Nick Hern Books 45 Years stage version

'If she hadn't died if you had got to Italy would you have married her for real?' It's the week leading up to Kate and Geoff's wedding anniversary, and preparations for the party are in full swing. As they choose the music for their first dance, a letter from Switzerland arrives and quietly shatters their world. Buried for decades, the body of a young woman has been found in the melting ice. Is the past another country, or is it just beneath the surface? 45 Years is an achingly tense, intimate and moving play, adapted by Hannah Patterson from Andrew Haigh's critically acclaimed film, itself based on a short story by David Constantine. The play was first performed in the Minerva Theatre at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2026, directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah, with a cast including Gabriel Byrne and Geraldine James. 'Commanding, contemplative supremely intelligent and moving' Guardian on Andrew Haigh's film Autorid: Andrew Haigh, Hannah Patterson