Idris Elba and Skepta Lead Line-Up for Manchester International Festival With New Stage Productions

Idris Elba and Skepta are set to debut exciting new stage works at the 2019 Manchester International Festival. The biennial arts festival, which takes place in the English city of Manchester, highlights original works from international artists.

Elba will debut Tree, a play which he co-wrote with the artistic director of London's Young Vic Theatre Kwame Kwei-Armah about life in South Africa "after Nelson Mandela," reports BBC Entertainment.The stage show is inspired by Elba's 2014 album Mi Mandela, and will combine music, dance and film to create a theatrical experience.

The actor, Producer and DJ, who played Mandela in the 2013 biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, spoke of his and Kwei-Armah's personal connection to the project. "[We] both experienced personal moments of healing connected with the country and we're starting to explore that together," BBC Entertainment quoted him as saying. "For me, an interesting part of the process is looking at the next part of the story; the new universe that sprung up after Mandela."

The show will debut at the festival next summer before heading to the Young Vic.

Grime star Skepta will present his immersive theatrical production Dystopia987, highlighting rave culture. Dystopia987 will see the artists performing alongside a selection of rappers in a show that he describes as "real life magic," reports NME.

The festival's director, John McGrath describes the production to NME:

[It's] somewhere between an immersive theatrical experience and a futuristic rave. The idea for Skepta is: what is the future of the space that has been called a rave over the years? Where might it be heading, and what kind of experience might that be?"

We're looking forward to seeing some of our favorite entertainers take their talents to the theatre stage. Manchester international festival opens on July 4 with a 8000 member orchestral performance from Yoko Ono, and runs through July 21.