The Fishermen

New Perspectives' adaptation of the Booker Prize-nominated novel The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma will get a West End transfer at Trafalgar Studios from 3 September to 12 October 2019.

The play is adapted by Gbolahan Obisesan and directed by Jack McNamara with casting yet to be announced.

This new outing for the play follows in the wake of a Stage Award winning run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and two sold-out runs at the Arcola Theatre.

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and named a best book of the year by the Observer, the Economist, the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal, The Fishermen is the debut novel from Nigerian author Chigozie Obioma.

Director Jack McNamara said ...

"The Fishermen has been on an extraordinary journey since it first opened at Home Manchester last summer, going on to sell out in Edinburgh and London and win an award for its two outstanding young actors.

Given the continual demand for this play, we are delighted to bring it to more audiences in London for six weeks this autumn, marking New Perspectives first transfer to the West End.

We are thrilled to showcase cutting edge work made in Nottingham and bring one of the many great contemporary African stories into focus on the London stage."

Gbolahan Obisesan is a director and Fringe First winning writer.

His previous plays include an adaption of Pigeon English (Bristol Old Vic, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013) and the Fringe First winning Mad About the Boy (2011), and he was one of the six writers commissioned by the Royal Court and the Young Vic for Rufus Norris' Feast.

He recently held the role of Genesis Fellow/Associate Director at the Young Vic Theatre, previously directed the 2017 Olivier nominated Cuttin it (Young Vic, Birmingham Rep, Sheffield Crucible, Royal Court, Yard Theatre) and Off The Page, a short film for the Royal Court/Guardian's microplays season.

New Perspectives is an East Midlands based company with over 40 years' experience of touring highly original productions to venues of all sizes across the UK, from mid-scale theatres to village halls.

Since 2012, they have been led by Artistic Director Jack McNamara whose productions include The Boss of It All by Lars von Trier (Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh and Soho Theatre), The Lovesong of Alfred J Hitchcock by David Rudkin (Brits off Broadway, New York and UK tour), and Darkness Darkness (Nottingham Playhouse co-production).

They will be touring a new adaptation of Swiss cult film The Man Without A Past in the Summer, and debbie tucker green's trade in the Autumn.

Chigozie Obioma will be headlining at the Africa Writes festival alongside a staged reading of the play on Sunday 7th July.

The author will also be talking about his new novel, An Orchestra of Minorities.

Africa Writes festival is a celebration of contemporary literature from Africa and the diaspora, brought to you by The Royal African Society and presented in partnership the British Library.

The eighth edition of the festival takes place Friday 5th - Sunday 7th July 2019.

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