David Edgar's Destiny - 50th anniversary revival at The Cockpit

Produced and presented by Byline Times
Written and abridged by David Edgar
Directed by Umar Butt

First staged in 1976, David Edgar’s Destiny quickly established itself as one of the most important political plays of its generation. Hailed by critics for its forensic examination of British fascism and praised for its scale and ambition, the play won major awards and went on to be adapted into a landmark television drama, bringing its urgent themes to an even wider audience.

Fifty years on, Destiny feels disturbingly prescient. Tracing the social, economic and political forces that enable the far right to take root, the play exposes how racism, nationalism and opportunism intertwine. It has powerful lessons for today’s climate of resurgent authoritarianism and right-wing populism.

This special event presents an abridged reading of Destiny, performed by a high-profile cast, followed by a panel discussion exploring how the play’s depiction of the rise of the far right then and offering vital insights for confronting it now. The panel will feature David Edgar himself - one of Britain’s most distinguished playwrights, whose work spans theatre, television and political commentary. Edgar is also co-author of The Little Black Book of the Populist Right: What it is, why it’s on the march and how to stop it, a new edition of which will be available to purchase at this event.

Presented by Bylines Times, in collaboration with Bylines Network, this revival offers a rare opportunity to revisit a seminal work of political theatre, and to ask what it can teach us about the world we face today.