Paradise
A thrilling story of pride, glory and betrayal.
Kae Tempest, the astonishing writer, recording artist and performer, forges an epic new take on Greek legend.
Philoctetes: once a celebrated wartime hero, now a wounded outcast on a desolate island.
When a young soldier appears, his hope of escape comes with suspicion. And as an old enemy also emerges, he is faced with an even greater temptation: revenge.
Director Ian Rickson returns to the National Theatre following his acclaimed, sold-out runs of Translations.
The all-female company, with Lesley Sharp as Philoctetes, will perform amidst a dramatic wasteland designed by Rae Smith (War Horse, Barber Shop Chronicles).
‘Kae Tempest has a gift for shattering and transcending convention.’
New York Times
Kae Tempest (Brand New Ancients, Let Them Eat Chaos) is winner of the Ted Hughes Award, has been nominated for the Costa Book Award for Poetry, and twice-nominated for the Mercury Prize.
We can’t wait to welcome you for live performances
We're proud to be See It Safely approved by Official London Theatre, and have received the Visit Britain 'We're Good to Go' industry standard mark, so you can feel confident knowing that staff, artists and audiences are always COVID-secure based on the latest government guidelines.
Here are some helpful things to remember when booking tickets and planning your visit:
- Performances of Paradise will take place without social distancing, should Government confirm the lifting of remaining COVID restrictions in England as expected. Until ‘Step 4’ confirmation is received, these performances will be sold at socially distanced capacities in fixed clusters of singles, pairs or groups of 3-4 people. Further tickets will be released following confirmation of ‘Step 4’ guidelines.
- Seats in our theatres are allocated four separate arrival groups, which are indicated when you select tickets: Group 1 is the earliest arrival time, with Group 4 being the closest to the start of the performance.
- In advance of your visit, you will receive an email with your specific arrival time.
- We ask that everyone over the age of 16 to provide contact details for NHS Test & Trace on arrival.
- Some of our theatre entrances may have changed since your last visit, so please view our map to familiarise yourselves with entry points.
Learn more about the ways we are welcoming audiences back safely
Supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation through the Weston Culture Fund
The reopening of the Olivier theatre is generously supported by Areté Foundation / Betsy & Ed Cohen.
Production supported by Cockayne - Grants for the Arts and The London Community Foundation.
