Democracy and The Goat Set for West End Transfers

By James Inverne
01 Mar 2004

After a February in which all the London theatre buzz seemed to be about big musicals — a Crawford here, a Mel Brooks there, Laura Michelle Kelly seemingly everywhere — two high-profile play transfers will give the West End legit gravitas.

Michael Frayn’s Democracy will move from the National Theatre to the Wyndham's while, according to Variety, Edward Albee’s The Goat, Or Who is Sylvia? will leap the Almeida’s paddock to land at the Apollo.

Democracy, which recently won Best Play awards from the UK Critics’ Circle and the London Evening Standard, will open at the Wyndham’s on April 15. A co-production between Michael Codron, Lee Dean and the Nederlander Organization, it is expected to follow its West End run with a Broadway transfer. The West End cast will include original leads Roger Allam and Conleth Hill.

The Almeida’s original cast of Jonathan Pryce, Kate Fahy, Matthew Marsh and Eddie Redmayne will also travel with The Goat (a deal which is highly likely, if not yet signed). Dean once again is set to produce. The plan, says Variety, is for a 16-week run at the Apollo, perhaps with an extension.

Meanwhile, the Almeida will replace The Goat with a stage version of the 1998 film “Festen.” Opening on March 25, Rufus will direct a cast to star Johnny Lee Miller.