Yellowman and Louis to Launch UK Tours

Dael Orlandersmith's Yellowman and and Simon Mendes de Costa's comedy Losing Louis will both launch UK tours in upcoming weeks. First up is Yellowman, which opens January 26th at Salisbury Playhouse before going on to Leeds, Ipswich, Liverpool, Warwick, Oxford, Greenwich and Manchester. The run ends on March 25th. Yellowman follows Eugene and Alma's relationship, from childhood playmates to teenage sweethearts, as they struggle for acceptance in 1960s South Carolina. The new touring production stars Andi Osho and Anthony Ekundayo Lennon with direction by Liverpool artistic director Gemma Bodinetz, design by Francis O'Connor, and lighting by Chris Davey. The play was a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize and earned praise from critics for its statements on racism.

The tour of Losing Louis opens on February 21st, 2006 at the Theatre Royal Windsor before continuing on to Oxford, Brighton, Richmond, Bath, Guildford, Malvern and Cambridge, where its schedule concludes on May 13th. Louis, a combination of black comedy and suburban tragedy, takes place in a single bedroom as family secrets come out. Alison Steadman (best known for her performance in Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party) and David Horovitch will reprise their performances on the tour. The production is directed by Robin Lefevre and designed by Liz Ascroft, with lighting by Mick Hughes.

Both Yellowman and Losing Louis were recently seen at London's Hampstead Theatre.

by Rachel Schwartz