Kramer Bent on Sherman Revival at Trafalgar, 5 OctDate: 4 July 2006
As previously tipped (See The Goss, 26 Jun 2006), Daniel Kramer will revive Martin Sherman’s 1978 play Bent this autumn. The new production will open on 5 October 2006 (previews from 22 September) at the West End’s Trafalgar Studios where, subject to final confirmation, Alan Cumming is expected to star.
In Nazi Germany, homosexual Max is sent to Dachau, his lover killed en route. At the concentration camp, he denies being gay, preferring to wear the yellow star of the Jews, but when he falls in love with fellow prisoner Horst, he must make a stand.
Bent was first seen in London in 1979 at the Royal Court, starring Ian McKellen and transferring to the West End. The 1980 Broadway premiere was led by Richard Gere as Max, a part played by Clive Owen in the 1997 film.
Scotsman Alan Cumming’s previous London stage credits include the plays Conquest of the South Pole, La Bete, Hamlet and Accidental Death of an Anarchist, for which he won an Olivier for Comedy Performance of the Year. He’s best remembered by theatregoers for Sam Mendes’ Donmar Warehouse revival of Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret, which transferred to Broadway, where he won a Tony Award for his performance as the Kit Kat Klub’s emcee. Since his 1998 success with Cabaret, Cumming has been based mainly in the US where his other stage credits have included Design for Living, Elle and The Threepenny Opera.
Daniel Kramer is an associate director at west London’s Gate Theatre, where his acclaimed productions have included Woyzeck and last year’s updated version of Hair. His production of Through the Leaves, starring Simon Callow, had a West End run at the Duchess Theatre in 2003.
Sherman’s other plays include Rose, Messiah, Some Sunny Day, Passing By and A Madhouse in Goa, as well as an adaptation of EM Forster’s A Passage to India for Shared Experience and a translation of Pirandello’s Absolutely! (perhaps). His screenplays include Mrs Henderson Presents.
Currently at Trafalgar Studio 1, Shared Experience’s Jane Eyre is due to finish its newly extended season on 9 September 2006 (See Today’s Other News). Kramer’s revival of Bent is presented by Sonia Friedman Productions.
- by Terri Paddock
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