A HAMPSTEAD THEATRE PRODUCTION
LABYRINTH
By Beth Steel
Directed by Anna Ledwich
Running time: 2 hours 25 minutes including interval
£10 - £35
(See ticket information)
Limited availability
Three years ago the doomsayers were predicting the end. Financial apocalypse. But the system survived. Because the system works. Time to take advantage of the goodies on offer…
Main Stage
1 Sep - 8 Oct 2016
£10 - £35
Box Office: 020 7722 9301
★★★★ 'Full of fire-in-the-blood swagger' The Times
★★★★ 'Exhilarating... Racily exciting' The Guardian
★★★★ 'Wildly entertaining' The Telegraph
★★★★ 'A great night out' Daily Mail
★★★★ 'Indecently entertaining' Sunday Telegraph
1978, New York. John Anderson is barely out of college and has landed himself a job on Wall Street. His dreams of unimaginable wealth, travel and power are made a reality as he jets around the globe selling loans to developing countries eager to borrow. And there are plenty – Mexico, Brazil, Argentina…
But cracks in the banks’ excessive lending strategy soon start to show. Despite the warning signs - and their consciences - John and his colleagues continue to pursue their targets, threatening to leave them all financially, and morally, bankrupt.
Beth Steel’s compelling new thriller explores the fallout of one of the most catastrophic economic crises of modern history, which brought Latin America to its knees for decades. Winner of The Evening Standard’s Most Promising Playwright award, Beth returns to Hampstead following the critically acclaimed Wonderland.
Anna Ledwich makes her Main Stage debut following Donny’s Brain, The Argument and the Olivier Award nominated Four Minutes Twelve Seconds Downstairs.
Labyrinth has been made possible by the generous support of Lin and Ken Craig, who are proud to continue their association with Beth Steel at Hampstead Theatre
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The Times
'This fizzing play by the ultra-talented Beth Steel is set in New York but its core feels more Middle America'
'The year is 1978 and sitting in front of Howard (Martin McDougall, on fantastic form) is a naive young man named John (Sean Delaney) in an ill-fitting suit, who didn’t go to Harvard but who has the hunger. “Nobody can work harder than me,” he shouts during his interview. “I don’t need sleep. I don’t do lunchbreaks. I am an animal!”'
'There’s a great vroom vroom to this play, an energy that lifts it out of the ordinary. The director Anna Ledwich keeps mixing things up... Jagged music discombobulates, people appear out of nowhere, some scenes are paranoiac, others full of fire-in-the-blood swagger.'
'All of the acting is good and the set, by Andrew D Edwards, is arresting. The stage is in the centre, with the audience on both sides... It’s ingenious, slick and perfect for this.'
To read the full review please click here to visit The Times online.
Ann Treneman, 8 September, 2016 -
The Guardian
'Beth Steel scored a big hit in 2014 with Wonderland... In Labyrinth, she again goes back to the 1980s, this time to probe the Latin American debt crisis. The result is a racily exciting work'
'As so often in drama, the virtue lies in the detail. Steel doesn’t just tell, but shows how the system works... This is invigorating, informative stuff.'
'Played on a wide traverse stage, Anna Ledwich’s production has a hurtling energy... Sean Delaney as John has the right air of a Candide-like innocent slowly succumbing to the system. Tom Weston-Jones as his Mephistophelian mentor exudes a narcissistic hedonism and there is high-grade support from Philip Bird as John’s dodgy dad and from Elena Saurel as a journalist who sees the ruinousness of reckless loans.'
To read the full review please click here to visit The Guardian online.
Michael Billington, 8 September, 2016 -
The Telegraph
'Richly researched, it’s insistently useful and almost indecently entertaining.'
'It explores this through the contradictions of its central character, played by very bankable-looking newcomer Sean Delaney, fresh out of Rada.'
'The archetypal banker bogeyman (Tom Weston-Jones, superb) merely points at a lone desk, an “off-shore” fiscal dodge. Bang on the money, that gag.'
'The cast make the Mamet-like most of the zinging script, with assured work from Martin McDougall as the yo-yo spinning, boots-on-table bank exec, Elena Saurel as a canny economics journalist and a trio of Latin American government honchos played by one actor (Joseph Balderrama).'
To read the full review please click here to visit The Telegraph online.
Dominic Cavendish, 8 September, 2016 -
Daily Mail
'I was sat next to playwright Beth Steel’s twin sister at the opening night of her new work about the Latin American financial crisis of the 1980s, and rarely have I seen anyone enjoy themselves so much in a theatre. Happily, her pleasure was well founded.'
'Steel is the author of Wonderland, the Hampstead theatre’s previous hit about the miners’ strike. Once again she wears her research lightly, painting a rogues’ gallery of top-of-the-range spivs in a world of sex, drugs and sub-prime loans.'
'Matt Damon lookalike Sean Delaney, who plays John, is an impressive young actor, allowing other characters — from Martin McDougall’s yoyo-spinning Texan bank president to Joseph Balderrama’s box set of Latin American leaders — to whirl around him.'
'Anna Ledwich’s production enters fully into the carnival spirit... It also sets up a story which is in thrall to these glamorous lowlifes... a great night out.'
To read the full review please click here to visit Daily Mail online.
Patrick Marmion, 9 September, 2016
Artistic team
WRITER
DIRECTOR
DESIGNER
ANDREW D EDWARDS
LIGHTING
RICHARD HOWELL
SOUND
MAX PAPPENHEIM
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR
JOHN ROSS
CASTING
SUZANNE CROWLEY AND GILLY POOLE
Cast
Eric Kofi Abrefa
JOSEPH BALDERRAMA
PHILIP BIRD
Sean Delaney
Ryan Ellsworth
Martin McDougall
Abubakar Salim
Elena Saurel
Christopher Sawalha
Alexia Traverse-Healy
Tom Weston-Jones
Matt Whitchurch
A Cup of Tea with... Labyrinth's Elena Saurel
We chat to Labyrinth's Elena Saurel about Jim Carey, Ru Paul and Macadamia nuts.
Backstage with Sean Delaney
We catch up with actor Sean Delaney, who's currently starring in Beth Steel's Labyrinth on the Main Stage
Labyrinth: Reviews roundup
Here's a roundup of what the critics had to say about Beth Steel's compelling new thriller Labyrinth
Labyrinth: ★★★★ from Daily Mail
Patrick Marmion awards Labyrinth four stars
A Cup of Tea with... Labyrinth's Abubakar Salim
We chat to Labyrinth actor Abubakar Salim about Beauty and the Beast, Batman and the importance of flossing
Labyrinth: ★★★★ from The Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish awards Labyrinth four stars
Labyrinth: ★★★★ FROM THE GUARDIAN
Michael Billington awards Labyrinth four stars
Labyrinth: ★★★★ from The Times
Ann Treneman awards Beth Steel's Labyrinth four stars
A Cup of Tea with... Labyrinth's Tom Weston-Jones
We chat to actor Tom Weston-Jones about Labyrinth, alternative career paths and life advice
Labyrinth: The Playlist
Get in the mood for Labyrinth with our 1970s/1980s Spotify playlist
Video: Meet the Labyrinth company
Get an exclusive look into the rehearsal room as Director Anna Ledwich, Writer Beth Steel and the cast talk about explosive new thriller, Labyrinth.
Designing the look of Labyrinth: An interview with Designer Andrew D Edwards
Designer Andrew D Edwards talks to us about designing the set and costumes for upcoming play Labyrinth
Inside the rehearsal room with Labyrinth's Sean Delaney
We get the inside line on the Labyrinth rehearsal room from actor Sean Delaney
Labyrinth: An exclusive extract from Beth Steel's new play
We're thrilled to share with you an exclusive extract from Beth Steel's compelling new thriller, Labyrinth. The play is yet to be published, so this is your only chance of a sneak peek before the show opens on our Main Stage on 1 September.
Labyrinth: Full cast announced
Full casting announced for Beth Steel's new play Labyrinth
Video: Writer Beth Steel introduces Labyrinth
Beth Steel introduces her compelling new thriller Labyrinth
Labyrinth: Navigating the maze of making an image
A behind-the-scenes look at how we created the image for Beth Steel's latest play
Video: Autumn Season 2016 - Meet the writers
Artistic Director Edward Hall introduces the Main Stage Autumn Season, and we meet Beth Steel, Tony Kushner and Michael Frayn
Main Stage Autumn Season Announced
With plays from Beth Steel, Tony Kushner and Michael Frayn
Previews, Mondays and matinees
Full price: £28/£25/£18/£12
Under 30s/Students: £15/£10*
Seniors (matinees only): £20/£18/£15/
Groups: For every 9 tickets get the 10th free
Access: £15
Tuesday – Saturday evenings
Full price: £35/£30/£25
Under 30s/Students: £15/£10*
Groups: For every 9 tickets get the 10th free
Access: £15
*Under 30s and Student concession seats are available in rows A (£15), Q & PP (£10)
Audio described performance:
1 October at 3pm, with a touch tour at 1.30pm
Captioned performance:
7 October at 7.30pm, with a transcribed post show discussion
KEEPING YOU SAFE AT HAMPSTEAD
RESPECT PERSONAL SPACE
FACE MASKS ENCOURAGED
STATE OF THE ART VENTILATION
ENHANCED CLEANING
CONTACTLESS TICKETS
HAND SANITISING STATIONS
CASHLESS PAYMENT