The Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, Daniel Evans, has announced the final part of the company’s year long 40th anniversary season. The highlight of the forthcoming season is the return of John Simm, last seen at the Crucible playing Hamlet, in a new production of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. Other new productions include a revival of Congreve’s classic Restoration comedy The Way of the World, directed by Lyndsey Turner, and a season dedicated to the work of Michael Frayn.

The Frayn season will take place in March 2012 and will consist of three concurrent stagings of three Michael Frayn plays in a similar vein to the venue’s recent David Hare trilogy. The Frayn season will begin with Copenhagen, which runs in the Lyceum from 29th February to 10th March and is directed by David Grindley; this will be followed by Benefactors, to be staged in the Crucible Studio from 1st to 24th March and directed by Charlotte Gwinner, and Democracy, which will be revived in the Crucible from 8th to 31st March and directed by Paul Miller. The Frayn season will also feature a number of rehearsed readings and a chance to see the writer himself In Conversation.

The venue’s revival of Betrayal, a run of which recently finished in the West End starring Kristin Scott Thomas, will open in May 2012.  Sheffield Theatres has also announced today that it will become the new home of the International Student Drama Festival, which will be held from 22nd to 30th June 2012.

Sheffield Theatres are currently playing host to the Roundabout season of new writing by Nick Payne, Duncan MacMillan and Penelope Skinner. A major revival of Sondheim’s Company follows in December, starring Evans alongside Francesca Annis and Samantha Spiro.

For tickets and further information visit the Sheffield Theatres website.