Simon stephens, carrie cracknell and katie mitchells. Riva marker, carrie cracknell and simon stephens photo 20190809. When a secret debt from her past comes back to haunt her, noras seemingly idyllic domestic existence becomes a fraught battleground between suffocating societal norms and her growing hunger for selfdetermination. Working from a sharp new adaptation by the playwright simon stephens, which underscores the imprisoning powers of sex and money without sounding didactic, ms. Critics split over simon stephens birdland whatsonstage. Simon stephens language has the confidence to be ordinary, but is also fearless with a dry mouth quality. The production, directed by carrie cracknell in a new version of the play by simon stephens, is set in the 19th century, but it doesnt have the buttoned up quality of period pieces.
A dolls house, with hattie morahans frantic nora the. Carrie cracknell s smart production creates a world both repellent and seductive in this glittering moral fable for our celebrityobsessed times whatsonstage. He captures that moment before everything goes wrong, or very right, and at that moment you can never tell which. Ibsens peerless dramatic wheels oiled by a smooth new adaptation by simon stephens, whose play the curious incident.
A dolls house directors often cave in to actors who want to indicate every suppressed emotion and withhold nothing. Carrie cracknell joseph marzullowenn its a piece of theatre that. The playwrights are, respectively, simon stephens heisenberg, the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime and nick payne. He is the inaugural associate playwright of steep theatre company, chicago, where four of his plays, harper regan, motortown, wastwater, and birdland had their u. Carrie cracknells a dolls house restores ibsens power. Inside opening night of sea wall a life, starring jake gyllenhaal and tom sturridge.
But stephens treatment of the subject, combined with director carrie cracknells startling contribution, makes. He is the inaugural associate playwright of steep theatre company, chicago, where four. Video trailer for birdland by simon stephens at royal court theatre. These paired 45minutes monologues, by the acclaimed british dramatists simon stephens and nick payne, each pack a punch to the stomach with its particular story of love. They are interrupted by an unwelcome visit from a newly exemployee of torvalds krogstad. An investigation into fame and fortune, about a spoilt singer with ridiculous riders and a subsequent sorry end, the topic might seem a little old hat. Directed by carrie cracknell, sea walla life a hit downtown early. Working from a crisp translation by simon stephens, director carrie cracknell infuses her production with a kinetic energy mirroring the restlessness of. London 2012 incorporating sea wall and t5 premiered at. Birdland 2014 premiered at the royal court theatre, directed by carrie cracknell. According to ambassador theatre group, which owns the hudson, 73% of ticket buyers were first time hudson attendees, suggesting an unusually large. Having taught on the young writers programme at the royal court theatre for many years, he is now an artistic associate at the lyric hammersmith. Lr director carrie cracknell, tom sturridge, jake gyllenhaal and playright simon stephens attend fiji water at sea wall a life opening night on broadway on august 08, 2019 in new york city. By simon stephens, world premiere carrie cracknell s production is ceaselessly inventive the guardian.
Sturridge performs a scene from simon stephenss sea wall. C arrie cracknell s production certainly puts a new spin on ibsens 1879 classic. Olivier awardwinning playwright simon stephens punk rock, young vic associate director carrie cracknell elektra and tony awardwinning designer ian macneil billy elliot create a. Jake gyllenhaal, tom sturridge, simon stephens, carrie. A dolls house by henrik ibsen, translated by simon stephens. Riva marker, carrie cracknell and simon stephens photo 201908.
Ct9k7x from alamys library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. His writing is characterised as part of the inyerface generation and is widely performed not. Simon stephens interesting stories about famous people. Theres a sharp visual language, courtesy of director carrie cracknell. The malleability of truth and language in chay yews and. Mandy hackett, simon stephens, tom sturridge, carrie. Simon stephens sea wall features sturridge seen on broadway in 1984 and orphans as alex, whose haunted demeanor and habit of stopping midsentence indicates his tortured emotional state. Simon stephens wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Rogers simon stephens, and a few affects of neoliberalization. A dolls house by henrik ibsen, translated by simon. Cracknells first dancetheatre show, i am falling, was nominated for a south bank show award in the dance category in 2009. Directed by carrie cracknell, the creative team for the broadway production of sea wall a life featured laura jellinek. Carrie cracknell directs with the confidence of all the colours and movements and shapes in the world.
In henrik ibsens a dolls house, nora helmer, having fraudulently borrowed money to save her husband, is forced to reveal her secret and, in doing so, reassess her life as it stands. Five years ago, the british director carrie cracknell won praise in new york for a u. After a spate of work in which simon stephens has appeared determined to thrust himself forward as experimental theatres ageing enfant terrible most. Five years ago, the british director carrie cracknell won praise in new. Simon stephens, carrie cracknell and katie mitchells dialogues with the classic canon bull, john 2018 addaptation. Both on the shore of the wide world and the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime won the prestigious olivier award for.
The new york premiere of sea wall a life officially opened last night, february 14. Like a really great pop song, this is a play that will worm its way into your head and stay there a long time. As if to remind us that this is a play about domestic revolution, ian macneils design revolves ceaselessly. For all the air of experiment in the abstract staging and multiple roleplay of carrie cracknells striking production, stephenss drama, which is named after the patti smith song, is only intermittently successful at bursting through the cliches of the rockrakesprogress scott who never sings but performs some sexy jaggerlike dance. This production, directed by carrie cracknell, was captured by digital theatre live at londons young vic. A dolls house, young vic, 29 june 28 july by henrik ibsen english language version by simon stephens directed by carrie cracknell design by ian macneil. But stephens treatment of the subject, combined with director carrie cracknells startling contribution, makes this an intriguing piece.
Written by simon stephens and nick payne, with both directed by carrie cracknell, the pair of one acts received universal critical acclaim, with the hudson 96% full, on average, throughout the run. At the time, cracknell had just worked with another acclaimed playwright from across the pond, nick payne, on blurred lines, a new work examining gender politics and inequality. Sea wall a life director carrie cracknell would rather you forget. Simon stephens theatre credits, news, bio and photos. N o one will be surprised to learn, from simon stephenss new play, that the megafame and virtually limitless money that accompany rock stardom have a. His plays include bluebird, motortown, harper reagan, and three kingdoms. Video trailer for birdland by simon stephens at royal. Tom sturridge photos photos lr director carrie cracknell, tom sturridge, jake gyllenhaal and playright simon stephens attend fiji water at sea wall a life opening night on broadway on. Nora boasts that she managed to gather the money together to take him on a lifesaving trip, which she has kept a secret from torvald.
Tom sturridge takes the stage first for simon stephens sea wall, and jake gyllenhaal follows up after intermission with nick. Nora reveals that her husband, torvald, has been made the bank manager despite his previous breakdown. By simon stephens, world premiere carrie cracknells production is ceaselessly inventive. Simon stephens, carrie cracknell and katie mitchells dialogues with the classic canon. Carrie cracknell directs bringing sea walla life on. Simon stephens born 6 february 1971 is an english playwright. Rising star hattie morahan gives a stunning performance as ibsens beleaguered housewife in the young vics production of a dolls house. The british director carrie cracknell brings a version of a dolls house to the brooklyn academy of music that has a 21stcentury sensibility while it retains its 19thcentury setting. Simon stephens, tom sturridge, carrie cracknell, jake gyllenhaal, and nick payne at the offbroadway opening of sea wall a life at the public theater. Mandy hackett, simon stephens, tom sturridge, carrie cracknell, jake gyllenhaal, nick payne and oskar eustis attend the sea wall a life opening night at the public theater on february 14, 2019, in new york city. The show was written by simon stephens and nick payne respectively and directed by carrie cracknell, featuring. Carrie cracknell directs sea walla life on broadway. And yet, the londonbased artist is making her broadway debut with an evening of two monologues.
English playwright simon stephens had never written a new version of a classic play until this young vic production of henrik ibsens a dolls house, at the bam harvey from feb 21 to mar 16. Nora as played by hattie morahan and torvald as played by dominic rowan are an immensely sexy couple. If you knew what i had to be proud of, then you wouldnt think i was so much of a child. Simon stephens translation is artistic associate at the lyric hammersmith, and is a prolific playwright, author and teacher with several notable successes to his credit. Hattie morahan and dominic rowan in a dolls house at young vic, london. The public theater celebrated the opening night of sea walla life, a double bill of solo plays by simon stephens and nick payne, on february 14. Sea wall a life director carrie cracknell would rather. Birdland by simon stephens at the royal court theatre, 3 april 31 may 2014.
Performances by alex price, andrew scott, nikki amukabird, charlotte randle, yolanda kettle, daniel cerqueira. Simon stephens sea wall, starring jake gyllenhaal, and nick paynes a life starring tom sturridge presented in a double bill at the public theater. Olivier award winner simon stephens punk rock, director carrie cracknell elektra and tony award winner ian macneil billy elliot revive their sexy, passionate interpretation evening standard of ibsens masterpiece for 3 weeks only. This exactly is what happens during sea walla life, now at broadways hudson theater for a limited engagement after a run earlier this year at the public theater. Carrie cracknell tom sturridge, jake gyllenhaal and simon stephens from. Hattie morahan reprises her critics circle and evening standard awardwinning performance. The only engagement comes via helmer carrie cracknells consciously nonnaturalistic games with stephens disappointingly subpar text, and even those swiftly hit diminishing returns in her.