The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage

This public production is part of LAMDA’s 2026 Autumn Season II, and brings together our graduating BA (Hons) Professional Acting students and BA (Hons) Production and Technical Arts students, working alongside a professional creative team.

Writer

Philip Pullman 

Adapted by

Bryony Lavery

Director

Anna Marsland

Performances

Saturday 28 November at 7pm

Monday 30 November at 2pm

Tuesday 1 December at 7pm

Wednesday 2 December at 2pm

Wednesday 2 December at 7pm

Venue

The Sainsbury Theatre

Running time

To be confirmed

About the production

Two young people and their dæmons, with everything at stake, find themselves at the centre of a terrifying manhunt. In their care is a tiny child called Lyra Belacqua, and in that child lies the fate of the future.

As the waters rise around them, powerful adversaries conspire for mastery of Dust: salvation to some, the source of infinite corruption to others.

Anna Marsland is a director from Burnley, specialising in new writing, collaborative theatre making, non-theatre spaces and access. She is particularly keen to tell female, queer and working class stories. â€‹

She has worked at the National Theatre, Almeida, Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Globe, Gielgud Theatre (West End), Royal Exchange Theatre, Chichester Theatre, New Vic Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal, Theatre Royal Haymarket, Park Theatre and Southwark Playhouse.

Philip Pullman is the author of several best-selling books, most notably the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials, its companion trilogy The Book of Dust, and the fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.

He was born in Norwich, England, in 1946 and grew up in Zimbabwe and Wales. He worked as a teacher for many years and his first children’s novel, Count Karlstein, came out in 1982. The Ruby in the Smoke, the first of the Sally Lockhart quartet of Victorian thrillers, was published in 1985.

He has won many awards for his children’s books, including the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children’s Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and a CBE. His acclaimed fantasy trilogy, His Dark Materials (Scholastic Books in the UK and Knopf in the US), comprising Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, has been published in thirty-nine languages, and even in graphic novel form (with the French publishers, Gallimard).

His other books for children and young adults include Clockwork, I Was a Rat!, and The New Cut Gang books; Thunderbolt’s Waxwork and The Gas-Fitter’s Ball.

In 2010 he published his controversial number-one bestseller The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.

He was knighted in 2019 for services to literature.

Bryony Lavery is a playwright whose work includes: Last Easter, A Wedding Story and Frozen (TMA Best Play 2001, Eileen Anderson Best Play 2001), which began life at Birmingham Rep, moved to the National Theatre, London, and was then produced on Broadway where it was nominated for four Tony awards.

She has written five plays for National Theatre Connections.

She adapted Philip Pullman’s novel The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage for the Bridge Theatre, London (2021).

Booking information

Once you have booked a ticket, you will receive an email confirmation. Read up on our latest audience guidelines.

Members of the industry: Secure your complimentary seat by emailing the Box Office on [email protected]

Pricing and concessions 

Tickets cost £14, but we have £7 concessions tickets available to Hammersmith & Fulham residents, schools, students, or people who are over 65, under 18 or are on Job Seeker’s Allowance. You’ll just need to provide proof of your eligibility when you collect your tickets at the Box Office. We offer a complimentary ticket for carers, to book please call the box office on 020 8834 0500. If you belong to our Pathways Programme or work with any of our Pathways Partners you are entitled to complimentary tickets. Please contact the box office to book.

Booking your tickets

Book your tickets online or by calling our box office on 020 8834 0500.

Industry booking

If you’re a member of the industry, please email [email protected] to book your tickets.

Group tickets

We’re pleased to offer discounted tickets to groups of 10+ people. Standard tickets are discounted to £9 per person, while under 18’s tickets are discounted to £5 per person. To book, please contact [email protected]

E-Tickets

There is no need to collect tickets. You will be send an E-Ticket via email which you can present on arrival.

Refunds

Unfortunately, all tickets are non-refundable.

Getting to LAMDA

LAMDA is a two-minute walk from Barons Court Station or a ten-minute walk from either West Kensington or Hammersmith Station. Please note, our nearest station, Barons Court, is undergoing refurbishment works throughout 2026. Find out more.

Accessibility

The public areas of our building are fully accessible, with lift access to all floors and accessible toilet facilities available for each theatre. If you have any additional requirements you would like us to be aware of, please contact box office on 020 8834 0500.

Creative team

* LAMDA staff member or visiting artist

Director

Anna Marsland*

Designer

Lizzy Leech*

Sound Designer

Jackson Walsh

Lighting Designer

Ming Ong

Movement Director

Nicoletta Bonanni*

Voice Director

Victoria Woodward*

Fight Director

Joseph Reed*

Intimacy Director

Sam Goodchild*

Costume Supervisor

Mark Jones*

Producer

Sofi Berenger*

Assistant Producer

Daljinder Johal*

Cast

* LAMDA staff member or visiting artist

Muriel / Sr Isobel / Miss Davies / Stelmaria / Dr Adnan / Customer 2 / Sr Paulina

Pearl Adams

Brian / Lord Asriel / Armed Police 1 / Jesper

Elijah Bai Bangura

Lord Nugent / Headmaster / CCD Man 1 / Charlie

Glenn Cole-Carter

Mrs Polstead / Mrs Coulter

Georgia Connelly

Alice Parslow

Nastassja Dao

Sister Benedicta / Lemur / Miss Dukes / CCD Man / Tilda Vassera / Drunk / Doris

Mirren Evans

George Boatwright / Robbie / Man

D’Andre George

Asta

Faith Joyce

Malcolm Polstead

Emile Macdonald

Ben / Sister Katherine / Eric

Ayabonga Mani

Sister Fenella / Miss Savery / Cluny / Rosemary / Sr Maria Terese / Child Protection Officer

Elisabeth Mbaki

Gerard Bonneville / Cat

Sam McBurnie

Staffie / Golden Monkey / Professor Papadimitriou / Customer 1

Tommy Mac Diarmada

Hannah Relf / Sister Helena / Servant 2

Eloise McNulty

Robert Luckhurst / Hyena / Michael Wharton / Andrew / Servant 1

Emil Jack Stone

Production team

* LAMDA staff member or visiting artist

Stage Manager

Will Smith

Deputy Stage Manager

Amelia Hill

Assistant Stage Managers

Natalie Craig

James Jeffrey

Niyah McNeish-Banks

Production Manager

Nazaire Kilborne-Appiah

Production Sound Engineer

Izzy Davies

Deputy PSE

Harry Goff

Sound Assistants

Iqbal Garewal

Yiran Wang

Production Lx

Fin Cozens

Deputy Lx

Xander Owen

Programmer

Inaaya Abdulla

Lighting Crew

Jack Dunlop 

Lisa Fisher

Sophia Gandhi

Lily Gee

Tilly Lawley

Rose Newmark

Tom Small

Dani Tran

Props Supervisor

Ash Vaughan

Production Carpenter

Bastie Colclough

Deputy Carpenter

Josh Short

Construction Crew

Su Bayam

Rosie Daniels

Sofia Gatland

Siria Hutchinson

Oscar Lawrence

Keira Oag

Eleanor Whitehead

Luke Wilson