Eureka Day comes to London’s Old Vic

Jonathan Spector's 2018 satirical play Eureka Day will receive its European premiere this September. The play about a community split on their views on vaccination will star Oscar winner Helen Hunt and runs from 6 September to 31 October at London's Old Vic.

What is Eureka Day about?

'If consensus was easy, everyone would do it.'

In Jonathan Spector's satirical play, polite discussion descends into an ideological battle as a democratic utopia rips itself asunder.

The story takes place in 2017 at the progressive Eureka Day school in Berkeley, California. The school has an ethos of acceptance and welcomes every child, of which the parents on the Executive Committee are immensely proud. But when an outbreak threatens the community, they soon find their shared values of tolerance and togetherness put into question.

Eureka Day follows five school board members as they review their school policy guidelines and struggle to agree, exploring the topic of vaccinations in modern-day America.

Eureka Day cast and creatives

Jonathon Spector's Eureka Day was first staged at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley, California, before its premiere in New York's Walkerspace in 2019, becoming an off-Broadway hit.

The upcoming production will star multi-award-winning actress Helen Hunt. She is well-known for her roles in film and television, such as Mad About You, As Good As It Gets, and Castaway. She has also produced, co-written and directed two films: Ride and Then She Found Me. However, she also has theatrical credits to her name, having worked with Old Vic artistic director Matthew Warchus on Life x 3. She also played the role of Viola in Twelfth Night on Broadway in 1998.

In Eureka Day, Helen Hunt takes on the role of Suzanne. She will be joined by Kirsten Foster (The Life of Pi, The Sandman) as Amy and television star and comedian Mark McKinney (Superstore, The Kids in the Hall) as Don. Ben Schnetzer (The Book Thief,Pride) plays Eli and Susan Kelechi Watson(This is Us, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) plays Carina.

Katy Rudd (The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Camp Siegfried) directs.

Eureka Day tickets on sale now!

Eureka Day commences previews at the Old Vic on September 6th, before opening night on 23 September, with a run scheduled until 31 October 2022. So don't delay! Book your Eureka Day tickets early to guarantee seats to this highly anticipated satirical comedy!

'The perfect play for our age of disagreement.' New York Times