Winter Hill, a new play by award-winning playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, will celebrate its world premiered in Bolton

Winter Hill, a new play by award-winning playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, will celebrate its world premiered in Bolton.

The premier is part of a new season which all showcases classic drama and new adaptations.

Artistic director Elizabeth Newman will be commencing her first full season following a year of success for the Octagon both critically, winning six Manchester Theatre Awards, and at the box office, with The BFG smashing ticket sales records.

She said: "This is an exciting time as we build on the success the Octagon has enjoyed with an extraordinary programme of main auditorium productions alongside opening up our building and nurturing new artistic talent right here in Bolton.

"From the intimacy of Alan Bennett’s timeless monologues to our new political mystery by Timberlake Wertenbaker, we are proud to bring a great array of stories to the people of Bolton and beyond.

"At the Octagon we strive to tell important stories to our audiences and this is an exciting season of great drama, from well-known classics to important new writing. We are sharing a collection of stories that will entertain, amaze and create worlds on our stage for our audiences to get lost in.

"We can’t wait to share this diverse collection of compelling works with our audiences."

Wertenbaker is considered one of the most influential British playwrights and is author of award-winning plays Our Country’s Good and Jefferson’s Garden.

Winter Hill has been commissioned by the Octagon and will be directed by Ms Newman.

Ms Newman, who won critical acclaim for at the Octagon for productions such as Love Story, Separation, Private Lives and The Family Way, will also direct season opener, Harper Lee classic To Kill a Mockingbird.

Associate director David Thacker, who was awarded the Manchester Theatre Awards 2015 Special Achievement Award, will return to direct William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and David Rudkin’s critically acclaimed play Ashes.

The festive season will be celebrated with the story of Cinderella, written by Mike Kenny, whose adaptation of The Railway Children earned an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment in 2012, and directed by Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme Resident Director Ben Occhipinti.

In the New Year Willy Russell’s award-winning Northern comedy classic Educating Rita will take to the stage, co-produced with Derby Theatre.

Stage adaptations of 1848 Anne Brontë novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, brought to life by award winning playwright Deborah McAndrew, and a musical of Dodie Smith novel I Capture the Castle, will follow.

The season will close with a production of Alan Bennett’s beloved series of monologues Talking Heads, directed by Mr Occhipinti.

In addition to the main house productions there is an exciting programme of new writing and family productions.

In June the Octagon will also announce the winning monologues from its first National Prize.

The winners will be performed as part of First Words in June, a season of new writing performed inside, outside and online.

Priority booking for Platinum Season Tickets opens today [Thu 12 May], with priority booking for Season Tickets and groups opening tomorrow. Tickets for all shows go on general sale on Friday, May 27.

THE OCTAGON'S NEW SEASON

To Kill a Mockingbird (Thursday, September 8 - Saturday, October 15 2016)

The Winter's Tale (Friday, October 21 - Saturday, November 5 2016)

Cinderella (Friday, November 18, 2016 - Saturday, January 14, 2017)

Educating Rita (Thursday, January 19 - Saturday, February 11, 2017)

Ashes (Thursday, February 23 - Saturday, March 11, 2017)

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Thursday, March 30 - Saturday, April 11, 2017)

I Captured the Castle (Wednesday, April 26 - Saturday, May 6, 2017)

Winter Hill (Thursday, May 11 - Saturday, June 3, 2017)

Talking Heads (Thursday, June 8 - Saturday, July 8, 2017)