New stage adaptation of Graham Greene's Brighton Rock to tour the UK
A new stage adaptation of Graham Greene's classic 1930s novel Brighton Rock will tour the UK in 2018.
Pilot Theatre and York Theatre Royal, who previously collaborated on The Machine Stops, will present the adaptation written by Bryony Lavery (Frozen, Stockholm), which will open at the York venue before touring until 26 May.
The piece follows young gangster Pinkie, embroiled in a series of criminal activities in Brighton, while engaging in a destructive relationship with local waitress Rose. Pinkie's misdeeds are investigated by nearby resident Ida Arnold. The show's cast is yet to be announced.
The production will feature a specially composed soundtrack by the Northern Irish artist, singer and electronic composer Hannah Peel. Peel will also perform in the production during the opening run at York Theatre Royal. The show will be directed by Pilot Theatre's new artistic director Esther Richardson.
The play has previously been adapted on two occasions, the first in 1993 by David Hurlock, and then again in 2004 by John Barry and Don Black. In 2010 a big screen adaptation of the film was released, starring Sam Riley, Andrea Riseborough and Helen Mirren.
Lavery said: "[Brighton Rock] is such a treasure chest of narrative delights. It has got everything…It's a love story, a revenge tragedy, a small-town murder mystery, an array of small-time gangsters and a middle-aged woman who knows no fear and who will stop at nothing to do right. In the poisoned relationship between Pinkie and Rose, there is one of the best accounts ever of what it is like to be 16 and 17 years’ old in a terrible, violent, adolescence."
Lavery's award-winning play Frozen will open in the West End in 2018, starring Doctor Foster actor Suranne Jones.
Brighton Rock will open at York Theatre Royal from the 16 February to 3 March and then tours to Brighton, Colchester, Hull, Cheltenham, Winchester, Watford, Birmingham, Newcastle, Mold, Derby and Salford.
