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The Grapes of Wrath

Based on the novel by John Steinbeck
Adapted by Frank Galati

A woman and two men sit together in front of the open flap of a canvas tent. Packing boxes and canvas bags are either side of them and an open fore is before them.

Booking and details

Streaming from 6 December
Streaming soon on National Theatre at Home

The great American novel reimagined

Forced to travel West in search of a promised land, the Joad family embark on an epic journey across America in the hope of finding work and a new life in California.

Their story is one of false hopes, wrong turns and broken dreams, but also a hymn to human kindness and a tribute to the endurance of the human spirit.

Carrie Cracknell (Julie, The Deep Blue Sea) directs Frank Galati’s award-winning adaptation of John Steinbeck’s masterpiece. Tony Award-winner Cherry Jones (The Glass Menagerie, Succession) is joined by Harry Treadaway (The Chemistry of Death, Penny Dreadful) and Natey Jones (Get Up, Stand Up! Death of a Salesman) in this moving and deeply atmospheric story of a struggle against a hostile climate to find a place to call home.

Performed 17 July — 14 September 2024 in the Lyttelton Theatre.

Reviews

★★★★

‘Extraordinary’

Telegraph

★★★★

‘Powerful’

The Stage

★★★★

‘Carrie Cracknell’s epic production’

The i

6 Reviews

Suitability

Please note: This production includes strong language and depictions of migration, homelessness, starvation, violence and death including still birth. It contains flashing lights, loud sounds/thunder and gun shots. Read more for detailed content warnings.

 

Supporters

This production is supported by the Huo Family Foundation.

Video

A group of five people, illuminated, stand on and around a vintage truck at night. The dim sky forms a backdrop, and they appear to be gazing at something in the distance with varied expressions of surprise and curiosity.
Play Video

On Stage trailer

A woman sits in the dark in front of a tent with a sombre look on her face. A man rests his head on her shoulder.
Play Video

Trailer

A man sits in the dark with a determined look on his face.
Play Video

Monologue

Gallery

A woman with grey hair sits on a wooden crate in a dimly lit scene. She wears a worn, brown shawl over a green plaid dress and apron. Her expression appears contemplative.
A woman with grey hair sits on a wooden crate in a dimly lit scene. She wears a worn, brown shawl over a green plaid dress and apron. Her expression appears contemplative.
A woman with grey hair sits on a wooden crate in a dimly lit scene. She wears a worn, brown shawl over a green plaid dress and apron. Her expression appears contemplative.
View 5 images
A man stands in a dimly lit scene, leaning against a green wooden wall. He looks up, holding a jacket in both hands. He wears a striped shirt and a dark jacket. Two men, one barefoot and the other wearing boots, sit on wooden crates in front of a weathered tent. Both wear casual, rugged clothing, appearing contemplative. The man on the left gazes forward, while the man on the right looks at him. Two actors on stage, a woman with red hair wearing a blue dress, and a man with dark hair in a plaid shirt and brown trousers. They are standing in front of a backdrop of canvas tents. The woman touches her hair, while the man looks at her intently. A lively stage scene set in front of three canvas tents with string lights. Performers dance, sing, and play instruments. The backdrop is a deep blue.

Production images

A gray-haired woman wearing a light blouse and dark skirt gently holds the arm of a younger man in a striped shirt, both looking concerned. They stand in front of a chain-link fence.
A gray-haired woman wearing a light blouse and dark skirt gently holds the arm of a younger man in a striped shirt, both looking concerned. They stand in front of a chain-link fence.
A gray-haired woman wearing a light blouse and dark skirt gently holds the arm of a younger man in a striped shirt, both looking concerned. They stand in front of a chain-link fence.
View 12 images
A group of people sit and stand around a camp with tents in the background. Some are sitting on crates, looking serious and engaged, while others stand. Two people standing next to each other. The woman on the left is smiling. She is wearing a black tank top. The man on the right, wearing a gray sleeveless shirt, has his hands on his hips and looks thoughtful. A wire fence is in the background. A man in a white shirt stands smiling in a warmly lit room with wooden walls. He is engaged in a conversation with several people, including a woman with gray curly hair wearing a blue dress, who has her back turned to the camera. A man wearing a grey fedora, a denim jacket, and a grey shirt stands in front of a canvas tent. He has his hands behind his back and is looking to the side. Two men are engaged in an intense conversation. They are seated on wooden crates, with one gesturing expressively. In the background, other people are seated, observing. Two musicians are standing and playing string instruments; one is holding a resonator guitar, and the other a banjo. They are in a room with other stringed instruments arranged on stands in the background. Two people are sitting next to each other on chairs in a casual setting. The woman, with blonde hair and wearing a striped shirt, holds papers and smiles, while the man, with a white beard, denim jacket, and hat, looks at her and talks. Two men are in a room. One is wearing a blue jacket, grey shirt, and drinking from a glass, looking unsteady. The other man, in a flat cap and striped shirt, is behind him, with one hand on the first man's arm and the other on his shoulder, appearing to support him. One woman, seated on the floor, gestures with her hands while holding a piece of paper. Another woman is kneeling and has her arm around the first woman. They are surrounded by stage props. A person with curly hair wearing a white t-shirt stands and smiles, looking to the side. A young man talks to a young woman sitting on a crate. She is holding a basket of vegetables. In the background, two men stand next to tents in a large room with various supplies scattered around.

Rehearsal images

Cast

Zoë Aldrich
Zoe Aldrich photo portrait

Zoë Aldrich

Elizabeth Sandry / Second Agricultural Officer / Understudy Granma Joad/Ma Joad

Afolabi Alli
Afolabi Alli photo portrait

Afolabi Alli

Muley Graves / Floyd Knowles / Ensemble / Understudy Jim Casy/Mr Wainwright

Rhys Bailey
Rhys Bailey photo portrait

Rhys Bailey

Winfield Joad / Understudy Noah Joad/Al Joad/Man in the Barn’s Son

Rachel Barnes
Rachel Barnes photo portrait

Rachel Barnes

Band Vocal / Accordion / Understudy First Agricultural Officer/Mrs Knowles/Woman Shot in Hand/ Bookkeeper

Production team

Director

Carrie Cracknell

Carrie Cracknell

Set Designer

Alex Eales

Alex Eales

Costume Designer

Evie Gurney 

Evie Gurney 

Composer

Stuart Earl

Stuart Earl

Original Songs by

Maimuna Memon

Maimuna Memon

Lighting Designer

Guy Hoare

Guy Hoare

Sound Designer

Donato Wharton

Donato Wharton

Movement Director

Ira Mandela Siobhan

Ira Mandela Siobhan

Music Director

Osnat Schmool

Osnat Schmool

Fight Director

Kate Waters

Kate Waters

Intimacy Coordinator

Katharine Hardman for EK Intimacy

Katharine Hardman for EK Intimacy

Casting Director

Alastair Coomer CDG

Alastair Coomer CDG

Casting Director

Naomi Downham

Naomi Downham

Dramatherapist

Patricia Ojehonmon

Patricia Ojehonmon

Dialect Coach

Hazel Holder

Hazel Holder

Voice Coach

Shereen Ibrahim

Shereen Ibrahim

Associate Sound Designer

Joe Dines

Joe Dines

Staff Director

Georgia Green

Georgia Green

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Art direction and design by National Theatre Graphic Design Studio