Pulitzer Prize Winner ‘night, Mother Revived at Red Lion

Marsha Norman’s multi award-winning play ‘night, Mother will be staged at the Old Red Lion in Islington this month – nearly three decades after it first opened in the US, going on to scoop the Pulitzer Prize for drama. The new production runs from 31 August to 24 September 2011 (preview 30 August).

‘night, Mother had its world premiere at American Repertory Theater in Boston in a production starring Kathy Bathes and Anne Pitoniak, which transferred to Broadway, where it ran for 380 performances. Norman subsequently adapted her own play for the 1996 screen version, which starred Sissy Spacek and Anne Bancroft.

In the heart-wrenching tale of love and its limits, Jessie hasn’t got much time – just a single evening to put the house in order before she leaves Mama forever. Everything is carefully planned – she’ll show Mama how to do the washing, how to find the cloths and sponges, where all the electrical equipment is kept – and then she’ll go to her room and shoot herself in the head. But Mama’s not going to let that happen, not over her dead body.

The new UK production of ‘night, Mother stars Sadie Shimmin (The Rose Tattoo, A Voyage Round My Father, TV’s Wallander) as Jessie and Pat Starr. The production is helmed by Paul Stacey, American Repertory Theater dramaturg, who is making his UK directorial debut. It’s designed by Kat Heath with lighting by Eoin Furbank.