Mark Kilmurry, Artistic Director of the Ensemble Theatre, has announced the company’s 2019 season which includes three world premieres, its first musical for over 10 years, and the return of two sold out productions – this year’s Diplomacy starring John Bell and John Gaden, and Iain Sinclair’s award-winning production of A View from the Bridge which played at the Old Fitz in 2017.

John Bell and John Gaden in the Ensemble production of Diplomacy. Photograph © Prudence Upton

Every year David Williamson writes a new social comedy for the company, which invariably proves a huge box office hit. The 2019 season will open with his latest play, The Big Time. “This is a really interesting piece about a friendship and betrayal, and how ambition can get in the way of being a human being, all set in the world of theatre,” says Kilmurry. “[It features] a soap star and a theatre actor, who met at NIDA. The soap star is very successful, and the theatre actor isn’t. When the theatre actor gets a chance to direct a film, she asks the soap star to be...