Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – The British Invasion: The Brits Co-Opt the Straight Play on Broadway and Beyond

• By drediman
• November 17, 2014
• No Comments

It’s not unusual for a handful of acclaimed British productions to make their way across the pond to New York each season to satiate the many stateside Anglophiles. However, this season, we have an unprecedented TEN (!) British productions transferring to our shores. Thus far this fall, two of these imports have already opened to great acclaim: the National Theatre’s technically and emotionally astonishing “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Simon Stephens and the Royal Court’s slight yet murky “The River” by Jez Butterworth. Although both of these productions have been recast for Broadway, most notably the casting of megastar Hugh Jackman in “The River”, these imports have retained their respective creative teams from the original London outings. The following are the ten anticipated British imports slated to grace New York’s boards this season. Note that this list does not include British plays that have been remounted using creative teams other than the ones who originally worked on the original London productions.

 

THE AUDIENCE by Peter Morgan

Premiered at the Gielgud Theatre (West End)

Directed by Stephen Daldry

Starring Helen Mirren (Original to Production)

Opening at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (Broadway) on March 15, 2015 (previews begin on February 17, 2015)

 

CONSTELLATIONS by Nick Payne

Premiered at the Royal Court Theatre (transferred to the West End’s Duke of York’s Theatre)

Directed by Michael Longhurst

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal (New to Production)

Opening at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (Broadway) via the Manhattan Theatre Club on January 13, 2015 (previews begin on December 16, 2014)

 

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME by Simon Stephens

Premiered at the National Theatre (transferred to the West End’s Apollo Theatre and subsequently to the Gielgud Theatre)

Directed by Marianne Elliott

Starring Alexander Sharp (New to Production)

Opened at Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre on October 5, 2014 (previews began on September 10, 2014)

 

KING CHARLES III by Mike Bartlett

Premiered at the Almeida Theatre (transferred to the West End’s Wyndham’s Theatre)

Directed by Rupert Goold

Casting to be determined

Rumored to open on Broadway in Spring 2015

 

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN adapted by Jack Thorne, based on the novel and film by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland (transferred to the West End’s Apollo Theatre)

Directed by John Tiffany

Cast features original London cast

Opening Off-Broadway at St. Ann’s Warehouse on January 20, 2015

 

THE RIVER by Jez Butterworth

Premiered at the Royal Court Theatre

Directed by Ian Rickson

Starring Hugh Jackman (New to Production)

Opened at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre on November 16, 2014 (previews began on October 31, 2014)

 

SKYLIGHT by David Hare

Premiered at the Wyndham’s Theatre (West End)

Directed by Stephen Daldry

Starring Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan (Original to Production)

Opening at the John Golden Theatre (Broadway) on April 2, 2015 (previews begin on March 16, 2015)

 

TRISTAN AND YSEULT by Carl Grose and Anna Maria Murphy

Cornwall’s Kneehigh Theatre has been touring this production internationally since the mid-2000’s.

Directed by Emma Rice

Cast includes current touring cast

Opened Off-Broadway at St. Ann’s Warehouse on November 16, 2014

 

WOLF HALL / BRING UP THE BODIES adapted by Mike Poulton, based on the novels by Hilary Mantel

Premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon (transferred to the West End’s Aldwych Theatre)

Directed by Jeremy Herrin

Cast features original RSC cast

Performances begin on March 20, 2015 at the Winter Garden Theatre (Broadway)