The National Theatre has announced a return to repertory theatre for the first time since 2020.
The venue will make use of its design to stage multiple productions in its Lyttelton space concurrently in 2027.
Paul Mescal (A Streetcar Named Desire) will appear in two 20th-century plays as part of the season. He will star in Tom Murphy’s A Whistle in the Dark, directed by Caitríona McLaughlin (Translations), in a co-production with the Abbey Theatre. The production will later transfer to the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.
Mescal will also perform in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman in the role of Biff, directed by Rebecca Frecknall. Frecknall and Mescal previously collaborated on the award-winning A Streetcar Named Desire at the Almeida Theatre, in the West End and in New York.
Although set in different locations and cultural contexts, both plays explore themes including family conflict, identity, and social expectation.
Details about a second pair of productions in the Lyttelton will be announced later. Performance dates, additional casting, and ticket information will be confirmed in due course. The shows have been announced as part of the National’s new season, the first programmed by director Indhu Rubasingham.