Six out of seven new British works have been announced for the festival that will run Nov. 3-Jan. 4, 2010. Theatregoers are currently able to purchase complete festival passes, with individual ticket sales beginning in October.
The 2009 Brits Off-Broadway Festival will include:
By Matt Wilkinson
Directed by Frank McCabe and produced by Two Bins
Nov. 3-22
"Ray, a retired thief, sees out his days on the top floor of a tower block on the South Coast. Confined during the day by a rare skin condition, he's cared for by his son Terry. Ray merrily fills the air with accounts of lost love, past misadventure and the daily observations of a bitter old man. When Terry meets a young runaway Karen, looking for refuge, he invites her back to the flat. Immediately Karen's presence ignites passions in Ray."
Written and directed by Alan Ayckbourn
Produced by the Stephen Joseph Theatre Company
Featuring Ayesha Antoine, Terence Booth, Ruth Gibson, Paul Kemp, Petra Letang and Alexandra Mathie
Nov. 10-Dec. 13
"Winnie lives in a world full of adults. She's off school for the day and has an essay to write, 'My Wonderful Day.' What better time to write it than today? What better opportunity than quietly seated unnoticed in a corner, while mother busies herself around the house? What better source of material than the bizarre and increasingly frenetic comings and goings of adults in the weird household in which she finds herself?"
By Toby Davies after Saki
Directed by Thomas Hescott and produced by Arcola Theatre
Nov. 10-Dec. 6
"Enter the offbeat world of Saki – one of the twentieth century’s greatest satirists. It's a world full of macabre, acid and very funny characters, a world that drives a knife into upper class Edwardian life."
Written by Mary Swan and Saul Jaffé
Directed by Mary Swan, starring Saul Jaffé and produced by Proteus Theatre Company
Nov. 24-Dec. 13
"Merrick, The Elephant Man, is the moving, poetic and ultimately uplifting story of the life of Joseph Merrick. Fusing burlesque, new circus and physical theater, Merrick… is a highly physical, one-man tour-de-force version of this classic story recharged for the 21st century. Often the most remarkable stories are the true ones, and the story of Joseph Carey Merrick is certainly that. The journey of this astonishing man, from an object of curiosity and social revulsion to celebrity, Merrick's life and tragic destiny is as relevant today as it ever was."
Dec. 15-Jan. 4, 2010
"The incomparable Simon Green returns to 59E59 Theaters for a stylish and sophisticated evening of cabaret, featuring classic music from both classic and contemporary British lyricists and composers."
Dec. 16-Jan. 4, 2010
"Three-time Oliver Award nominees, Fascinating Aida is one of the most raucous evenings ever spent in the theater. Imagine 'Absolutely Fabulous' meets Noel Coward as sung by the Puppini Sisters and you have some idea of what's in store." Single tickets begin sale Oct. 1. For festival passes phone (212) 279-4200 or visit TicketCentral.
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