the characters riding that wave and accessing their souls, where they could lyrically go to those strange places.
We talked about the form – the shape of the story arriving broken and a little shattered. We talked about a person dying and the moments before death and what might happen in their mind and how that would be constructed onstage. We started talking about escape, but we ended up talking about a person trying to find rest. About dying in an easier way.
Newton would spend his last moments trying to stop a bullying mind that kept him living. Physically it didn’t matter to us whether he was on Earth or in the stars at the very end. We wanted Newton – in his terms – to feel at rest.
No matter how plays come out, you always end up talking about yourself. David was certainly the most superb shapeshifter – one of the greatest ever collaborators too – someone who could walk his colleagues in directions they’d yet seen. But for me he remained personal in his work and spoke about where he was at that moment in really truthful terms.
Lazarus arrived at both of us with its own swagger and shape and emotion. It’s a strange, difficult and sometimes sad dream Newton must live through – but in its conclusion, he wins his peace.
Lazarus was first performed at the New York Theatre Workshop (James C. Nicola, Artistic Director; Jeremy Blocker, Managing Director) by special arrangement with Robert Fox and Risky Folio, Inc., on 7 December 2015 (previews from 18 November). The cast was as follows:
| NEWTON | Michael C. Hall |
| VALENTINE | Michael Esper |
| GIRL | Sophia Anne Caruso |
| ELLY | Cristin Milioti |
| TEENAGE GIRL 1 | Krystina Alabado |
| TEENAGE GIRL 2 | Krista Pioppi |
| TEENAGE GIRL 3 | Brynn Williams |
| ZACH | Bobby Moreno |
| BEN | Nicholas Christopher |
| MICHAEL | Charlie Pollock |
| MAEMI | Lynn Craig |
| Composer/Writer | David Bowie |
| Writer | Enda Walsh |
| Director | Ivo van Hove |
| Scenic and Lighting Design | Jan Versweyveld |
| Costume Design | An D’Huys |
| Video Design | Tal Yarden |
| Sound Design | Brian Ronan |
| Musical Director | Henry Hey |
| Choreographer | Annie-B Parson |
| Dramaturg | Jan Peter Gerrits |
| Stage Manager | James Latus |
| Casting Director | Telsey + Company |
Lazarus received its European premiere at the King’s Cross Theatre, London, produced by Robert Fox and Jones/Tintoretto Entertainment, on 8 November 2016 (previews from 25 October). The cast was as follows:
| NEWTON | Michael C. Hall |
| VALENTINE | Michael Esper |
| GIRL | Sophia Anne Caruso |
| ELLY | Amy Lennox |
| TEENAGE GIRL 1 | Maimuna Memon |
| TEENAGE GIRL 2 | Gabrielle Brooks |
| TEENAGE GIRL 3 | Sydnie Christmas |
| ZACH | Richard Hansell |
| BEN | Jamie Muscato |
| MICHAEL | Tom Parsons |
| MAEMI | Julie Yammanee |
| Composer/Writer | David Bowie |
| Writer | Enda Walsh |
| Director | Ivo van Hove |
| Scenic and Lighting Design | Jan Versweyveld |
| Costume Design | An D’Huys |
| Video Design | Tal Yarden |
| Sound Design | Tony Gayle |
| Musical Supervisor and Orchestrations | Henry Hey |
| Choreographer | Annie-B Parson |
| Hair and Wig Design | Richard Mawbey |
| UK Casting Director | Jill Green Casting |
CHARACTERS
MICHAEL
NEWTON
ELLY
ZACH
JAPANESE WOMAN / MAEMI
TEENAGE GIRL 1
TEENAGE GIRL 2
TEENAGE GIRL 3
GIRL, later MARLEY
VALENTINE
BEN
LIST OF SONGS
‘Lazarus’ Newton
‘It’s No
