The National Theatre production in association with Chichester Festival Theatre and Headlong
Ferociously witty and permeated by a deep sense of the tragi-comic nature of all political systems
Daily Telegraph
A landslide success
Evening Standard
‘This country is being kept alive on aspirin when what it needs is electric bloody shock therapy.’
1974. The UK faces economic crisis and a hung parliament. In a culture hostile to cooperation, it’s a period when votes are won or lost by one, when there are fist fights in the bars and when sick MPs are carried through the lobby to register their vote. It’s a time when a staggering number of politicians die, and the building creaks under idiosyncrasies and arcane traditions.
Set in the engine rooms of Westminster, James Graham’s This House strips politics down to the practical realities of those behind the scenes: the whips who roll up their sleeves and on occasion bend the rules to shepherd and coerce a diverse chorus of MPs within the Mother of all Parliaments.
This acclaimed play premiered at the National Theatre in 2012. Graham’s other work includes The Vote at the Donmar Warehouse and also broadcast live on election night. Director Jeremy Herrin’s previous work at Chichester includes Uncle Vanya (2012) and Another Country (2013). He is Artistic Director of Headlong.
COMMONS SEATING
Get closer to the theatricality and mayhem of British politics with a limited number of tickets for House of Commons-style seating. These extra tickets - some of which will be on stage - offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the Commons Chamber. The only question is, which side will you choose - left or right?
