HAMPSTEAD DOWNSTAIRS / CELIA ATKIN PRESENT

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

By RUBY THOMAS
Directed by LUCY MORRISON

Running time: 1 hour and 20 minutes without an interval

£5 - £20 (See ticket information)

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

Downstairs

24 Feb - 2 Apr 2022
£5 - £20

Box Office: 020 7722 9301

Details

★★★★ '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.


Our promise to you

In the event of The Animal Kingdom being postponed, you can choose between a full refund or credit to be used for any show at Hampstead.

Hampstead Theatre is delighted to open The Animal Kingdom following Government advice. As always, our audience, company and staff are our top priority. For more information about how we’re keeping you safe, please click here.


We present entertaining and original theatre, and we want you to have the best experience possible. We understand that, as part of this, some audience members may appreciate additional guidance on the content of our plays. Click here for more information.


An Audio Flyer is available for this production. This is a pre-recorded introduction describing the set, characters and costumes.

Click here to listen to The Animal Kingdom Audio Flyer

TAK Twitter

 

Cast

Artistic team

WRITER

RUBY THOMAS

DIRECTOR

LUCY MORRISON

DESIGNER

NAOMI DAWSON

lighting

HOLLY ELLIS

SOUND

BELLA KEAR

FIGHT

MC_COMBAT (MAISIE CARTER)

Cast

News

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM EXTENDED TO MEET DEMAND

Posted on 10 March 2022

Ruby Thomas' ★★★★ The Animal Kingdom, directed by Lucy Morrison, has been extended to meet demand - now finishes its run Downstairs on 2 April.

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: REVIEWS ROUND-UP

Posted on 4 March 2022

See what reviewers have been saying about Ruby Thomas' 'thrilling' and 'rewaring' new play, directed by Lucy Morrison

THREE WORLD PREMIERES ANNOUNCED FOR HAMPSTEAD DOWNSTAIRS

Posted on 11 January 2022

Hampstead Theatre is delighted to announce three world premieres for its Downstairs space in 2022.

Tickets

First five performances: All tickets £5
Performances thereafter: £20
Seniors*: £12 (matinee only)
Under 30s and Students: £10
Access: £6

*Ages 60+

Content Warnings

CONTENT WARNINGS - THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

The play contains flashing lights and strong language.

The play contains themes of depression and anxiety.

The play contains discussion about suicide attempts and self-harm.

Video and Image Gallery

PAUL KEATING (DANIEL), JONATHAN MCGUINNESS (TIM), ASHNA RABHERU (SOFIA), RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM) & MARTINA LAIRD (RITA) Photo by Robert Day PAUL KEATING (DANIEL), JONATHAN MCGUINNESS (TIM), ASHNA RABHERU (SOFIA), RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM) & MARTINA LAIRD (RITA)Photo by Robert Day
JONATHAN MCGUINNESS, LUCY MORRISON & RUBY THOMAS Photo by Chiara Wakely JONATHAN MCGUINNESS, LUCY MORRISON & RUBY THOMASPhoto by Chiara Wakely
RAGEVAN VASAN Photo by Chiara Wakely RAGEVAN VASANPhoto by Chiara Wakely
MARTINA LAIRD Photo by Chiara Wakely MARTINA LAIRDPhoto by Chiara Wakely
ASHNA RABHERU Photo by Chiara Wakely ASHNA RABHERUPhoto by Chiara Wakely
RUBY THOMAS Photo by Chiara Wakely RUBY THOMASPhoto by Chiara Wakely
LUCY MORRISON Photo by Chiara Wakely LUCY MORRISONPhoto by Chiara Wakely
PAUL KEATING & MARTINA LAIRD Photo by Chiara Wakely PAUL KEATING & MARTINA LAIRDPhoto by Chiara Wakely
JONATHAN MCGUINNESS & MARTINA LAIRD Photo by Chiara Wakely JONATHAN MCGUINNESS & MARTINA LAIRDPhoto by Chiara Wakely
JONATHAN MCGUINNESS, MARTINA LAIRD & ASHNA RABHERU Photo by Chiara Wakely JONATHAN MCGUINNESS, MARTINA LAIRD & ASHNA RABHERUPhoto by Chiara Wakely
RAGEVAN VASAN Photo by Chiara Wakely RAGEVAN VASANPhoto by Chiara Wakely
RAGEVAN VASAN, ASHNA RABHERU & LUCY MORRISON Photo by Chiara Wakely RAGEVAN VASAN, ASHNA RABHERU & LUCY MORRISONPhoto by Chiara Wakely
PAUL KEATING Photo by Chiara Wakely PAUL KEATINGPhoto by Chiara Wakely
MARTINA LAIRD Photo by Chiara Wakely MARTINA LAIRDPhoto by Chiara Wakely
ASHNA RABHERU Photo by Chiara Wakely ASHNA RABHERUPhoto by Chiara Wakely
ASHNA RABHERU (SOFIA), RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM) & MARTINA LAIRD (RITA) Photo by Robert Day ASHNA RABHERU (SOFIA), RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM) & MARTINA LAIRD (RITA)Photo by Robert Day
ASHNA RABHERU (SOFIA) & MARTINA LAIRD (RITA) Photo by Robert Day ASHNA RABHERU (SOFIA) & MARTINA LAIRD (RITA)Photo by Robert Day
RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM) Photo by Robert Day RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM)Photo by Robert Day
PAUL KEATING (DANIEL) & RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM) Photo by Robert Day PAUL KEATING (DANIEL) & RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM)Photo by Robert Day
MARTINA LAIRD (RITA) & JONATHAN MCGUINNESS (TIM) Photo by Robert Day MARTINA LAIRD (RITA) & JONATHAN MCGUINNESS (TIM)Photo by Robert Day
PAUL KEATING (DANIEL), ASHNA RABHERU (SOFIA), MARTINA LAIRD (RITA), JONATHAN MCGUINNESS (TIM) & RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM) Photo by Robert Day PAUL KEATING (DANIEL), ASHNA RABHERU (SOFIA), MARTINA LAIRD (RITA), JONATHAN MCGUINNESS (TIM) & RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM)Photo by Robert Day
PAUL KEATING (DANIEL), RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM), MARTINA LAIRD (RITA) & JONATHAN MCGUINNESS (TIM) Photo by Robert Day PAUL KEATING (DANIEL), RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM), MARTINA LAIRD (RITA) & JONATHAN MCGUINNESS (TIM)Photo by Robert Day
ASHNA RABHERU (SOFIA), JONATHAN MCGUINNESS (TIM), RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM), PAUL KEATING (DANIEL) & MARTINA LAIRD (RITA) Photo by Robert Day ASHNA RABHERU (SOFIA), JONATHAN MCGUINNESS (TIM), RAGEVAN VASAN (SAM), PAUL KEATING (DANIEL) & MARTINA LAIRD (RITA)Photo by Robert Day

KEEPING YOU SAFE AT HAMPSTEAD

1 Social Distanced 1

RESPECT PERSONAL SPACE

2 MASKS REQUIRED 1

FACE MASKS ENCOURAGED

4 STATE OF THE ART VENTILATION 1

STATE OF THE ART VENTILATION

5 ENHANCED CLEANING 1

ENHANCED CLEANING

7 CONTACTLESS TICKETS 1

CONTACTLESS TICKETS

8 HAND SANITIZING STATIONS 2

HAND SANITISING STATIONS

9 CASHLESS PAYMENT 1

CASHLESS PAYMENT