1930s New York: the strains of jazz, the glitter of Broadway, and the cold reality of the Great Depression… London’s cultural memory, the National Theatre, invites us this winter from the ruthless corridors of the financial world to a shattering father-son confrontation.
Terence Rattigan’s masterpiece Man and Boy will meet audiences at the Dorfman Theatre from 30 January to 14 March 2026.
International financier Gregor Antonescu’s luck finally begins to run out. As news of a disastrous business deal spreads around the world, Gregor has only one place left to turn in order to save his empire and protect his reputation: the apartment of his son Basil, with whom he has not spoken for years.
Guided by the motto “In finance, man creates his own miracles,” a father attempts (or exploits) the fragile bond he tries to forge with his son amid the wreckage he himself has created, pushing the boundaries of honesty and loyalty in a corrupt world to their limits.
Key Details
- A Modern Touch: Making his National Theatre directorial debut, Anthony Lau (The Crucible) brings a sharp and contemporary lens to Rattigan’s now-classic text.
- Towering Performances: In the central father-son roles stand two powerful stage names: Ben Daniels (The Normal Heart) and Laurie Kynaston (Long Day’s Journey into Night).
- Period Atmosphere: The 1930s New York setting merges with the claustrophobic tension born of financial corruption and familial rupture.
Apartment No:26 Note
Rattigan’s play is not merely a story of financial crisis; it is also a portrait of the eternal battle between a father’s narcissism and a son’s need for approval. Anthony Lau’s promise to add a contemporary edge to this classic lifts the work beyond being a mere period piece and connects it directly to today’s debates around power and ethics.
