FOUR TIMES WINNER BEST PLAY, INCLUDING OLIVIER AWARDS 2011!
***** “Outrageously funny and provocative. A firecracker of a play” - Daily Telegraph
***** “Hilarious and harrowing. Out of this world… essential.” - Independent
Acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, the Royal Court's sell out smash hit comedy is now open at the Wyndham's Theatre for a strictly limited season.
Clybourne Park follows hot on the heels of ENRON and Jerusalem both of which also transferred from the Royal Court becoming landmark theatrical events of 2010.
Hailed 'Shockingly Entertaining' and 'Appallingly funny' this devastating satire explores the ever contentious themes of race and property ownership from two time periods – 1959 and 2009 – and leaves the audience asking whether the issues festering beneath the floorboards are actually the same despite the 50 year time difference.
Grieving parents Bev and Russ are planning to sell their desirable two-bedroom house at a knock-down price in the white middle-class Chicago neighbourhood of Clybourne Park in 1959.
The house is sold to the first black family moving into the neighbourhood. This creates ripples of discontent amongst the white urbanites.
In 2009, the same property is being bought by Lindsey and Steve whose plans to raze the house and start again is met with a similar response.
Are the issues festering beneath the floorboards actually the same fifty years on?
Clybourne Park is a brand-new play by Bruce Norris (The Pain and the Itch) exploring the fault line between race and property.
Director Dominic Cooke's recent Royal Court credits include Aunt Dan and Lemon, The Fever, Seven Jewish Children, Wig Out!, Now or Later and The Pain and the Itch.
Other cast includes Lorna Brown, Martin Freeman, Sarah Goldberg, Lucian Msamati, Steffan Rhodri, Sam Spruell, Sophie Thompson and Michael Goldsmith.
Clybourne Park has just been nominated for 4 Evening Standard Awards for its Royal Court run, including Best Play, Best Director and Best Actress (Sophie Thompson).
"The funniest new play of the year" ***** - Evening Standard
"Painfully sharp, appallingly funny. Will make you cringe horribly even as you're cracking up with laughter" - Time Out
‘The funniest play of the year’- Evening Standard
‘Has the audience roaring with laughter and shaking their heads with disbelief’ - Daily Telegraph