Savio(u)r And King's Head Theatre Present A THORNTON WILDER CHRISTMAS, Now thru Jan 5

Savio(u)r in association with the King's Head Theatre present A Thornton Wilder CHRISTMAS with the first London revival in over 30 years of THE HAPPY JOURNEY TO TRENTON AND CAMDEN and THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER, a double bill of one-act plays by Thornton Wilder, directed by Tim Sullivan.

Two of Thornton Wilder's most acclaimed one-act plays are THE HAPPY JOURNEY TO TRENTON AND CAMDEN and THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER. This Christmas 2012 production marks the first time the plays have ever been produced together.

Perfect for the Christmas holiday season, the plays feature Wilder's trademark wit, poignancy, and theatricality. A titan in American theatre, Wilder has not seen a major production of his work in London in nearly a decade. The King's Head Theatre season runs from 11 December 2012 to 5 January 2013. Press Night is tonight, December 14 at 7.15pm.

THE HAPPY JOURNEY TO TRENTON AND CAMDEN tells the story of a family sets off on a Sunday drive in New Jersey in this portrait of Depression-era America. They motor on in the face of a recent tragedy in a testament to the strength and endurance of the human spirit. The play's 1993 Broadway production won both Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Revival.

THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER tells the story of three successive generations as they celebrate the holidays as 90 years pass by in the Bayard household. As America expands around them, so too does the family, as the old make way for their children to follow in their footsteps. The play inspired Orson Welles to steal his friend Thornton Wilder's concept of accelerated time for his film Citizen Kane, as well as an opera by Paul Hindemith, set to Wilder's text.

The cast includes Stephanie Beattie who starred in the King's Head critically acclaimed London
premiere of Arnold Wesker's Denial in May this year, Rosy Benjamin, Simon Dobson, Ben Fuiava, David Gerits, Tamarin McGinley, Carole Street, Rita Walters.

One of America's greatest writers, Wilder won the Pulitzer Prize three times, for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Ray, his absurdist play The Skin of Our Teeth, and his seminal classic Our Town. The latter has the distinction of being performed somewhere in America each night since its debut in 1938.

His play The Matchmaker was the basis for the musical Hello, Dolly!. Alfred Hitchcock hired him to write Shadow of a Doubt, which was the filmmaker's own personal favourite of his works. Wilder's novels include Theophilus North, Ides of March, and The Eighth Day, which won the National Book Award for Fiction. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by John F. Kennedy in 1963.

The King's Head Theatre's Artistic Director, Adam Spreadbury-Maher, said: "Wilder is one of the most celebrated American Playwrights of the 20th century. We look forward to offering London audiences a rare opportunity to see two of his best short works in advance of our 75th anniversary production of his Pulitzer Prize-winning OUR TOWN at the King's Head next summer. After the King's Head work with playwright's Arnold Wesker and Tennessee Williams this year, we are honoured to welcome Thornton Wilder to celebrate Christmas after what has been an extraordinary year for the venue."

Tickets are priced at Previews: 11-13 December: all seats £10.00; Tickets: £16.00 - £25.00. For more information visit www.kingsheadtheatre.com and call the Box office: 020 7478 0160.

Savio(u)r is dedicated to uniting British and American theatre artists. Alongside revivals of definitive American plays, the company is committed to producing new work that speaks to our global world. In 2011, the company received six Off-West End Award nominations for its acclaimed world premiere of At the Broken Places by Joseph Horton, including Best New Play, Best Ensemble, and Best Director. Their acclaimed production of Wilder's OUR TOWN will transfer to the King's Head in July 2013.

The King's Head Theatre was London's first pub theatre since Shakespeare's time, founded in 1970 with 50 West-End/Broadway transfers to its credit. Multi-Award winning Adam Spreadbury-Maher became the venue's second ever Artistic Director in March 2010, relaunching the venue with a revolutionary opera programme. Since 2008 Spreadbury-Maher's Production Company has become well renowned for staging world premieres and first time revivals of work by some of the most well-known and respected playwrights of the modern era including Edward Bond, Arnold Wesker, Peter Gill, Nick Ward and Tennessee Williams.

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