★★★★ 'Fast, furious drama with note-perfect performances' The Times

★★★★ 'A thrilling portrait of a family in collapse. A coiled-spring production... Pure theatre.' The Guardian

★★★★ 'Thoughtful family drama anchored by an excellent cast' The Stage

★★★★ 'A sharp production. Funny, humane and very rewarding.' WhatsOnStage

Sam is struggling. Being a human has never been simple for him. He just feels like a different kind of creature. Sam’s family don’t understand. But then they barely understand themselves. Now, trapped in a stuffy inpatient clinic undergoing family therapy, they must find new ways to communicate with each other so that, one way or another, Sam can be released from captivity.

The world premiere of Ruby Thomas' The Animal Kingdom, directed by Lucy Morrison, is an observation of family dynamics told with wit and compassion.

Ruby Thomas returns to Hampstead Theatre, following the premiere of her first full-length play Either in 2019. In 2020, Ruby wrote a piece for the Royal Court’s Living Newspaper, and she has also had short plays performed at the Old Red Lion, Platform Southwark, the White Bear and Theatre503.

Lucy Morrison makes her Hampstead debut. An Associate Director at the Royal Court, her credits include Scenes with girls (Royal Court), The Woods (Royal Court) and Little on the inside (Almeida Festival/Clean Break).

The cast features Paul Keating (My Night with Reg, Turbine Theatre), Martina Laird (Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, National/UK tour), Jonathan McGuinness (Four Minutes Twelve Seconds, Hampstead Downstairs/Trafalgar Studios), Ashna Rabheru (Top Girls, National Theatre) and Ragevan Vasan (little scratch, Hampstead Downstairs).

The Animal Kingdom has been kindly supported by the Godwin family.

Our promise to you

In the event of The Animal Kingdom being postponed, you can choose between a full refund or credit to be used for any show at Hampstead.

Hampstead Theatre is delighted to open The Animal Kingdom following Government advice. As always, our audience, company and staff are our top priority. For more information about how we’re keeping you safe, please click here.

We present entertaining and original theatre, and we want you to have the best experience possible. We understand that, as part of this, some audience members may appreciate additional guidance on the content of our plays. Click here for more information.

An Audio Flyer is available for this production. This is a pre-recorded introduction describing the set, characters and costumes.

Click here to listen to The Animal Kingdom Audio Flyer

CONTENT WARNINGS - THE ANIMAL KINGDOM