Bailey’s directing credits span such shows as Kenny Morgan at the Arcola Theatre and Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall.
Switzerland is a cleverly woven and tense piece befitting its heroine. Unravel this devious tale at the Ambassadors Theatre.
Child Friendly
5+, children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.