An Arcola Theatre, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Oxford Playhouse and Theatre Royal Bath Productions co-production

The Dance of Death

Written by August Strindberg
Adapted by Rebecca Lenkiewicz

Directed by Mehmet Ergen

There will be no shows on Monday 18th or Tuesday 19th July due to the expected extreme weather conditions.


As their 30th wedding anniversary approaches, Alice and Edgar are locked in a bitter struggle. They’ve driven away their children and their friends. Their relationship is sustained by taunts and recriminations. When a newcomer breaks into the midst of the fray, their insular lives threaten to spin out of control. Laced with biting humour, The Dance of Death is August Strindberg’s landmark drama about a marriage pushed to its limits.


Oscar winning playwright Rebecca Lenkiewicz reunites with Arcola Theatre’s co-founder and Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen for the world première of a thrilling new version.

Olivier and Tony Award winner Lindsay Duncan stars as Alice. One of our best-loved actresses, Lindsay is well-known for her BAFTA nominated performances on screen in Alan Bleasdale’s G.B.H and Stephen Poliakoff’s Shooting the Past. Olivier Award nominee Hilton McRae’s celebrated stage and screen career has ranged from leading Shakespearean roles at the RSC and National Theatre to iconic films including The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Return of the Jedi and Mansfield Park. Best known for Peep Show, Emily Bruni has recently played leading roles at Trafalgar Studios and Shakespeare’s Globe.