London Tide
based on Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend
adapted by Ben Power
songs by PJ Harvey and Ben Power
Booking and details
It begins like this. With the dusk and the storm and the Thames…
A storm rages and, in the darkest part of the night, a body is pulled from the swirling Thames.
Across the city, two young women confront an uncertain future. In Limehouse, Lizzie Hexam struggles to break free of the river and its dark secrets. On the other side of town, Bella Wilfer mourns a lost marriage. The appearance of the mysterious John Rokesmith has the potential to change their lives for ever. Will they sink or swim?
This romantic and propulsive thriller is a hymn to the city and the river that runs through it. Directed by Ian Rickson (Translations) and adapted by Ben Power (The Lehman Trilogy), with original songs throughout, the genius of Dickens meets the fierce musical imagination of acclaimed singer-songwriter, PJ Harvey.
Performed 10 April — 22 June 2024 in the Lyttelton Theatre.
‘Strikingly staged’
‘Transfixing’
‘Rickson Delivers it all’
‘Great performances across the board’
Financial Times
‘Full of integrity’
Suitability
Please note this production contains: smoke and haze, mild language. Depictions of death, suffocation and drowning
Supporters
This production is supported by the National Theatre’s Official Hotel Partner Edwardian Hotels, The Polonsky Foundation, Bill & Penny Bardel, Monica Gerard-Sharp & Ali Wambold, Lawton W Fitt & James I McLaren Foundation, Cockayne – Grants for the Arts, The London Community Foundation and The Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater.
Gallery
Production images
Rehearsal images
Cast
Beth Alsbury
For the National Theatre: London Tide
Joe Armstrong
For the National Theatre: London Tide, Rutherford and Son and Husbands and Sons
Hayley Chilvers
For the National Theatre: London Tide
Crystal Condie
For the National Theatre: London Tide, Dear England (also West End), All of Us and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Laura Cubitt
For the National Theatre: London Tide, Romeo and Julie, Small Island, Common, ANNA, Peter Pan, The Elephantom, War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Women Beware Women
Jonathan Dryden Taylor
Mr Cleaver / Understudy Roger Riderhood / Gaffer Hexam
Jonathan Dryden Taylor
For the National Theatre: London Tide, The Normal Heart, As You Like It, Our Country’s Good, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, King Lear, Othello and The Captain of Köpenick
Brandon Grace
For the National Theatre: London Tide and Much Ado About Nothing
Miya James
For the National Theatre: London Tide and The Crucible (West End)
Scott Karim
For the National Theatre: London Tide, Dara, Great Britain and Othello
Stephen Kennedy
For the National Theatre: London Tide, The Plough and the Stars, The Silver Tassie, Mother Courage, England People Very Nice, Dido, Queen of Carthage, Waves (also on tour) and Women of Troy
Joshua Lacey
For the National Theatre: London Tide, Othello, The Visit, or the old lady comes to call, Macbeth, wonder.land, Everyman, One Man, Two Guvnors and The Magistrate
Penny Layden
For the National Theatre: London Tide, Paradise, Jellyfish (also Bush), Macbeth, My Country; a work in progress (also on tour), Another World: Losing Our Children to Islamic State, An Oak Tree, Everyman, Edward II, Table and Timon of Athens
Bella Maclean
For the National Theatre: London Tide
Eric Mok
For the National Theatre: London Tide
Tom Mothersdale
For the National Theatre: London Tide, John and Cleansed
Liam Prince-Donnelly
For the National Theatre: London Tide
Ellie-May Sheridan
For the National Theatre: London Tide
Georgia Silver
For the National Theatre: London Tide and The House of Bernarda Alba
Ami Tredrea
For the National Theatre: London Tide and The Crucible
John Vernon
For the National Theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest, Coriolanus, London Tide, Dear Octopus and The Red Lion
Jamael Westman
For the National Theatre: London Tide
Peter Wight
For the National Theatre: London Tide, The Red Lion, Ivanov, Sleep with Me, Murmuring Judges, Arturo Ui, Black Snow and Waiting for Godot
Jake Wood
For the National Theatre: London Tide
Rufus Wright
For the National Theatre: London Tide, The Corn is Green, Translations and Much Ado About Nothing
Production team
Adaptation and lyrics
Ben Power
Ben Power
For the National Theatre: London Tide, The Lehman Trilogy (also West End, Broadway and international tour), Husbands and Sons, Medea and Emperor and Galilean
Music and lyrics
Director
Ian Rickson
Ian Rickson
For the National Theatre: London Tide, All of Us, Paradise, Translations, Evening at the Talk House, The Red Lion, The Hothouse and The Day I Stood Still
Set and Costume Designer
Bunny Christie
Bunny Christie
For the National Theatre: London Tide, After Life, The Welkin, People, Places & Things (also West End and St. Ann’s Warehouse, New York), The Red Barn, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (also West End and Broadway; Olivier and Tony Awards), Emil and the Detectives, The White Guard, The Cherry Orchard and Comedy of Errors
Lighting Designer
Jack Knowles
Jack Knowles
For the National Theatre: London Tide, Romeo and Julie, Top Girls, Beginning (also West End) and Barber Shop Chronicles (also on international tour) and Cleansed
Music Director
Vocal Arrangements
Vocal Arrangements
Co-Sound Designer
Tingying Dong
Tingying Dong
For the National Theatre: London Tide, Dear Octopus and The Crucible (also in the West End)
Co-Sound Designer
Christopher Shutt
Christopher Shutt
For the National Theatre: Mnemonic (2024), a co-production with Complicité, London Tide, The Crucible (West End), Much Ado About Nothing, The Corn is Green, Paradise, Hansard, Antony and Cleopatra, Top Girls, Julie, John, Twelfth Night, Man and Superman, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour and War Horse (also West End and Broadway and on tour)
Movement Director
Anna Morrissey
Anna Morrissey
For the National Theatre: London Tide, Middle, Translations, ANNA and The World of Extreme Happiness
Video Designer
Hayley Egan
Hayley Egan
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025), Complicité’s Mnemonic (2024), London Tide and The Boy with Two Hearts (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Fight Director
Terry King
Terry King
For the National Theatre: London Tide, All of Us, His Dark Materials, The Murderers, Fool for Love, Edmund and The Duchess of Malfi
Casting Director
Bryony Jarvis-Taylor
Bryony Jarvis-Taylor
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End), Ballet Shoes, Coriolanus, London Tide, Dear Octopus, Roald Dahl’s The Witches, The Odyssey, Dixon and Daughters, Romeo and Julie, Much Ado About Nothing, Trouble in Mind, Hex, After Life, Dick Whittington, The Visit, My Brilliant Friend and Peter Gynt
Voice and Dialect Coach
Simon Money
Simon Money
For the National Theatre: London Tide, Paradise, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Welkin, Under Milk Wood, ‘Master Harold’ …and the boys, Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear – The Musical!, Rockets and the Blue Lights, Top Girls and Rutherford and Son
Associate Set Designer
Verity Sadler
Verity Sadler
For the National Theatre: as design associate to Bunny Christie – London Tide and People, Places and Things (also on tour and at St Ann’s Warehouse, New York)
Deputy Music Director
Jon Gingell
Jon Gingell
Recently for the National Theatre: London Tide, Hadestown (also Broadway), Roald Dahl’s The Witches, Hex, Dick Whittington, Peter Gynt, Twelfth Night, wonder.land (also Théâtre du Châtelet) and The Threepenny Opera
Staff Director
Yasmin Hafesji
Yasmin Hafesji
For the National Theatre: London Tide and The Motive and the Cue
Musicians
Piano and Guitars
Drum Kit
Alex Lupo
Alex Lupo
Keyboards
Sarah Anderson
Sarah Anderson
Support London Tide
We invite you to support London Tide to help us realise the ambitions of this world-leading creative team and create an unforgettable new production for the Lyttelton stage.
What’s on
Photo by Spencer Murphy