NEWS: Bolton Octagon reveal their exciting Spring / Summer season.

The Octagon reveal exciting programme for their Spring/Summer 2022 season

As the Octagon gets ready to whisk audiences to Neverland in their upcoming festive production of Peter Pan, the venue are looking ahead to 2022 and have today announced the impressive line-up for their spring/summer season.

A world premiere, a Linbury Prize-winning regional premiere, a powerful modern classic, and a hilarious smash-hit comedy all form part of the unmissable season’s offering.

Opening the season will be the regional premiere of Vinay Patel’s critically acclaimed play AN ADVENTURE (Fri 4 – Sat 26 February 2022). This epic love story follows the journey of husband and wife Rasik and Jyoti, spanning seven decades and three continents, as they navigate political tensions in 1950s India and Kenya and the turbulence of first-generation life in Britain in the 1960s and beyond. An Adventure will be directed by Kash Arshad and designed by 2019 Linbury Prize winner, TK Hay. The Linbury Prize is the UK’s most prestigious award for Stage Design – providing a unique opportunity for graduating designers to work with professional theatre, dance and opera companies.

The Octagon will then present a powerful new adaptation of Barry Hines’ classic story KES (Thu 10 March – Sat 2 April 2022), in a co-production with Theatre by the Lake. Adapted for the stage by Robert Alan Evans, Kes is a moving and powerful coming of age story set in 1960s Yorkshire. Bullied and neglected teenager Billy Caspar’s life is changed when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk, who he cares for and trains. The true nature of friendship is explored in this uplifting story about survival in a tough world. We are delighted that this production will be directed by Atri Banerjee, who recently won the The Stage Debut Award and was nominated for the UK Theatre Award for Best Director for his production of Hobson’s Choice at the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Next up is the world premiere of HABIBTI DRIVER (Thu 21 April – Sat 7 May 2022) a brand new ‘East meets Wigan’ comedy by Shamia Chalabi and Sarah Henley. Relationships are put to the test for Ashraf – an Egyptian Muslim taxi driver – and his half Egyptian, half Wigan daughter Shazia, in this heart-warming new play directed by Sepy Baghaei that explores the clashes, compromises and comedy that come with living in a mixed-culture family in today’s Britain.

The season closes in sensational style with the smash hit comedy ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS (Thu 26 May – Sat 25 June 2022). Richard Bean’s much-loved modern farce, an adaptation of the classic A Servant of Two Masters, promises a riotous mix of slapstick, hilarity and live music. Recently fired Francis Henshaw soon finds himself juggling not one, but two new jobs – watch the chaos unfold as he tries to keep his two guvnors apart. Mistaken identity, murder and mayhem ensue in this side-splittingly funny, brand new production directed by the Octagon’s Artistic Director, Lotte Wakeham.

The season will also include a variety of one-night events including comedy, music, play readings and family entertainment still to be announced. The Young Octagon company will also be taking part in the National Theatre’s Connections programme – producing a performance of the powerful play Remote by Olivier Award winning writer Stef Smith.

Looking further ahead, audiences can also book for the Octagon’s 2022 festive production – a joyous musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Thu 17 November 2022 – Sat 14 January 2023). Go on an exciting journey through yuletides past, present and future in this heart-warming and uplifting tale as Ebenezer Scrooge learns the value of redemption. Filled with toe-tapping live music, festive fun and a good splash of magic.

The Octagon’s Artistic Director, Lotte Wakeham commented: “After an extraordinary year for the Octagon, which has seen us re-open our building and welcome audiences back for our Warm Up season and autumn programme, it feels wonderful to now be looking ahead to 2022 and announce our new spring/summer season! I am incredibly excited by the shows we have lined up for audiences over the coming months – there is a real mix of laugh out loud comedy, classic drama and new writing.

“The productions of An Adventure and One Man Two Guvnors were originally announced as part of our original 2020 opening programme, and then postponed due to the pandemic, so I’m thrilled we can now bring them to the stage as part of our new spring/summer season.

“Following the recent success of Home, I’m Darling it will be fantastic to work with Theatre by the Lake once again, with a gripping adaptation of Kes, based on the much loved book and film. Then completing the season we have a real treat for audiences with the world premiere of brand new comedy, Habibti Driver. I fell in love with this script when it was part of our First Bites play-reading series in 2019, so I cannot wait to share the full production with our audiences next year – I am sure this new 'East meets Wigan’ comedy will leave audiences smiling!  I’m delighted that across the season we’re working with so many brilliant artists, from celebrated writers including Richard Bean and Vinay Patel to the brightest emerging talent including designer TK Hay, and directors Kash Arshad, Sepy Baghaei and Atri Banerjee. I can’t wait for audiences to experience these shows with us in person.”

The best way to see shows will be with the Season Saver – with audiences getting the best seats at the best prices, saving up to 20% off tickets. Priority booking for Season Saver tickets is available from Thu 4 November, with individual tickets on sale from Thu 25 November. For more information or to book tickets visit octagonbolton.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01204 520661.