The Land of the Living
a new play by David Lan
Booking and details
Public booking opens at midday on Thursday 6 February
‘All my life – all your life – I’ve struggled with this: was what I did “wrong”?’
Germany, 1945. Thomas, one of thousands of children stolen by the Nazis from Eastern Europe during WWII, is under the care of Ruth, a UN relief worker. Should she try to find his parents or leave him with those he’s grown up with? The choice she makes will shape his life.
London, 1990. Years later, Thomas visits Ruth. As they untangle the past, the decisions Ruth made as a very young woman are called powerfully into question.
Juliet Stevenson is Ruth in this remarkable and timely new play by David Lan, former Artistic Director of the Young Vic. Immersed in the shapeshifting nature of memory and morality, it’s directed by Stephen Daldry (The Jungle, The Inheritance).
Get pre-sale access to tickets
Members book first for our new shows, including Inter Alia, The Estate, The Land of the Living and End.
Member booking from Tuesday 28 January
Public booking from Thursday 6 February
Supporters
Cast includes
Atilla Akinci
Mayor + Ensemble
Atilla Akinci
Kate Duchêne
Dora
Kate Duchêne
Hubert Hanowicz
Ensemble
Hubert Hanowicz
Caroline Loncq
Elise
Caroline Loncq
Avital Lvova
Olga
Avital Lvova
Michael Marcus
Bill
Michael Marcus
Anastasia Martin
Theresa
Anastasia Martin
Juliet Stevenson
Ruth
Juliet Stevenson
Tom Wlaschiha
Thomas
Tom Wlaschiha
Artistic team
Writer
David Lan
David Lan
Director
Stephen Daldry
Stephen Daldry
Set Designer
Miriam Buether
Miriam Buether
Lighting Designer
James Farncombe
James Farncombe
For the National Theatre: The Other Place in association with A Zeldin Company, Phaedra, People, Places and Things (also West End, on UK tour and at St Ann’s Warehouse, New York), When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, The Plough and the Stars, Man and Superman, Three Winters, Edward II, People, The Magistrate, London Road, Juno and the Paycock, Men Should Weep and Double Feature
Sound Designer
Gareth Fry
Gareth Fry
Recent National Theatre includes: Till the Stars Come Down, Barber Shop Chronicles, A Small Family Business and Othello
Composer
Paul Englishby
Paul Englishby
Casting Director
Naomi Downham
Naomi Downham
For the National Theatre, as casting director: Alterations, A Tupperware of Ashes, The Grapes of Wrath, Underdog: The Other Other Brontë (also Northern Stage), The House of Bernarda Alba, The Crucible (also West End), The Ocean at the End of the Lane (UK tour), Hamlet (school tour) and Jekyll & Hyde (school tour)
Associate Director
Jane Moriarty
Jane Moriarty
Tickets
Monday – Saturday evenings and matinees:
£20, £40, £55, £70
Previews 9 – 15 September:
£20, £35, £45, £55
For concessions and discounts, see Ways to save
Please note the 6.30pm start time on the following performances: Tue 30 September, Tue 7 October , Thur 16 October and Thur 23 October.
Visit our Ticketing FAQs for information on how to book, ticket exchanges and more.
Prices may change according to demand
What's on guide
Download a pdf of the latest guide (1.8MB)
The Alternative format will be available here soon.
Assisted performances
Captioned
No BSL Interpreted performances available.
Audio described
No Chilled performance available.
No Dementia-friendly performances available.
Relaxed performance
Audio-described performances are preceded by a Touch Tour, 90 minutes before the performance start time. Call the Access line on 020 7452 3961 to book Touch Tours.
The Audio describers will be announced closer to the performance date.
We have an allocation of tickets held for members of our Access scheme and if any of the assisted performances above are shown as “Sold Out”, tickets may still be available: Please log in to your account to view all available tickets, or call Box Office on 020 7452 3961
Smart caption glasses
Will not be available for performances of The Land of the Living.
Shop
Visit our Shop website for a wide range of playtexts, gifts and prints of past production posters.
Photo of Juliet Stevenson by Julian Andrews Eye R8 Productions