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Finborough Celebrates Women With New Season

Earls Court's Finborough Theatre have announced their upcoming season, with a three-month programme of work from March to June 2011 dedicated to celebrating the work of what the venue's director Neil McPherson calls "four inspirational women". The four-week runs of work by Caryl Churchill, Polly Pen and Naomi Wallace tick the boxes on all three of the theatre's artistic policy - rediscovered plays, music theatre and new writing.

The three Sunday/Monday slots in the season are entirely devoted to introducing Canadian playwright and Finborough Playwright in residence Colleen Murphy with a European premiere, a UK premiere and a world premiere of her work. The trio of shows mark Murphy's British debut.

The new season, which opens on 3 March 2011 (previews from 1 March), kicks off with Fen by Caryl Churchill, the play's first professional production since Out of Joint presented the work in 1983. Directed by Ria Parry, the second winner of the Leverhulme Bursary for Emerging Theatre Directors which is awarded in partnership with the National Theatre Studio, the production will play until 26 March 2011.

The season's second production sees the Finborough present the UK premiere of Off-Broadway musical, Bed and Sofa with music by Polly Pen, and lyrics by Laurence Klavan. Helmed by Luke Sheppard, whose previous credits include First Lady Suite, Jet Set Go! and The Great British Soap Opera for his company Take Note Theatre, the show will run from 31 March (previews from 29 March) until 23 April 2011.

The world premiere of a new play, And I And Silence by Naomi Wallace and directed by Caitlin McLeod, completes the season running from 12 May (previews from 10 May) to 4 June 2011. Wallace, whose first play was produced at the Finborough Theatre in 1993, is a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Arts winner who splits her time between her native Kentucky and her family in the Yorkshire Dales.

The Finborough's playwright in residence, Colleen Murphy presents the European premiere of The December Man on Sundays and Mondays from 6 to 21 March 2011, the UK premiere of Beating Heart Cadaver from 3 to 18 April and the world premiere of her play The Goodnight Bird from 15 to 30 May 2011.

Graham Greene’s controversial play The Potting Shed, unseen in London since 1971, is currently playing at the Finborough for an extended run until 29 January. Directed by Svetlana Dimcovic, it forms part of the theatre's RediscoveriesUK season, three months of productions rediscovering homegrown plays.

There is even more good news for the theatre, which has seen its 30th anniversary year festooned with prizes — including The Stage 100’s Fringe Theatre of the Year and a Peter Brook / Empty Space Award — Adam Gwon's Ordinary Days, which received its UK premiere at the Finborough in 2008, will play a limited run at the West End's Trafalgar Studios 2 from 10 February (previews from 8 February 2011) with a cast including Julie Atherton, Daniel Boys, Alexia Khadime and Lee William-Davis.

- by Andrew Girvan

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