Berkeley Rep Brings Kneehigh Theater Back For THE WILD BRIDE, Previews 12/2

After triumphing on Broadway and in the Bay Area with Brief Encounter, Kneehigh Theatre Company is back. This holiday season, Britain's extraordinary theatrical troupe brings The Wild Bride to Berkeley Repertory Theatre for its American premiere. This stunning show starts previews in the Roda Theatre on December 2, opens December 7, and runs through January 1. For the seventh straight year, BART and Wells Fargo serve as the official sponsors of Berkeley Rep's season. The season producers are Wayne Jordan and Quinn Delaney, Marjorie Randolph, and Jack and Betty Schafer; the executive producers of The Wild Bride are Pam and Mitch Nichter and the Strauch Kulhanjian Family.

"Under the expert direction of Emma Rice, Kneehigh fosters a sense of conscious wonder," says Tony Taccone, artistic director of Berkeley Rep. "Their shows are celebrations of everything we can't see but know to be true. Now they bring us The Wild Bride, their idiosyncratic take on a Grimm's fairy tale, complete with a blues score, some wicked humor, and a few simple props that create epic events. Thanks to Kneehigh's ingenuity, this old story has come alive again - and we look forward to sharing that magic with our audience."

"The Bay Area is fast becoming our second home!" Rice remarks. "The joy, generosity, and warmth of the audience reminds us of our Cornish theatre family, smelling of sea air, smiling at the world, and looking far out to the horizon. The Wild Bride will bring this precious audience magic, music, and passion to remind them of tunes long forgotten and stories long buried. We can't wait; the depth, surprise, and hope of this show still take our breath away. We hope it will do the same for the audience at Berkeley Rep."

Adapted and directed by Emma Rice, The Wild Bride is a grown-up fairy tale that follows a girl's journey through a visual wonderland. What happens when your father accidentally sells you to the devil? What do you do when your prince goes off to war? Hearts break, hearts heal, and happily ever after still may be possible. Expect vivid storytelling, devilish humor, and a heady mix of live and found music when Kneehigh unveils The Wild Bride in December.

"Extraordinary... Kneehigh is back in top form with this stunningly intelligent dance and musical theater version of a Grimm's fairytale," Variety raves. "It's not just the story itself that's life-affirming here; it's the endless invention and creativity that Rice and her team bring to its telling. And there's even a positive take-away message, about the power of female solidarity to overcome hardship." "Devilishly enjoyable," exclaims the London Guardian. "This is a show not just to be seen but also to be felt, and which leads both heroine and audience into the dark woods of the unconscious and sets us free." "It becomes a moving affirmation of endurance, regeneration and the power of purity," declares the Times of London. "Quirky and larky, magical and wild... Witty, surprising, strange. I dreamt about it all night."

Created using Kneehigh's trademark collaborative process, The Wild Bride features text and lyrics by Carl Grose, music by Stu Barker, and choreography by Etta Murfitt. The design comes courtesy of Bill Mitchell (scenic design), Myriddin Wannell (costume design), Malcolm Rippeth (lighting design), and Simon Baker (sound design), and the ensemble features six talented performers: Audrey Brisson (the Girl), Stuart Goodwin (the Father and the Prince), Patrycja Kujawska (the Wild), Éva Magyar (the Woman), Stuart McLoughlin (the Devil), and Ian Ross (the Musician). The stage manager for this production is Steph Curtis.

Emma Rice is the joint artistic director and deputy chief executive of Kneehigh Theatre. She has directed numerous shows for Kneehigh including The Bacchae (2005 Theatrical Management Association Theatre Award for best touring production), Brief Encounter (tour, West End, and Broadway), Cymbeline (in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company for the Complete Works Festival), Don John (in association with the RSC and Bristol Old Vic), A Matter of Life and Death (Royal National Theatre production in association with Kneehigh), Rapunzel (in association with Battersea Arts Centre), The Red Shoes (2002 TMA Theatre Award for best director), Tristan & Yseult (2006 TMA Theatre Award nomination for best touring production), and The Wooden Frock (2004 TMA Theatre Award nomination for best touring production). Rice was nominated for the 2009 Olivier Award for best director for Brief Encounter. Her latest work includes the West End production of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg as well as two new shows for this year's Asylum, Kneehigh's performance tent in Cornwall.

Guests at The Wild Bride can expect a terrific reception including 26 special events:
Low-cost previews take place on Friday, December 2; Saturday, December 3; Sunday, December 4; and Tuesday, December 6.
Teen Night begins at 6:30 PM on Friday, December 2 and includes a presentation by a member of the artistic team, dinner provided by Phil's Sliders, and a performance of the show. Tickets are only $10 for high-school students. For details, call (510) 647-2973 or e-mail teencouncil@berkeleyrep.org.
night/OUT on Saturday, December 3 welcomes the LGBT community. This post-show dance party features food from Gather Restaurant and beverages courtesy of Ale Industries and Raymond Vineyards.
Page to Stage, a free conversation with Emma Rice, takes place at 7:00 PM on Monday, December 5.
Opening-night festivities are held on Wednesday, December 7 with a pre-show dinner for donors and a post-show party for the audience supported by Bistro Liaison, Hotel Shattuck Plaza, Raymond Vineyards, and TCHO.
Free 30-minute docent presentations about the show take place at 7:00 PM on the following Tuesday and Thursday evenings: December 6, December 8, December 13, December 15, December 20, December 22, December 27, and December 29.
Post-play discussions moderated by theatre professionals follow the 8:00 PM shows on Thursday, December 8; Friday, December 16; and Tuesday, December 20.
And, on select evenings, patrons can whet their palates for the play with free tastings from these culinary artisans one hour before curtain: Peterson Winery on Friday, December 16; Raymond Vineyards on Sunday, December 11; Ritual Coffee Roasters on Friday, December 23; Semifreddi's on Friday, December 9; TCHO on Saturday December 10; Tres Sabores on Saturday, December 17; and Via Pacifica Selections on Sunday, December 18.

In the last six years, six shows developed at Berkeley Rep have ended up on Broadway. Seven more landed off Broadway, two turned into films, and others have toured the nation. So don't miss the new season of exhilarating plays at the Theatre. There's still time to see a pair of premieres that kick off the season: Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup and Bill Cain's How to Write a New Book for the Bible. In January, Jonathan Moscone directs Ghost Light, a fable for San Francisco written by Tony Taccone. Next Steven Epp - the star of Figaro and The Miser - returns to unleash another Molière masterpiece with A Doctor in Spite of Himself. Then Associate Artistic Director Les Waters takes on John Logan's Tony Award-winning Red, and Dael Orlandersmith delivers a fierce and unforgettable performance in the world premiere of Black n Blue Boys / Broken Men. To top it off, Berkeley Rep is offering a special presentation of In Paris next April, a beautiful romance starring Mikhail Baryshnikov, and the world premiere of Eve Ensler's Emotional Creature in June.

Get the best seats for all these shows at the lowest prices by subscribing to Berkeley Rep. Choose three or more plays and guarantee your seats for events that are sure to sell out. Ticket packages begin as low as $81, meaning subscribers can save as much as 26% on every ticket. Berkeley Rep also offers generous discounts for senior citizens, theatregoers under 30, and employees of nursery, elementary, and secondary schools. Subscriptions are selling fast because of last season's string of hits - so order now for the best seats.

Individual tickets to The Wild Bride and other shows in the season start at only $29. Additional savings are available for groups, seniors, students, and anyone under 30 years of age - meaning discounted tickets can be obtained for as little as $14.50.

The Roda Theatre is located at 2015 Addison Street, near bus lines, bike routes, and parking lots - and only half a block from BART. For tickets or information, call (510) 647-2949 or toll-free at (888) 4-BRT-Tix - or simply click berkeleyrep.org.

ABOUT BERKELEY REP
Berkeley Repertory Theatre has grown from a storefront stage to a national leader in innovative theatre. Known for its core values of imagination and excellence, as well as its educated and adventurous audience, the nonprofit has provided a welcoming home for emerging and established artists since 1968. With two stages, a school, and a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Berkeley Rep is proud to premiere exhilarating new plays. In the last six years, the company has helped send six shows to Broadway. Seven more landed off Broadway, one moved to London, two turned into films, and others have toured the nation. Come see tomorrow's plays today at Berkeley Rep.