Out of Joint and Hampstead Theatre present

a new play by Sebastian Barry | directed by Max Stafford-Clark

Celebrated children's writer Hans Christian Andersen arrives, unannounced, for a stay at Gad's Hill Place in the Kent marshes - home to Charles Dickens and his large, charismatic family.

To the lonely and eccentric guest, the members of Dicken's household seem to live a life of unreachable bliss. But with his broken English, Andersen doesn't at first see the tensions in the family: undeclared passions, a son sent to serve in India, and a growing strangeness at the heart of Dickens's marriage.

Sebastian Barry's novel The Secret Scripture won the 2008 Costa prize, and he has been twice shortlisted for the Booker prize. His plays include the international hit The Steward of Christendom, Our Lady of Sligo and Hinterland. Max Stafford-Clark directs this haunting and wistfully funny new play about family secrets, loneliness and love.

Niamh Cusack is well known for her work on Heartbeat and Always and Everyone, and her extensive theatre career includes Rosalind, Juliet and Desdemona for the RSC and performances at the National Theatre. David Rintoul played Dr Finlay in ITV's series and starred as Darcy in the 1980 Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Danny Sapani was highly praised for his performance in the title role of Out of Joint's world touring Macbeth.

From the Folio Society: a beautiful illustrated collection of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen and others. Five cloth-bound volumes. Illustrators include W Heath Robinson and Arthur Rackham.

TOURING SPRING 2010