Harley Granville Barker’s famously banned political play Waste comes to the National Theatre, led by Charles Edwards.

Behind the scenes at a hung parliament, the Tories work hard to co-opt visionary independent Henry Trebell in an attempt to push through a controversial bill. Trebell, entirely focussed on his work, is barely distracted by his affair with a married woman until a backstreet abortion goes horribly wrong. With the threat of a public scandal looming, the establishment closes ranks, sealing the fate of an idealistic man.

The National Theatre has gathered together a large ensemble to tell this tale of sex, sleaze and suicide among England’s Edwardian political elite.

Edwards, who leads the cast as Trebell, is a Downton Abbey star whose previous NT credits include Strange Interlude, This House and Twelfth Night.

He’s directed by Roger Michell, the director of films including Venus and Enduring Love, and stage productions such as The Female Of The Species (West End), Rope (Almeida Theatre) and Farewell To The Theatre (Hampstead).