★★★★★ ‘Sumptuous, panoramic, intense, amusing... a must-see’ The Times
London, 1886. Wealthy solicitor Soames Forsyte is a man of property, and his beautiful wife Irene is his most prized possession. When he commissions an architect to build him a house in which to keep her, the cracks in their marriage finally begin to show, until something happens so shocking that it tears the Forsyte family apart. Years later, Soames’ daughter Fleur is haunted by the family secret when history begins to repeat itself…
John Galsworthy’s classic story The Forsyte Saga (famously adapted for television and recently for BBC Radio 4) is newly dramatized for the stage in two parts by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan, bringing the unheard female voices to the fore for the first time. Spanning 40 years from the last gasp of the Victorian age to the beginning of the roaring 1920s, this is an epic tale of sex, money and power.
The Forsyte Saga Part 1: Irene and The Forsyte Saga Part 2: Fleur play across alternate nights and run consecutively on matinee days, featuring a cast of nine in a stylish period production.
The two parts of The Forsyte Saga are separate and intended to be seen sequentially. However, each part constitutes a complete theatre-going experience on its own.
Download the full schedule for Parts 1 & 2 here
In the press
★★★★★ ‘Sumptuous, panoramic, intense, amusing… a masterpiece.’
The Times (Part 1)
★★★★★ ‘The most enthralling, intense five hours I have spent in a theatre this year. Every second counts’
Daily Mail
★★★★★ ‘A sprawling epic… nothing short of a triumph’
The Reviews Hub
★★★★★ ‘A genuinely epic and stylish period production’
Broadway World
★★★★★ ‘These two plays are a “must see”!’
LondonTheatre1
★★★★★ ‘Flawlessly executed under Josh Roche’s stylish direction’
Spy In The Stalls
★★★★★ ‘Excellent… a stage adaptation of monumental work’
London Living Large
★★★★★ ‘A transcendent example of what theatrical representation can uniquely do that other media cannot.’
Plays to See
★★★★★ ‘A spectacular piece of theatre’
All That Dazzles
★★★★★ ‘An unforgettably thrilling performance by Joseph Millson’
Theatre Cat
★★★★ ‘Splendid… the cast of nine is exceptionally adroit’
The Observer
★★★★ ‘A resounding success… the stage equivalent of a box-set binge’
Financial Times
★★★★ ‘Dramatic storytelling of the highest order.’
Daily Express
★★★★ ‘Pitch-perfect performances… a gripping theatrical event’
WhatsOnStage
★★★★ ‘Joseph Millson is riveting’
The Stage
★★★★ ‘An exhilarating shared experience’
London Theatre
★★★★ ‘A remarkable achievement’
Everything Theatre
★★★★ ‘A masterful exploration of the complexities of love’
The Artiscape
★★★★ ‘A super cast in a classy production’
The Arts Desk
Audience Reactions
Cast
IRENE FORSYTE | FIONA HAMPTON
SOAMES FORYSTE | JOSEPH MILLSON
FLEUR FORSYTE | FLORA SPENCER-LONGHURST
EMILY, JULEY, JUNE & HOLLY FORSYTE | EMMA AMOS
JAMES & JO FORSYTE | NIGEL HASTINGS
JOLYON & SWITHIN FORSYTE, DOCTOR, PROSPER PROFOND, RIGGS & HAROLD BLADE | MICHAEL LUMSDEN
JUNE, ANNETTE & ANNE FORSYTE | FLORENCE ROBERTS
PHILIP BOSINNEY, MR POLTEED & JON FORSYTE | ANDY RUSH
JO FORSYTE, POLICEMAN & MICHAEL MONT | JAMIE WILKES
Creative Team
WRITER | JOHN GALSWORTHY
ADAPTER | SHAUN MCKENNA
ADAPTER | LIN COGHLAN
DIRECTOR | JOSH ROCHE
SET & COSTUME DESIGNER | ANNA YATES
LIGHTING DESIGNER | ALEX MUSGRAVE
SOUND DESIGNER & COMPOSER | MAX PAPPENHEIM
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR | PATRICE BOWLER
Artwork photography by Michael Wharley, design by Rebecca Pitt. Conceptual trailer by Andrew Berekdar. Production trailer filmed and edited by Piers Foley.
Ashley Cook for Troupe in association with Park Theatre presents the World Premiere of
The Forsyte Saga Parts 1 & 2
By John Galsworthy, Adapted by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan, Directed by Josh Roche