Best of Edinburgh Award Winning EIGHT Premieres at PS122 on 1/6

The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation and Performance Space 122 have announced the US premiere of the critically-acclaimed production of EIGHT, written and directed by Ella Hickson, as part of Performance Space 122's COIL Festival. EIGHT begins performances on Tuesday, January 6 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 25 at Performance Space 122 (150 First Avenue, at East 9th Street).

The performance schedule from January 9 - January 11 is as follows: Tues. Jan. 6 and Thurs. Jan. 8 at 7:30 PM, Fri. Jan. 9 at 2 PM (abbreviated show for APAP) and Sun. Jan. 11 at 2 PM (benefit performance for the Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation; ticket price at $100). The performance schedule for the remainder of the run is: Wednesday -Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 5 PM. For tickets, which are $25 ($10 for Performance Space 122 members), call 212-352-3101 for tickets.

A collection of endearing characters, hitting adulthood in The Naughties, offer deliciously cynical yet touching snippets of life that question what it is to be 'normal' in a generation where everything has become acceptable.

In a decade when the shock factor is hard to come by and the media is scrabbling around in the dirt to find the not-yet-exploited, EIGHT's characters come from the fringes of a society that has been invaded by normal. From life-partners hanging by Hermès scarves to finding friendship in morgues, EIGHT looks at the refugees created by the dissolution of social, sexual and national boundaries, resulting in hard-hitting drama that has dared to confront the toughest of topical issues; 'one of the finest pieces of writing I've yet heard about the aftermath of that terrible day' (Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman, on 'Eight's portrayal of the 7/7 bombings).

Formed around a survey that asked twenty-somethings what defined their generation, playwright Ella Hickson responds to their almost unanimous response of 'apathy', with a play that finds the glimmers of faith amidst wholesale cynicism. EIGHT moves seamlessly from despair to hilarity as its characters search for meaning in a morally and spiritually bankrupt Britain. Spend an evening with eight beguiling oddballs from a generation trying to find its feet in faithless 2008.

Carol Tambor, founder of the Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation, enthuses, "Ella is fearless in describing characters you may never have come across before, surely you've never heard their inner voices speak so eloquently. I can only compare her play to another of my favorites, Talking Heads by Alan Bennett, except her characters are just beginning their lives, and we know the road ahead will be a rocky one."

EIGHT received huge critical acclaim at the Fringe, called "truly impressive and exciting" (The Scotsman) and "captivating and emotionally charged; stunning drama" (Three Weeks). EIGHT is 23 year old, Ella Hickson's debut show; it won a Fringe First, the National Student Drama Festival Emerging Artist Award and The Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award, making a clean sweep of the festival's highest accolades.

EIGHT transferred to London to a limited sold-out engagement at The Pleasance, Islington.

Ms. Tambor was particularly struck by the production's level of talent and sophistication, which is notable because EIGHT's creative and production team are so young. "Ms. Hickson, at 23, exhibits an uncanny sensitivity to life's issues that is often not exhibited in those three times her age," Ms. Tambor recalls.
The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation was established in 2004 to bring excellent dramatic work from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to a New York audience. The mission is to support artists in their desire to be seen and produced. The Foundation provides support with no future financial or commercial involvement in their success.

Founded in 1979, Performance Space 122 is dedicated to supporting and presenting artists whose work challenges the traditional boundaries of dance, theater, music, and performance. Committed to exploring innovative form as well as material, P.S. 122 is steadfast in its search for pioneering artists from a diversity of cultures and points of view.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world, has been ongoing since 1947. Fringe 2008 featured over 31,000 performances of 2,088 shows in 247 different venues throughout Edinburgh.

The Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award is considered the highest honor of the Edinburgh Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world. To be eligible, the show must be an original work, never seen in New York City, and have received a 4-star or 5-star review from The Scotsman, Scotland's foremost daily newspaper. Carol Tambor and members of her Foundation, along with The Scotsman newspaper's arts writers Joyce Macmillan, Jackie McGlone and Mark Fisher, choose the winning production.

 

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