55 Days

Parliament votes not to put the imprisoned King on trial, so the army moves against Westminster and the only military coup in English history takes place

But the army leadership remains divided - Cromwell would prefer a compromise with the King, but the King will not compromise

And so a new nation must therefore be forged ... and over 55 days, an entirely new world is created

In these dangerous and dramatic times, in a country exhausted by Civil War, the great men of the day were trying to think the unthinkable - to create a country without a king

This is a great costume drama which can also be staged in a mix of period and contemporary costumes, as with the production at Hampstead Theatre, or in modern dress

It's for a cast of thirteen men and two women, requiring two strong male actors for the lead roles

A vivid and deft debate play that truly evokes the past and brings a human scale to cataclysmic events

"With its echoes of Shakespeare, Schiller and Brecht, this is an exciting and affecting story that explores the often ignored origins of modern Britain ... A play not only about a historical past but also about who we have become since" ~ The Arts Desk

"Howard Brenton's chewy, fascinating new play ... Intellectually intricate and emotionally stirring" ~ The Times