The first play to be staged under Nicholas Hytner's directorship of the National Theatre, Scenes from the Big Picture takes place over 24 hours and involves 21 characters and 40 scenes. An urban story set in Belfast, this is a world premiere by one of Ireland's most promising writing talents.

The cast includes Elaine Cassidy, Kathy Kiera Clarke, Ruairi Conaghan, Chris Corrigan, Dermot Crowley, Michelle Fairley, Darren Healy, Karl Johnson, Gerard Jordan, Packy Lee, Breffni McKenna, Aoife McMahon, Stuart McQuarrie, Andy Moore, John Normington, Eileen Pollock, Frances Tomelty, Harry Towb and June Watson.

Owen McCafferty was writer on attachment to the National Theatre Studio in 1999. His plays include Closing Time (NT Transformation season), Shoot the Crow and Freefalling. He was the winner of the Paines Plough/Granada Award 1999 and has recently completed a commissioned play for BBC Radio 4.

Playwright and director Peter Gill is a former associate director of the National and founded the NT Studio. He has directed over 20 productions for the National, including his own plays Cardiff East, Mean Tears, In The Blue and Kick for Touch, and, most recently, John Osborne's Luther. His other plays include The York Realist and Original Sin.

Scenes from the Big Picture is designed by Alison Chitty, with lighting by Hartley T A Kemp and sound by Terry Davies and Rich Walsh.