Bridge Theatre to reopen with socially distanced shows this autumn featuring Imelda Staunton, Ralph Fiennes and more

## London's Bridge Theatre announces plans for a socially distanced autumn season The **Bridge Theatre in London** will reopen this autumn with a COVID-compliant season of socially distanced monologues and reduced audience capacity, it has been announced. With a normal seating capacity of 900, the auditorium will now reduce its capacity to just 250 seats in order to maintain COVID compliance. Consumers can also book with confidence knowing that automatic refunds will be issued in the unlikely event of a cancellation or delayed opening due to coronavirus. ### What's on at the London Bridge Theatre? The new season play host to a number of high-profile monologues, including **Yolanda Mercy** and six performances of her one-woman show *Quarter Life Crisis*, which is directed by Jade Lewis and was previously adapted for the radio. Playwright and poet **Zodwa Nyoni**'s monologue *Nine Lives* will be performed by **Lladel Bryant** and directed by **Alex Chisholm**. From September through October, the central theatre in London will run live versions of its previously recorded **Alan Bennett** series, *Talking Heads*, which is now available to stream on iPlayer. ### Bridge Theatre Autumn 2020 performance schedule in full Here is a full list of performers and shows set to take place this autumn at the Bridge Theatre. **Imelda Staunton** in *A Lady of Letters**,* directed by **Jonathan Kent** 8 October - 31 October **Kristin Scott Thomas** in *The Hand of God**,* directed by **Jonathan Kent** 9 September - 26 September **Lesley Manville** in *Bed Among the Lentils**,* directed by **Nicholas Hytner** 7 September - 22 September **Lucian Msamati** in *Playing Sandwiches,* directed by **Jeremy Herrin** 28 September - 2 October **Maxine Peake** in *Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet,* directed by **Sarah Frankcom** 30 September - 24 October **Monica Dolan** in *The Shrine,* directed by **Nicholas Hytner** 7 September - 22 September **Ralph Fiennes** in *Beat the Devil* 29 August - 31 October **Rochenda Sandall** in *The Outside Dog,* directed by **Nadia Fall** 9 September - 26 September **Tamsin Greig** in *Nights in the Gardens of Spain,* directed by **Marianne Elliott** 30 September - 24 October ### Also showing at the Bridge Theatre The venue will also run **Inua Ellams**' and **Fuel**'s *An Evening with an Immigrant *at the end of September with a special music selection by **DA Sid Mercutio**. **Ralph Fiennes** will also star as **David Hare** in Hare's new monologue *Beat the Devil* about contracting coronavirus, which will run when the Bridge Theatre reopens at the end of August. **Nicholas Hytner** will direct while the show will feature designs by **Bunny Christie**, sound by **Gareth Fry**, music by **George Fenton**, and lighting by **Jon Clark**. The production will run on a variety of different dates/ will be mounted on a variety of days and dates from the end of August, with a full schedule available below. ### Bridge Theatre statement in full on new Autumn season The Bridge Theatre stated: "*As you'll know, the Government is embarked on a phased return for the performing arts. We are hoping that we will get the green light to open with a reduced capacity of 250 seats and stringent safety measures, and we are inviting audiences from today to book seats with the assurance that, of course, if the season is delayed there will be automatic refunds for any performances that can't go ahead.*" "*We are all excited at the prospect of re-opening The Bridge after a hiatus of five and a half months but, needless to say, the safety of audiences and the well-being of all those who work at the Bridge remain our chief concern.*"

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