Nye
by Tim Price
a co-production with Wales Millennium Centre
One man’s dream of the NHS
From campaigning at the coalfield to leading the battle to create the NHS, Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan is often referred to as the politician with greatest influence on our country without ever being Prime Minister.
Confronted with death, Nye’s deepest memories lead him on a mind-bending journey back through his life, from childhood to mining underground, Parliament and fights with Churchill in an epic Welsh fantasia.
Michael Sheen (Under Milk Wood) reprises his role as Nye Bevan in this ‘valiant and valuable affirmation of the NHS’ ( Telegraph). Written by Tim Price (Teh Internet is Serious Business) and ‘vividly directed’ ( Times) by Rufus Norris (Small Island), this celebration of the life and legacy of the man who transformed Britain’s welfare state returns to the Olivier following a sell-out run.
Other ways to watch
The original 2024 production
Online
Stream Nye with Michael Sheen on NT at Home. From 6pm on 31 March, Nye will no longer be available to stream in the UK.
In select international cinemas
Michael Sheen is Nye Bevan in an epic Welsh fantasia about one man’s dream of the NHS.
Reviews
For the original production
‘A taut and fluid triumph’
The i
‘Sheen catches Nye’s lightning in a bottle’
Broadway World
‘A mighty, moving piece of theatre’
Financial Times
‘Rufus Norris directs and delivers one of his best productions to date’
Daily Express
‘Moving and totally relevant’
Mail on Sunday
Suitability
Please note: This production takes place in a hospital setting and includes references to medical conditions and procedures throughout. It contains strobe effect lighting, haze and the use of strong language.
Supporters
This original production at the National Theatre was supported by the Huo Family Foundation and Rosetrees Trust. The commissioning of this work was generously supported by the Sir Peter Shaffer Charitable Foundation. This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Plays Award.
Cast
Gabriel Akamo
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Remy Beasley
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Matthew Bulgo
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Ross Foley
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Jon Furlong
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Daniel Hawksford
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other and Much Ado About Nothing
Jason Hughes
Jason Hughes
Stephanie Jacob
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Small Island, Absolute Hell, Saint George and the Dragon, Burnt by the Sun, Her Naked Skin, Major Barbara, Philistines, The Rose Tattoo and Stanley
Kezrena James
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Under Milk Wood, My Brilliant Friend and From Morning to Midnight
Tony Jayawardena
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), The Father and the Assassin, East is East, London Assurance, All’s Well That Ends Well and England People Very Nice
Michael Keane
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Nicholas Khan
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), The Father and the Assassin, The Beaux Stratagem and Dara
Rebecca Killick
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre) and War Horse on tour
Mark Matthews
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre) and War Horse on UK and international tour
Joshua McCord
Joshua McCord
Hannah McPake
Hannah McPake
Rhodri Meilir
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Ashley Mejri
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Lee Mengo
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre) and Under Milk Wood
Mali O'Donnell
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Sara Otung
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Michael Sheen
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Under Milk Wood, The UN Inspector, Look Back in Anger, The Homecoming and Ends of the Earth
Sharon Small
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), The Threepenny Opera, Men Should Weep and London Cuckolds
Gareth Tempest
Gareth Tempest
Artistic team
Writer
Tim Price
Tim Price
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre) and Protest Song
Director
Rufus Norris
Rufus Norris
For the National Theatre: as director, credits include Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Hex, Small Island, Macbeth, Mosquitoes, My Country; a work in progress, The Threepenny Opera, wonder.land and Everyman; as associate director, credits include Behind the Beautiful Forevers, The Amen Corner, Table, London Road, Death and the King’s Horseman and Market Boy
Set Designer
Vicki Mortimer
Vicki Mortimer
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Our Generation, The Normal Heart, The Visit, or The Old Lady Comes to Call, ANNA, Follies, The Plough and the Stars, The Threepenny Opera, Here We Go, The Silver Tassie, Othello, Hamlet, Waves, Cat in a Hat, Three Sisters, The Seagull and Closer
Costume Designer
Kinnetia Isidore
Kinnetia Isidore
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre) and Our Generation (also Chichester)
Lighting Designer
Paule Constable
Paule Constable
Recently for the National Theatre: Ballet Shoes, Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Till the Stars Come Down, The Confessions, Dixon and Daughters, The Normal Heart, The Visit, or The Old Lady Comes to Call and The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Co-Choreographer
Steven Hoggett
Steven Hoggett
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), The Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Light Princess and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (also West End and Broadway)
Co-Choreographer
Jess Williams
Jess Williams
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre); as associate director or associate movement director, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Beginning (also for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch); as movement director, The Boy with Two Hearts
Composer
Will Stuart
Will Stuart
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre) and The Corn is Green
Sound Designer
Donato Wharton
Donato Wharton
For the National Theatre: The Grapes of Wrath, Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Grenfell: in the words of survivors (also St. Ann’s Warehouse, New York), Under Milk Wood, Middle and Three Sisters
Projection Designer
Jon Driscoll
Jon Driscoll
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Small Island, I’m Not Running, 3 Winters, King Lear, The Effect, People, Travelling Light, Earthquakes in London, Nation, The Power of Yes, The Observer, Gethsemane, Her Naked Skin, Fram, A Matter of Life and Death and The Reporter
Revival Co-Director
Francesca Goodridge
Francesca Goodridge
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Casting Director
Alastair Coomer CDG
Alastair Coomer CDG
For the National Theatre: over 50 productions including Alterations, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Other Place, The Grapes of Wrath, Mnemonic (2024), Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), The House of Bernarda Alba, Othello, The Crucible (also West End), Blues for an Alabama Sky, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Mosquitoes, This House, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, One Man, Two Guvnors and War Horse
Casting Director
Chloe Blake
Chloe Blake
Recent National Theatre includes: The Importance of Being Earnest, Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Jekyll and Hyde, Barrier(s), Hamlet for Young Audiences, The Effect and Blues for an Alabama Sky
Casting Director
Martin Poile
Martin Poile
Dialect Coach
Patricia Logue
Patricia Logue
For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Dancing at Lughnasa and Romeo and Julie
Company Voice Work
Cathleen McCarron
Cathleen McCarron
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End), Ballet Shoes, The Other Place for A Zeldin Company, Coriolanus, Mnemonic (2024, with Complicité), Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Till the Stars Come Down, The House of Bernarda Alba, The Confessions and The Motive and the Cue, Death of England: Closing Time and Romeo and Julie
Consultant Medical Adviser
Associate Lighting Designer
Staff Director
Jenny Davies
Jenny Davies
Booking information
Please note: Michael Sheen will not be performing on the following dates:
Wed 16 July at 2pm, Wed 23 July at 2pm, Wed 30 July at 7.30pm, Wed 6 Aug at 2pm, Wed 13 Aug at 7.30pm.
Lee Mengo will be performing the role of Nye Bevan at these performances.
Ticket prices
Monday – Saturday evenings and matinees:
£25, £39, £59, £79, £99
Previews 3 – 8 July:
£20, £35, £49, £64, £79
Prices may change according to demand
For concessions and discounts, see Ways to save
Early evening performances
Please note the 6.30pm start time on the following performances: Thur 31 Jul, Tue 5 Aug, Thur 7 Aug and Tue 12 Aug.
Ticketing FAQs
Fees: We charge no extra booking fees.
Payment types: We accept Amex, MasterCard & Visa.
Ticket delivery: We send mobile tickets 7 days before the performance. These can be saved to the wallet on your phone.
Ticket exchanges: You can request to exchange some or all of your tickets in the Account section of this website, up to 24hrs before the performance. A fee of £4 per performance returned online applies.
Visit our full Ticketing FAQs if you need more information on how to book, ticket exchanges and more.
Assisted performances
Captioned
BSL Interpreted
Audio described
No Chilled performance available.
No Dementia-friendly performances available.
Relaxed performance
The interpreter for the BSL performance will be announced closer to the performance date.
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 are Miranda Yates and Jenny Stewart Cosgrove.
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
Are planned to be available for performances of Nye from 7.30pm, Wednesday 16 July.
Shop
Visit the Shop website for a wide range of playtexts, gifts and prints of past production posters.
Photography by Rachel Louise Brown.