THE FOUR STAGES OF CRUELTY

1751. London is over-crowded. The morals are as loose as the women and the crime as free as the gin. On the streets, prostitutes, footpads and highwaymen coalesce with Dukes, members of Parliament and anyone in between. All scrap for profit. All seek an escape from the drudgery of life.


Somewhere near the bottom of this heap is an orphan named Tom Nero. Trapped in a brutal and compelling struggle to survive, he grapples, hustles and kills to rise above the fate society has dealt him.


Following their acclaimed productions of Les Enfants du Paradis and The Living Unknown Soldier, simple8 transports this story of wanton cruelty – as pertinent and as visceral as when Hogarth first scratched it – to the London stage.

An ecologically sustainable theatre production.


 





 


 


 


simple8 present
THE FOUR STAGES OF CRUELTY
A new play based on the series of engravings by William Hogarth
Written and directed by Adam Brace and Sebastian Armesto with Simple8
Design Consultant: Simon Allison
Ensemble: Oliver Birch, David Brett, Stephanie Brittain, Christopher Doyle, Hannah Emanuel, Dudley Hinton, Richard Maxted, Emily Pennant-Rea, Mat Wandless


★★★★★, The Times
“A new company possessing the skills, dedication and intelligence to create wonder”


★★★★★ , Time Out
“Redraws the borders of your assumptions”