Review: Ayckbourn's HERO'S WELCOME at 59E59 is Captivating Drama

HERO'S WELCOME is making its New York City premiere at 59E59 Theatres now through July 3rd. This rich theatrical piece is written and directed by Alan Ayckbourn and is being presented as part of the Brits Off-Broadway festival. This is Ayckbourn's latest and the 79th play he has written to date. It is an emotionally charged story that keeps you captivated from the first moment to the last.

In HERO'S WELCOME it has been seventeen years since Murray has been to his hometown after leaving under unpleasant circumstances. Now he returns a war hero bringing his lovely foreign-born bride, Madrababacascabuna, nicknamed Baba, to settle down. But it is far from a joyous homecoming. Murray's old friend Brad, unhappy in his marriage with Kara, acts bitterly competitive. To complicate matters, Alice, the town's current mayor, was left standing at the alter by Murray. Alice and her husband, Derek are hopeful that Murray and Baba will leave town soon. But Murray has other plans for his future, ones that cause even more conflict in the provincial town. This is storytelling at its finest, a complex human drama full of twists and turns.

The characters in HERO'S WELCOME are distinctive and wonderfully crafted. The cast completely masters their respective roles capturing the drama and humorous moments in the story. The show features Stephen Billington as Brad; Elizabeth Boag as Alice; Russell Dixon as Derek; Evelyn Hoskins as Baba; Charlotte Harwood as Kara/Simone and Richard Stacey as Murray.

HERO'S WELCOME is presented by Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. The Design Team brings the show to life with lighting design by Jason Taylor; production design by Michael Holt; The production stage manager is Veronica Aglow. The Assistant Stage Manager is Emma Lang, Deputy Stage Manager is Jennifer Hirst and the casting is by Sarah Hughes, CDG.

HERO'S WELCOME is theatrical gift to metro area audiences. You can see it along with Alan Ayckbourn's play, Confusions. Both shows are are being performed at 59E59 Theatres through July 3rd.

The running time of HERO'S WELCOME is 2 hours and 25 minutes with one intermission. 59E59 Theaters are located at 59 East 59th Street, between Madison and Park Avenues. Single tickets are $70 ($49 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279- 4200 or go to www.59e59.org.

Photo Credit: Tony Bartholomew

To post a comment, you must register and login.