DRIVING MISS DAISY, THE UNDERSTUDY and More Set for Canal Cafe Theatre's 'American Season'

The award-winning Canal Café Theatre and Russell Lucas announce an exciting new season of American Theatre.

Building on their previous collaboration on the UK Premiere of The Fat Man's Wife by Tennessee Williams, The Canal Café Theatre and Russell Lucas announce a series of productions celebrating American theatre in a season that will run for 12 months.

The season opens with Alfred Uhry's classic American play Driving Miss Daisy. Set against a backdrop of major social change from '48 to '73, Driving Miss Daisy tells of the tender relationship between Jewish widow, Daisy Werthan and her African-American driver Hoke Colburn. Both outsiders in an ever-changing America, Daisy, Hoke and Daisy's son Boolie, are together for over 25 years observing life, learning tolerance and enduring change.

Originally staged in a 70-seater off-Broadway Theatre, this new traverse production, directed by Lucas, will be taking the play back to an intimate setting in the Canal Café Theatre's 60-seater auditorium.

Following hot on Miss Daisy's heels in Spring 2017 will be The Understudy by Theresa Rebeck. This is a major scoop for the venue and a UK premiere. Described by The New Yorker as '...a clever indictment of Contemporary Theatre ' Rebeck (Creator of TV show Smash), dissects the relationship between theatre and film all set in an understudy rehearsal of a long lost Kafka play on Broadway. Three characters: the movie star lead, his 'real actor' understudy, and Roxanne, the show's tortured manager get caught up in a world of lost props, lost words and lost actors in this biting, love letter to theatre.

The season concludes with a brand new commissioned play inspired by Americana. Taking a different tact to other new writing initiatives, anonymous writers will be asked first to pitch their play synopsis, after which successful applicants will then submit three scenes. The selected writer will then be commissioned by the venue to write the full piece with dramaturgical support from The Canal Café Theatre and Lucas. The final play is taken to full production and has a run at the venue. Submissions open on 5th November 2016 and close on 1st February 2017. The commissioned play will be announced at the final performance of The Understudy at the Canal Café Theatre in March.

On the collaboration Director, Russell Lucas, said: "I am thrilled to be working with the Canal Café Theatre on this season, from taking the well-known Driving Miss Daisy back to its intimate roots; presenting the UK premiere of The Understudy, to leading the search for a brand new play. This will be an exciting year of work and is exactly what contemporary audiences seek from their independent theatres; original and unique experiences."

EmMA Taylor, Artistic Director of Canal Café Theatre, added: "The American Season represents perfectly the venue's ethos of new, high risk, bold and diverse work. As an unfunded venue we have no rule book and what The American Season represents is pint-sized theatre that delivers on a massive scale."

For tickets and more information, visit canalcafetheatre.com or call 020 7289 6045.

The award-winning Canal Café Theatre has been perched on The Edge of the Regent's Canal since 1979. It is a renowned comedy and theatre venue and over the years has helped launch some of the biggest names in comedy ranging from John Oliver to Miranda Hart to The League of Gentlemen. It also has a history of sourcing and producing little known revivals to critical acclaim. (Lucky Stiff, The Shawl, The Fat Man's Wife). It is home to Guinness World Record-Breaking NewsRevue which plays 4 nights a week, 50 weeks of the year.

Russell Lucas trained as an actor at Colchester Mercury Youth Theatre then in Birmingham at The Russian School of Acting and Sandwell College. His directing practice has included collaborations with Sh!t Theatre, Heather Uprichard (Shunt Collective), Sam Wills (The Boy with Tape on his Face), Martin Malcolm (Warped) & Linda Marlowe (Night Bus). He works in many mediums including performance art, film, photography and theatre production. He also delivers workshops for The Donmar Warehouse, Hackney Arts and The Directors Guild of Great Britain. He is co-creator and director of smash-hit Julie Madly Deeply by Sarah Louise-Young (London/Australia/Canada).

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