Hansard

a new play by Simon Woods

22 August to 25 November 2019
Running Time: approx. 1 hour 20 mins (with no interval)

Hansard

Hansard; noun
The official report of all parliamentary debates.

It’s a summer’s morning in 1988 and Tory politician Robin Hesketh has returned home to the idyllic Cotswold house he shares with his wife of 30 years, Diana. But all is not as blissful as it seems. Diana has a stinking hangover, a fox is destroying the garden, and secrets are being dug up all over the place. As the day draws on, what starts as gentle ribbing and the familiar rhythms of marital sparring quickly turns to blood-sport.

A witty and devastating new play.

The NT Live broadcast of Hansard took place on 7 November 2019.

Simon Godwin (Antony & Cleopatra) directs Simon Woods’ witty and devastating portrait of the governing class.

Olivier Award winners Lindsay Duncan and Alex Jennings return to the National Theatre to play Diana and Robin.

Production supported by Marcia Grand in loving memory of Richard Grand; Leila Maw Straus; Shawn M. Donnelley & Christopher M. Kelly. The play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Plays Award.

Buy the book
Order the playtext by Simon Woods from our online shop. Every purchase supports the work of the National Theatre.

Talks and events

Director Simon Godwin and Writer Simon Woods on Hansard Thu 12 Sep, 6pm
Parliamentary Voting: Personal Beliefs vs Party Line Mon 14 Oct, 6pm
Exploring Hansard Tue 15 Oct, 10.30am
Inside the Hansard Rehearsal Room Fri 8 November, 7.45pm
Actors Lindsay Duncan and Alex Jennings on Hansard Wed 13 Nov, 3pm

Image of Diana (Lindsay Duncan) sat at the kitchen table. Robin (Alex Jennings) is stood behind with drinks in hand. — Photo by Catherine Ashmore

Image of Diana (Lindsay Duncan) sat at the kitchen table — Photo by Catherine Ashmore

Image of Robin (Alex Jennings). He is stood clasping his hands and has a concerned expression on his face. — Photo by Catherine Ashmore

Image of Diana (Lindsay Duncan) sat at the kitchen table. Robin (Alex Jennings) is stood next to her with drinks in his hand. — Photo by Catherine Ashmore

Alex Jennings and Lindsay Duncan on Hansard

More info

Meet Robin and Diana... Thirty years of wedded bliss. The picture of a perfect marriage.

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Simon Woods and Simon Godwin on Hansard

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Hansard Ticket Prices and Access performances

Ticket prices

*£89, £69, £60, £45, £35, £15/£20

Access performances

Audio-described performances, for blind and visually impaired people:
Fri 11 October, 7.30pm
Sat 12 October, 2.15pm preceded by a Touch Tour

Captioned performances, for deaf or hard-of-hearing people:
Mon 14 October, 7.30pm
Tue 22 October, 7.30pm

*Some of the best seats in the house are premium priced. They help to ensure we can continue to offer low price seats for all our productions; the National Theatre is a charity and only 17% government-funded. This year nearly 30% of our tickets are available for £20 or less.

Smart caption glasses

Smart caption glasses are a revolutionary new way for people with hearing loss to enjoy performances at the National Theatre. For the first time, service users can experience our productions, including this one, from any seat in any theatre.

Find out about smart caption glasses