Complicite to Stage U.S. Premiere of LIONBOY at The New Victory Theater

The Olivier Award-winning Complicite brings the U.S. premiere of Lionboy - the first family production in the company's 31-year history - to The New Victory Theater from January 23 - February 1, 2015. Based on Zizou Corder's bestselling fantasy trilogy for young adults, Lionboy uses inventive storytelling, shadow puppetry, physical theater and aerial acrobatics to tell this dystopian tale.

A company lauded for its for stunning collaboratively devised adaptations, Complicite (Shun-kin, A Disappearing Number, Mnemonic, The Chairs) was drawn to the challenge presented by Lionboy's adventure narrative steeped in fantastical science-fiction. When the powerful Corporacy abducts his parents, the resourceful Charlie Ashanti (played by Martins Imhangbe) sets out on a cross-continental rescue mission. Luckily, he's got a secret weapon: he can talk to cats, who aid him in his epic journey across land, sea and air.

"Charlie Ashanti sets off on an adventure that crosses countries and continents - how could I bring a floating circus, a hot air balloon and a pride of lions onto the stage?" asks Complicite co-founder Annabel Arden, who returned to the company to create the original concept and production of Lionboy. As a family friend of the mother-daughter writing duo known as Zizou Corder, Arden has long admired the story's refusal to pander or patronize and knew it would be a great fit for Complicite's first full-scale family production. As she explains, "Over 30 years ago, we were a team who had just finished university. Now, we have families and children of our own and Complicite wanted to make a show that we could all enjoy together."

The U.S. premiere of Lionboy is directed by Clive Mendus and James Yeatman, and adapted by playwright Marcelo Dos Santos, winner of the 2011 Adrienne Benham award for writers who explore Theatre for Young Audiences. Live music and percussion from Stephen Hiscock, who plays an assortment of African instruments, help to bring Charlie's tale to life.

All of Complicite's shows are created over many months of exploration. For the staging of Lionboy, the company took several trips to the circus and made many visits to the zoo. The show was originally co-produced with Bristol Old Vic, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse, Wales Millennium Centre and Warwick Arts Centre. Lionboy made its world debut at the Bristol Old Vic in 2013.

Complicite's Lionboy is performed by an ensemble of multi-talented actors including Femi Elufowoju, Jr., Victoria Gould, Martins Imhangbe, Lisa Kerr, Angel Lopez-Silva, Eric Mallett, Clive Mendus and Dan Milne. The show's brilliant, minimalistic set design that features many worlds in one is by Jon Bausor and Jean Chan with original lighting by Tim Mascall, revival lighting by Christopher Nairne and sound by Tom Gibbons.

This stage adaption of Lionboy is based off the three-part book series by Zizou Corder, the pen name of mother and daughter writing team Louisa Young and Isabel Adomakoh Young, who wrote the Lionboy books together when Isabel was still at school. They chose the pseudonym "Zizou" because it was the name of Isabel's lizard. Under her own name, Louisa Young is a novelist whose books include My Dear I Wanted To Tell You and The Book of the Heart.