THE OPEN BOOK and NUNKIE THEATRE COMPANY are pleased to announce the upcoming production of "OH, WHISTLE…," two ghost stories by M R JAMES and performed by Robert Lloyd Parry at the 78th Street Theatre Lab. "OH, WHISTLE…" plays Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM, October 22nd through November 8th. In addition, performances of Lloyd Parry's 2007 M R James show, "A PLEASING TERROR," plays 10:00 PM on Friday, October 24th, 31st and November 7th. All single show tickets are $20. Friday double show tickets and group discounts are also available. To reserve tickets (cash, personal checks, or TDF vouchers only), call (212)362-0329, or visit https://the-open-book1.ticketleap.com for credit card purchases. The 78TH STREET THEATRE LAB is located at 236 West 78th Street, just east of Broadway.
This Hallowe'en, Robert Lloyd Parry brings a seasonal shiver to New York City with his retelling of two of the greatest tales by M R James, the master of the English ghost story. Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad—a tale of nocturnal horror on the Suffolk coast—is considered by many to be the author's masterpiece. It is beautifully complemented here by The Ash Tree, a story of witchcraft and vengeance down the generations. A PLEASING TERROR (Friday nights at 10 PM only) offers two additional James stories: Canon Alberic's Scrap-book and The Mezzotint.
Every Christmas, Montague Rhodes (M R ) James (1862–1936) would write and perform new tales, to entertain friends in his rooms in King's College, Cambridge. A century later, these still have a special power to terrify and amuse. This unique interpretation gives New York theatregoers the opportunity to experience these eerie masterpieces in the manner in which they were originally enjoyed—as ghostly confections, told to a rapt audience.
"M R JAMES dedicated his stories to 'those who have at various times listened to them,' " explains Lloyd Parry, "and I try to evoke the tone and atmosphere of James' original performances. Reticence and suggestion are very important weapons in James' storytelling armory, so the staging, the lighting and the delivery are all very straightforward—and, one hopes, all the more chilling for that."
Robert Lloyd Parry is an actor and art historian. He first read M R James' ghost stories as a teenager, and his passion for them was rekindled when he began working at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, where James was Director in the early 1900s. Since performing two of his favorite works in James' old office in the Fitzwilliam in 2006, he has pursued this enthusiasm around the UK, USA and Ireland, often performing in venues closely associated with the author. "OH, WHISTLE…" is the sequel to his critically acclaimed one-man show "A PLEASING TERROR," which toured the UK, USA and Ireland in 2006 / 2007. In 2008, Lloyd Parry's "OH, WHISTLE…" won The Dr! acula Society Hamilton Deane Award for best dramatic presentation in the Gothic genre. (The last winner was Guillermo del Toro for Pan's Labyrinth.). For more information visit www.nunkie.co.uk. You can also watch Robert Lloyd Harry performing three excerpts of "A PLEASING TERROR" on youtube.com, keyword: nunkietheatreUSA.
Photo Credit Ruth Horry
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