Druid’s production of The Cripple of Inishmaan by award-winning writer/director Martin McDonagh opens in the Atlantic Theatre New York tonight.
Following its opening at the Town Hall Theatre Galway last September, this darkly funny play undertook an extensive tour of Ireland followed by a short run in Britain, where it received glowing reviews from the critics and enthusiastic responses from audiences.
Druid are bringing the play - about a crippled young man’s attempts to get a part in a Hollywood documentary being made on Inis Mór and how it unleashes revelations about his past and parents - to the USA.
This tour is already creating a buzz stateside ahead of its opening at the award-winning off-Broadway Atlantic Theatre. It also heralds a significant development for Druid as it is the company’s first co-production with an American theatre.
The Atlantic Theatre Company was the original host for the Druid and Royal Court co-production of McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane, before it transferred to Broadway where it won four Tony awards for Druid, including a Tony Award for Best Director for Garry Hynes - the first woman to win the award.
The Cripple Of Inishmaan also stars leading Irish actress and co-founder of Druid, Marie Mullen, who won a Tony Award for Best Actor for her role in The Beauty Queen of Leenane when she performed on Broadway with Druid in 1998. This production will run at the Atlantic until February 2009.
“I am delighted to be working with such an excellent cast and creative team on this Irish-American co-production,” said Garry Hynes. “It will see us return to the Atlantic Theatre Company where The Beauty Queen of Leenane had its US premiere.”
Andy Hamingson, executive director of Atlantic Theatre Company said: “This is a dream team production that combines the amazing Druid Theatre and the genius of Garry Hynes.”
