Casting Announced for Peter Gill's CERTAIN YOUNG MEN Reading at the National Theatre

The National Theatre will mark the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales by staging its first Queer Theatre event series from 6 - 10 July 2017.

A group of world-class actors and directors will look at how theatre has charted the LGBT+ experience through a series of rehearsed readings and post-show discussions in the Lyttelton Theatre.

The third play in the NT's Queer Theatre series of rehearsed readings is Certain Young Men by Peter Gill. First staged in 1999, Certain Young Men will be performed on Saturday 8th July 7.30pm in the Lyttelton Theatre.

'To be really queer you have to have someone nail your foreskin to a piece of wood and generally kick up a bit of a fuss.' As the new millennium approaches, four gay couples illuminate the differences within the 'gay community'. Is gay life defined by living in coupled suburban bliss or chasing casual sex?

Certain Young Men cast includes:

Jonathan Bailey (Andrew), Ben Batt (Tony), Oliver Chris (David), Billy Howle (Michael),

Lorne MacFadyen (Stewart), Stephen Rashbrook (stage direction), Brian Vernel (Terry) Toby Wharton (Christopher).

Free post show talks will follow each reading exploring the issues in the plays and the wider context for the LGBT+ community. The Certain Young Men post-show discussion includes: Director Peter Gill, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and online blogger Justin Myers (The Guyliner).

The NT's Queer Theatre event series is hosted in partnership with Pride in London and includes:

- Neaptide by Sarah Daniels, directed by Sarah Frankcom, Thursday 6 July, 7.30pm

- Wig Out! written and directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Friday 7 July, 7.30pm

- Certain Young Men written and directed by Peter Gill, Saturday 8 July, 7.30pm

- Bent by Martin Sherman, directed by Stephen Daldry, Sunday 9 July, 2.30pm

- The Drag by Mae West, directed by Polly Stenham, Monday 10 July, 7.30pm.

The National Theatre is dedicated to making the very best theatre and sharing it with as many people as possible. We produce productions on the South Bank in London each year, ranging from reimagined classics to modern masterpieces and new work by contemporary writers and theatre-makers. The National's work is seen on tour throughout the UK, in London's West End, internationally (including on Broadway) and in collaborations and co-productions with theatres across the country.

Across 2015-2016, the NT staged 34 productions and gave 3,134 performances in the UK and internationally. The NT's award-winning programme had a UK audience of 2.5 million, 700,000 of which were NT Live audiences.

The NT is committed to providing programmes for schools, young people, families, community groups and adult learners, including the nationwide youth theatre festival Connections and playwriting competition New Views. In 2015-2016, we engaged with over 181,000 participants through the NT Learning events programme. Further, over 2,600 secondary schools have signed up to the free streaming service, On Demand In Schools since its launch in September 2015. Visit nationaltheatre.org.uk for more.

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