Brits Off Broadway Fest--Featuring 11 New Plays--Runs May 2-July 2

The critically acclaimed Brits Off Broadway festival will return this year with a line up of 11 productions. Presented by 59E59 Theaters, Brits Off-Broadway will kick off on Tuesday, May 2 and run through Sunday, July 2.

The 2006 Brits Off Broadway line up is:

Bogus Woman is written by Kay Adshead, directed by Kully Thiarai, and performed by Sarah Niles. "An explosive piece of theater from The Leicester Haymarket Theatre. After fleeing her country following the mass murder of her family, a distressed and beaten African woman is interrogated at Heathrow, and subsequently locked up in the UK's national refugee detention center, Campsfield House," state press notes. The show will run from Tuesday, May 2 through Sunday, May 21.

Defying Hitler will run from Tuesday, May 2 – Sunday, May 21. Adapted (from Sebastian Haffner's memoir) and performed by Rupert Wickham, the show is directed by Peter Symonds. "Developed at London's Royal National Theatre, where it was performed as a companion piece to Michael Frayn's award-winning Democracy, Defying Hitler is an absorbing and chilling adaptation of the candid, witty and extremely moving memoirs of Sebastian Haffner, a young German growing up in Berlin between the two world wars."

Beau Brummell by Ron Hutchinson, in rep with an encore performance of Cooking for Kings, both performed by Ian Kelly and directed by Simon Green, will be seen from Tuesday, May 9 through Sunday, June 11. "Ian Kelly returns to Brits Off Broadway with an encore performance of Cooking for Kings, the undisputed hit of the first Brits Off Broadway festival in 2004. Performed in rep with Beau Brummell, about the legendary British dandy, which Kelly also explores in his exhaustive biography Beau Brummell: The Ultimate Dandy, being published by Simon and Schuster in May."

Tuesday, May 16 – Sunday, June 4 will see the American premiere of The Race created by Gecko, and directed by Amit Lahav and Al Nedjari. "From the producers of last year's Brits Off Broadway sleeper hit Jackson's Way comes The Race, a visually stunning and astoundingly athletic show about a man preparing to meet his first child. Developed at the renowned Battersea Arts Centre and The National Theatre Studio."

Private Peaceful will be seen from Wednesday, May 24 – Sunday, June 11. The show is adapted (from a novel by Children's Laureate Michael Morpugo), directed by Simon Reade and stars Alexander Campbell. "Direct from London's West End, Private Peaceful is a vivid and searing tale of a 16 year-old World War 1 soldier's final hours before a dawn execution by firing squad."

cloud: burst, written and directed by Chris O'Connell and starring Graeme Hawley, will be presented Tuesday, May 23 – Sunday, June 11. "An unforgettable play that features a stunning performance by Graeme Hawley, a man struggles to pick up the pieces after the murder of his 10 year-old daughter."

Nothing will run Wednesday, June 7 – Sunday, July 2. The show is adapted from the Henry Green novel by Andrea Hart and directed and designed by Philip Prowse. "From the renowned Glasgow Citizen's Theatre, starring the incomparable Sophie Ward and directed and designed by the legendary Philip Prowse, this adaptation of one of Henry Green's lesser-known novels is a caustic comedy of manners surrounding the impending marriage of the children of two ex-lovers."

Stories for the Wobbly Hearted will be performed. Tuesday, June 13 – Wednesday, June 28. The show is written and performed by Daniel Kitson. "Britain's comedy icon Daniel Kitson makes his NYC premiere with his Fringe First Award-winning show Stories for the Wobbly Hearted, a hilarious paean to living alone."

Love Me Tender: The Songs of Elvis Presley, created and performed by Barb Junger, will be seen Thursday, June 29 – Sunday, July 2. "One of Britain's most gifted cabaret artists interprets the song book of The King, Elvis Presley. A dark a dark and intriguing journey through, love, loneliness, obsession and faith, Love Me Tender explores some of his lesser-known gospel songs and mines the hits that made him a legend."

After the End will run Tuesday, June 13 – Sunday, July 2. The show is by Dennis Kelly and directed by Roxana Silbert. "This co-production from the critically acclaimed Bush Theatre and Paines Plough is an intense psychological thriller. Following a nuclear attack, office geek Mark risks his life to rescue the woman he has worshipped from afar, sheltering them both in his nuclear fallout bunker. Living on rations of tuna and canned chili, Louise begins to suspect that perhaps this nuclear attack never happened."

The single ticket price for each show ranges from $25 - $45 ($17.50 - 31.50 for 59E59 members). A three show Brit Pass (one show per theater) is available for $80 ($64 for 59E59 members) and a six show Brit Pass (two shows per theater) is available for $160 ($128 for 59E59 members). Tickets to Brits Off Broadway are available by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or online at www.ticketcentral.com. For more information on Brits Off Broadway, visit www.britsoffbroadway.com.

Don't Miss a Broadway News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...