The Young Vic Theatre will present a revival of Further Than the Furthest Thing, the haunting drama by Zinnie Harris (This Restless House, How To Hold Your Breath), during its 2023 season.
Directed by Young Vic Associate Director and Genesis Fellow Jennifer Tang (AI, Mountains: The Dreams of Lily Kwok), performances will begin in the Young Vic Main House March 9, 2023, prior to an official opening March 16. The first major London staging of the work in more than 20 years will continue through April 29. Casting will be announced at a later time.
Based on real events on the island of Tristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited archipelago, the play follows a community haunted by its past and under threat from a modern world in crisis. Director Tang’s interpretation revisits the play through a contemporary lens interrogating the climate emergency and globalization.
The creative team will also include designer Soutra Gilmour, lighting designer Prema Mehta, sound designer George Dennis, composer Ruth Chan, movement director Ingrid Mackinnon, voice and dialect coach Emma Woodvine, illusions designer John Bulleid, and casting director Charlotte Sutton.
Tang says, “It’s a complete privilege to direct this stunning play for the Young Vic and to be collaborating with such a brilliant team to bring it to life. The play is beautiful, lyrical, and vividly evokes a community that feels both far away and familiar. Although written over 20 years ago, its message about how our choices impact people and our planet feels more urgent than ever. Zinnie’s extraordinary play is both intimate and epic, local and global—it asks us to think about our notion of home, our sense of belonging, and how far we will go in pursuit of our values."
Further Than the Furthest Thing will mark Tang's final production in her role as Genesis Fellow/Associate Director at the Young Vic.
Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah adds, “Jen is an exceptional multi-disciplinary artist who has made vital contributions to the Young Vic. From her production of AI, which embraced cutting-edge technology to driving innovative exploratory practices for artists and audiences, she continues to push boundaries and demonstrate her potential as an artistic director of the future. I'm excited to see her interpretation of Zinnie Harris’ Further Than the Furthest Thing in what promises to be a thrilling and compellingly relevant new production that highlights the threat of the climate emergency.”
Further Than the Furthest Thing premiered in 2000, co-produced by the National Theatre and The Tron Glasgow, and won an Edinburgh Fringe First Award, Peggy Ramsay Award, and John Whiting Award and was shortlisted for the Susan Smith Blackburn Award.
