“We’re bonobos, in our family. A hundred percent… They can be pretty aggressive actually.”

★★★★ ‘Fast, furious drama with note-perfect performances’ The Times

★★★★ ‘A thrilling portrait of a family in collapse. A coiled-spring production… Pure theatre.’ The Guardian

★★★★ ‘Thoughtful family drama anchored by an excellent cast’ The Stage

★★★★ ‘A sharp production. Funny, humane and very rewarding.’ WhatsOnStage

Sam is struggling. Being a human has never been simple for him. He just feels like a different kind of creature. Sam’s family don’t understand. But then they barely understand themselves. Now, trapped in a stuffy inpatient clinic undergoing family therapy, they must find new ways to communicate with each other so that, one way or another, Sam can be released from captivity.

The world premiere of Ruby Thomas‘ The Animal Kingdom, directed by Lucy Morrison, is an observation of family dynamics told with wit and compassion.

Ruby Thomas returns to Hampstead Theatre, following the premiere of her first full-length play Either in 2019. In 2020, Ruby wrote a piece for the Royal Court’s Living Newspaper, and she has also had short plays performed at the Old Red Lion, Platform Southwark, the White Bear and Theatre503.

Lucy Morrison makes her Hampstead debut. An Associate Director at the Royal Court, her credits include Scenes with girls (Royal Court), The Woods (Royal Court) and Little on the inside (Almeida Festival/Clean Break).

The cast features Paul Keating (My Night with Reg, Turbine Theatre), Martina Laird (Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, National/UK tour), Jonathan McGuinness (Four Minutes Twelve Seconds, Hampstead Downstairs/Trafalgar Studios), Ashna Rabheru (Top Girls, National Theatre) and Ragevan Vasan (little scratch, Hampstead Downstairs).

The Animal Kingdom has been kindly supported by the Godwin family.