CARE | Young Vic
Date archived: 2026-05-15
Event window: 11 May – 11 July 2026 (overlaps research period)
Press night: 19 May 2026
TL;DR
Alexander Zeldin's intimate, unsentimental portrait of family life under the weight of elder care—the kind of work that separates real theatre from entertainment.
Why it Matters
Zeldin is one of London's most rigorous contemporary playwrights. His previous work (LOVE, The Confessions, The Other Place) has established him as someone who observes human behaviour with precision and without sentimentality. CARE follows a single mum, two young siblings, and their gran navigating the messy, unglamorous reality of family interdependence.
This isn't a play about elder care in the abstract sense—it's a play about what actually happens in the room when people who love each other are also exhausted, resentful, and bound by obligation. The kind of work that makes you recognize your own family in it, which is both uncomfortable and necessary.
Zeldin's direction (he writes and directs) means the vision is unified. This is a Young Vic Main House production, which signals investment and seriousness. The cast includes Linda Bassett and Hayley Carmichael—both capable of the kind of nuanced, lived-in performance this material demands.
Who should go: Anyone interested in contemporary theatre that trusts its audience to handle complexity without resolution. Anyone who understands that the best theatre mirrors life rather than simplifying it.
Where and When
Venue: Young Vic, 66 The Cut, Waterloo, SE1 8LZ
Transport: Waterloo (Bakerloo, Circle, District, Jubilee, Northern lines), or buses 1, 3, 26, 42, 76, 77, 188, 211, 381
Performance schedule: - Monday–Saturday: 7.30pm - Wednesday & Saturday matinees: 2.30pm
Booking: youngvic.org | Standard pricing (typically £15–£35 depending on performance)
Access notes: Main House venue; full accessibility information available on website
Content warning: Depictions of old age and death, including death of family members; strong language; elder abuse/age discrimination; violence; issues with food/eating
Strategic Notes
- Press night 19 May marks the official opening—this is when critics will be in attendance
- Runs through 11 July, so there's flexibility if you miss the initial window
- Young Vic's brief is contemporary work that takes risks; this aligns perfectly
- Not a feel-good play—it's a real play. Go prepared for that.
Why This Matters for a London Insider
The Young Vic has positioned itself as London's theatre of genuine intellectual and emotional engagement. This production exemplifies that commitment. It's the kind of work that gets discussed seriously in theatre circles, not the kind that gets featured in Instagram tourism guides.
Zeldin's work rewards close attention and emotional honesty. If you care about theatre as an art form rather than as entertainment, this is essential.