No Villain, Arthur Miller’s first play, will transfer to the West End. The piece, which was only rediscovered last year, premiered at the Old Red Lion Theatre in December. Performances will run at Trafalgar Studios 2 from June 14 through July 9, with opening night set for June 20. The production is directed by Sean Turner and stars David Bromley as Abe, George Tuvey as Ben and Nesba Crenshaw as Esther.
Miller wrote the play in one week in 1936 while on spring break as a college sophomore. It won him his first Hopwood Award; the $250 award allowed him to continue his education at University of Michigan. The play follows a father and son against the backdrop of the garment industry strike of the early 1900s. It explores the tenets of Marxist theory—years before Miller was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
In addition to Bromley, Turvey and Crenshaw, the West End bow will feature Kenneth Jay as Grandpa Barnett and Stephen Omer as Roth/Dawson/Man. The production features sets and costumes by Max Dorey, lighting design by Jack Weir and sound design by Richard Melkonian.