Nuffield Southampton Theatres Announces Commission Of New Play About Southampton Pub - The Hobbit

With Peter Morgan's The Audience opening next month, Samuel Hodges, director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres today announces the company will be commissioning a new play about local pub, The Hobbit and its legal battle with a Hollywood film company over copyright infringement which began in 2012.

Sir Ian McKellen, who alongside Stephen Fry spoke out in support of the pub in 2012, marked the announcement with a surprise visit to the establishment on Wednesday 10 April while he was visiting Southampton on his UK tour, Ian McKellen on Stage.

Samuel Hodges, said today, "With Tolkien's masterpiece interrogating the battle between disadvantaged man and the things the world throws at him, this is life imitating art in both senses of the phrase, and a brilliant premise for a new play. As we have over the last year with The Shadow Factory and SS Mendi, we want to continue to celebrate and share local stories with our audiences and it was very special to have Sir Ian's support on his visit to Southampton."

The company's Autumn Season includes New Wolsey Theatre's One Man Two Guvnors produced in association with Nuffield Southampton Theatres, which following a run at New Wolsey Theatre in September, opens at the NST Campus on 1 October and runs until 12 October. The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in co-production with Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Northern Stage, Nuffield Southampton Theatres and Oxford Playhouse present Tron Theatre Company and Blood of the Young's Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of). The production tours the UK from September 2019 and opens at NST City on 16 March until 28 March 2020.

Nuffield Southampton Theatres is one of the UK's leading professional theatre companies. The company is led by Samuel Hodges, supported by a team of associates: directors Blanche McIntyre, Natalie Abrahami and Michael Longhurst, designer Tom Scutt, playwright Adam Brace, choreographer Drew McOnie and poet Inua Ellams. NST develops and produces work with some of the UK's most exciting and dynamic regional theatres. NST won Best Director at UK Theatre Awards 2014 The Seagull Regional Theatre of the Year at The Stage Awards 2015, Best Design at UK Theatre Awards 2015 The Hudsucker Proxy and the 2017 Renee Stepham UK Theatre Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre Fantastic Mr Fox. In 2018 NST was nominated for three awards in the UK Theatre Awards 2018; Best Design The Shadow Factory; The Renee Stepham Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre Streetcar Named Desire and Achievement in Marketing and Audience Development for the NST City opening campaign.

NST City is Nuffield Southampton Theatres brand new venue just opened in Southampton's city centre. The new theatre opened last year, and its programme runs alongside NST Campus situated on the Highfield Campus at the University of Southampton.

Nuffield Southampton Theatres is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and a registered charity, receiving additional core funding from the University of Southampton and Southampton City Council.