Accidental Death of an Anarchist
An Anarchist falls to his death at a police station. Did he jump, or was he pushed? BAFTA Award winner Daniel Rigby stars in a five-star revival of Dario Fo's outrageous political satire, brought up to date in spectacular fashion by Tom Basden. The classic Italian political comedy takes aim at the establishment with a mix of surrealism and razor-sharp wit, and is as relevant for 21st-century London as it was for 1970s Italy. After a hugely acclaimed season at Lyric Hammersmith, it transfers to the West End’s Theatre Royal Haymarket for a summer season.
TICKET OFFER
WAS £35.00NOW £15.00
Booking from 12 June 2023 until 9 September 2023
Run time is 2 hours (including an interval)
Run time is 2 hours (including an interval)
The Tiger Who Came To Tea
David Wood’s vibrant stage adaptation of Judith Kerr’s picture book is a very welcome guest in the West End this summer! As Sophie and mummy sit down for tea, a knock at the door is just the start of the chaos…
Celebrating over 14 years on stage, this fun-filled show is perfect for young children, with lots of bright costumes, silly storytelling and upbeat sing-a-long moments. It returns to Theatre Royal Haymarket over the summer.
FIND TICKETS
Booking from 10 July 2023 until 3 September 2023
Run time is 55 minutes (no interval)
Run time is 55 minutes (no interval)
Box Office Contacts
| Box Office: | 020 7930 8800 |
| Access Booking: | 020 7930 8800 |
| Group Booking: | 020 7930 8800 |
| Stage Door: | 020 7930 8890 |
History
One of the West End’s oldest theatres, the Theatre Royal Haymarket officially opened in 1720 with a French play entitled La Fille a la Morte, ou le Badeaut de Paris. Successful early productions included The Beggar’s Opera (1729) and The Dragon of Wantley (1734).
The current building opened in 1821 with a production of The Rivals, followed by Our American Cousin (1862) An English Gentleman (1871) and a number of burlesque performances.
Following this, the Haymarket became synonymous with light comedies, such as The Palace of Truth (1870), The Wicked World (1873), Charity (1864), The Zoo (1875) and the premiere of Engaged (1877). Oscar Wilde premiered a variety of his productions at the theatre, including A Woman of No Importance (1893) and An Ideal Husband (1895).
During the late 19th to early 20th century, the venue made its name hosting plays and comedies, including Under the Red Robe (1896) and J.M. Barrie’s The Little Minister (1897), as well as Bunty Pulls the Strings (1911), Ghosts (1914) and The Widow’s Might (1916).
Soon, productions began to run for an extended amount of time, with J. M. Barrie’s Mary Rose (1920) running for 399 performances and Yellow Sands (1926-1927), which ran for 610 shows. Notable productions after this included The First Mrs Fraser (1929), starring Marie Tempest, Noel Coward’s Design for Living (1939), The Importance of Being Earnest (1948) and a production of The Glass Menagerie, starring Helen Hayes.
The mid 1900’s saw some rarer plays performed, such as Flowering Cherry (1957), Terence Rattigan’s Ross (1960), Ides of March (1963), directed by John Gielgud and A Voyage Round My Father (1971-1972), starring Alec Guinness.
By this point, the Theatre Royal Haymarket was known for a quick turnover of plays featuring star casts. Productions of note were Virginia (1981), with Maggie Smith, Hobson’s Choice (1982), starring Penelope Keith and Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya (1982) and The Cherry Orchard (1983). Throughout this time, the theatre produced many plays in repertory, including The Aspern Papers (1984), with Vanessa Redgrave, who also appeared in Antony and Cleopatra (1986).
Toward the end of the 20th century, works from a number of playwrights were performed at the theatre, comprising Terence Rattigan, John Osborne, J.M. Barrie, David Mamet, Jean Anoulih, Tom Stoppard, Henrik Ibsen, Oscar Wilde, Neil Simon and more. Renowned actors such as Derek Jacobi, Robert Lindsay, Alan Bates, Martin Shaw, Jessica Lange, Steven Berkoff and Richard Dreyfuss appeared at the theatre.
21st century productions have included The Royal Family (2001), starring Judi Dench, Lady Windermere’s Fan (2002), starring Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson, The Breath of Life (2002), with Maggie Smith and Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes in Brand (2003) and When Harry Met Sally (2004).
2005 saw Victoria Wood’s hilarious Acorn Antiques the Musical premiere, starring Julie Walters and Celia Imrie, followed by Hay Fever (2006), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (2006), The Last Confession (2007) and The Country Wife (2007), amongst many more.
Trevor Nunn’s Olivier Award-winning production of Flare Path transferred to the theatre in 2011, starring Sheridan Smith, followed by the National Theatre’s One Man, Two Guvnors (2012), Fatal Attraction (2014), Great Britain (2015), Taken at Midnight (2015), starring Penelope Wilton, Harvey (2015), Elephant Man (2015), starring Bradley Cooper, and McQueen (2015).
2016’s shows included Mr Foote’s Other Leg, Bad Jews, How the Other Half Loves and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, directed by Nikolai Foster and starring Pixie Lott. Dominic Cooper then took to the stage in The Libertine, before the RSC’s Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing came to the theatre in 2017.
Damian Lewis and Sophie Okonedo starred in Edward Albee’s The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?, followed by Edward Fox in Sand in the Sandwiches and the RSC transfer of Queen Anne, starring Emma Cunniffe and Romola Garai. 2017 rounds off with dark comedy Venus in Fur, starring Natalie Dormer and David Oakes, followed by Christmas With The Rat Pack.
The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas kicked off 2018, featuring well-known hits from the iconic trio. Jonathan Munby directed Bryony Lavery's acclaimed play Frozen, starring Suranne Jones, Jason Watkins and Nina Sosanya. 2018 also sees the Maly Drama Theatre return with limited performances of Uncle Vanya and Life and Fate, followed by Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Molière’s Tartuffe.
2018 saw West End transfer of cult hit Heathers the Musical, followed by Take That musical The Band.
The world premiere of new musical Only Fools and Horses took place in early 2019 at the theatre, starring Paul Whitehouse. In April, family show Where is Peter Rabbit? hopped into the theatre to play morning and early afternoon performances. Children's classic The Tiger Who Came to Tea played a limited run over the 2019 festive period and will return for a summer season in 2021.
Like all other West End venues, the Theatre Royal Haymarket closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A production of the play Love Letters starring Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove was one of the first plays to open in the West End following the period of closure in December 2020.
Heathers the Musical returned to the theatre for a summer season in 2021, running alongside The Tiger Who Came to Tea. Only Fools and Horses returned to the venue in October 2021, continuing its open-ended run. Children’s show Peppa Pig’s Best Day Ever played over the Christmas period in 2021 and 2022.
In April 2023, Only Fools and Horses The Musical closed, and Theatre Royal Haymarket announced plans to become a home for short-run plays in the West End. In summer 2023, The Tiger Who Came To Tea returns for another season, alongside a transfer of Lyric Hammersmith's acclaimed revival of Accidental Death of an Anarchist starring Daniel Rigby.
The current building opened in 1821 with a production of The Rivals, followed by Our American Cousin (1862) An English Gentleman (1871) and a number of burlesque performances.
Following this, the Haymarket became synonymous with light comedies, such as The Palace of Truth (1870), The Wicked World (1873), Charity (1864), The Zoo (1875) and the premiere of Engaged (1877). Oscar Wilde premiered a variety of his productions at the theatre, including A Woman of No Importance (1893) and An Ideal Husband (1895).
During the late 19th to early 20th century, the venue made its name hosting plays and comedies, including Under the Red Robe (1896) and J.M. Barrie’s The Little Minister (1897), as well as Bunty Pulls the Strings (1911), Ghosts (1914) and The Widow’s Might (1916).
Soon, productions began to run for an extended amount of time, with J. M. Barrie’s Mary Rose (1920) running for 399 performances and Yellow Sands (1926-1927), which ran for 610 shows. Notable productions after this included The First Mrs Fraser (1929), starring Marie Tempest, Noel Coward’s Design for Living (1939), The Importance of Being Earnest (1948) and a production of The Glass Menagerie, starring Helen Hayes.
The mid 1900’s saw some rarer plays performed, such as Flowering Cherry (1957), Terence Rattigan’s Ross (1960), Ides of March (1963), directed by John Gielgud and A Voyage Round My Father (1971-1972), starring Alec Guinness.
By this point, the Theatre Royal Haymarket was known for a quick turnover of plays featuring star casts. Productions of note were Virginia (1981), with Maggie Smith, Hobson’s Choice (1982), starring Penelope Keith and Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya (1982) and The Cherry Orchard (1983). Throughout this time, the theatre produced many plays in repertory, including The Aspern Papers (1984), with Vanessa Redgrave, who also appeared in Antony and Cleopatra (1986).
Toward the end of the 20th century, works from a number of playwrights were performed at the theatre, comprising Terence Rattigan, John Osborne, J.M. Barrie, David Mamet, Jean Anoulih, Tom Stoppard, Henrik Ibsen, Oscar Wilde, Neil Simon and more. Renowned actors such as Derek Jacobi, Robert Lindsay, Alan Bates, Martin Shaw, Jessica Lange, Steven Berkoff and Richard Dreyfuss appeared at the theatre.
21st century productions have included The Royal Family (2001), starring Judi Dench, Lady Windermere’s Fan (2002), starring Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson, The Breath of Life (2002), with Maggie Smith and Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes in Brand (2003) and When Harry Met Sally (2004).
2005 saw Victoria Wood’s hilarious Acorn Antiques the Musical premiere, starring Julie Walters and Celia Imrie, followed by Hay Fever (2006), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (2006), The Last Confession (2007) and The Country Wife (2007), amongst many more.
Trevor Nunn’s Olivier Award-winning production of Flare Path transferred to the theatre in 2011, starring Sheridan Smith, followed by the National Theatre’s One Man, Two Guvnors (2012), Fatal Attraction (2014), Great Britain (2015), Taken at Midnight (2015), starring Penelope Wilton, Harvey (2015), Elephant Man (2015), starring Bradley Cooper, and McQueen (2015).
2016’s shows included Mr Foote’s Other Leg, Bad Jews, How the Other Half Loves and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, directed by Nikolai Foster and starring Pixie Lott. Dominic Cooper then took to the stage in The Libertine, before the RSC’s Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing came to the theatre in 2017.
Damian Lewis and Sophie Okonedo starred in Edward Albee’s The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?, followed by Edward Fox in Sand in the Sandwiches and the RSC transfer of Queen Anne, starring Emma Cunniffe and Romola Garai. 2017 rounds off with dark comedy Venus in Fur, starring Natalie Dormer and David Oakes, followed by Christmas With The Rat Pack.
The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas kicked off 2018, featuring well-known hits from the iconic trio. Jonathan Munby directed Bryony Lavery's acclaimed play Frozen, starring Suranne Jones, Jason Watkins and Nina Sosanya. 2018 also sees the Maly Drama Theatre return with limited performances of Uncle Vanya and Life and Fate, followed by Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Molière’s Tartuffe.
2018 saw West End transfer of cult hit Heathers the Musical, followed by Take That musical The Band.
The world premiere of new musical Only Fools and Horses took place in early 2019 at the theatre, starring Paul Whitehouse. In April, family show Where is Peter Rabbit? hopped into the theatre to play morning and early afternoon performances. Children's classic The Tiger Who Came to Tea played a limited run over the 2019 festive period and will return for a summer season in 2021.
Like all other West End venues, the Theatre Royal Haymarket closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A production of the play Love Letters starring Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove was one of the first plays to open in the West End following the period of closure in December 2020.
Heathers the Musical returned to the theatre for a summer season in 2021, running alongside The Tiger Who Came to Tea. Only Fools and Horses returned to the venue in October 2021, continuing its open-ended run. Children’s show Peppa Pig’s Best Day Ever played over the Christmas period in 2021 and 2022.
In April 2023, Only Fools and Horses The Musical closed, and Theatre Royal Haymarket announced plans to become a home for short-run plays in the West End. In summer 2023, The Tiger Who Came To Tea returns for another season, alongside a transfer of Lyric Hammersmith's acclaimed revival of Accidental Death of an Anarchist starring Daniel Rigby.
