Dates Set for Old Vic Transfer of Alan Ayckbourn's The Divide

Dates have been announced for the Old Vic run of Alan Ayckbourn's new play The Divide, coming off an acclaimed debut engagement at the Edinburgh International Festival. Previews will begin at The Old Vic on February 1, 2018 with an opening slated for February 7. Annabel Bolton directs.

The Divide follows the aftermath of a deadly contagion that has decimated the population; contact between men and women has become fatal. Under the dictates of an elusive and authoritarian preacher, an unthinkable solution has been enforced. The adult survivors are now segregated by gender and, physically separated, men wear white as a sign of their purity and women—still deemed infected—are clothed in black as a mark of their sin.

The Divide features a choir of 20 performers from The Old Vic's community company singing original music composed by Christopher Nightingale. Since the run at The Old Vic was originally announced, the play has been compressed into a single performance rather than the two-part play that appeared in Edinburgh.

The Divide will feature design by Laura Hopkins, lighting by David Plater, sound by Bobby Aitken and video by Ash J. Woodward. Further details will be announced soon.

Check out a preview of the Edinburgh production of The Divide below.