The Second Woman, Young Vic

In a momentous feat of endurance, Ruth Wilson will perform one scene live, over and over and over again, for a full 24 hours in the UK premiere for performance and video hybrid The Second Woman. Audiences will have the opportunity to watch the entire performance or to book specific time-slots within the 24-hour show.

Two-time Olivier award-winner, Golden Globe winner, and Tony- and Bafta-nominated actress Wilson returns to the London stage for this bold co-production from the Young Vic and London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT). She is best known for starring in hit series including His Dark Materials, The Affair and Luther, but she has also proven her clout on stage, most recently in the Broadway production of Constellations and in the National Theatre's Hedda Gabler.

'I am absolutely thrilled, and a little scared, to be part of Nat Randall and Anna Breckon’s truly unique theatrical experience,' Ruth Wilson says of her upcoming role. 'I have a feeling that The Second Woman will challenge all norms of what it means to be actor and audience, to be performer and observer.'



The Second Woman merges video, film and live performance, and it opens at the Young Vic having already toured internationally. Over the course of 24 hours 100 different men appear opposite one woman. She repeats the exact same scene with new men each time. Inspired by John Cassevetes' 1977 film Opening Night, the show interrogates the nature of gender and the power balances that shape relationships.

The production will run non-stop from 4pm on Friday 19 May to 4pm on Saturday 20 May, after which time Ruth Wilson will need a very big sleep. Three different types of ticket give audiences the chance to reserve a time-slot in advance, to turn up at any point during the performance and join a queue for entry, or to reserve a seat for the whole 24 hours. While advance tickets are largely sold out, you can call the box office for returns or try for an on-the-door ticket.