Mad House (play)

Last updated
Mad House
Written by Theresa Rebeck
Date premiered26 June 2022
Place premiered Ambassadors Theatre
Original languageEnglish
GenreDark Comedy

Mad House is a 2022 play by Theresa Rebeck.

Production

Mad House had its premiere production at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End, with an opening night on 26 June 2022, following previews from 15 June. [1] [2] It played a limited run to 4 September 2022. Casting for the production featured David Harbour as Michael, Bill Pullman as Daniel, Akiya Henry as Lillian, Hanako Footman as Devon, Sinead Matthews as Pam, Charlie Oscar as Skylar and Stephen Wight as Nedward. [2]

Contents

Premise

In rural Pennsylvania, Michael struggles to look after his dying tyrannical father, Daniel. A hospice nurse Lillian arrives, and helps the abusive Daniel and agitated Michael who had had a history of hospitalization owing to mental health issues with calm competence. However, Michael's brother Nedword and dominant sister Pam soon unexpectedly turn up, determined not to lose out on inheritance.

Cast and characters

Character2022 West End
Michael David Harbour
Daniel Bill Pullman
Devon Hanako Footman
Lillian Akiya Henry
Pam Sinead Matthews
SkylarCharlie Oscar
Nedward Stephen Wight

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadway theatre</span> Type of theatre in New York City

Broadway theatre, or Broadway, are the theatrical performances presented in the 41 professional theatres, each with 500 or more seats, located in the Theater District and the Lincoln Center along Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Broadway and London's West End together represent the highest commercial level of live theater in the English-speaking world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaudeville Theatre</span> Theatre in London

The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each new building retained elements of the previous structure. The current building opened in 1926, and the capacity is now 690 seats. Rare thunder drum and lightning sheets, together with other early stage mechanisms, survive in the theatre.

Theresa Rebeck is an American playwright, television writer, and novelist. Her work has appeared on the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage, in film, and on television. Among her awards are the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award. In 2012, she received the Athena Film Festival Award for Excellence as a Playwright and Author of Films, Books, and Television. She is a 2009 recipient of the Alex Awards. Her works have influenced American playwrights by bringing a feminist edge in her old works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily Rabe</span> American actress (born 1982)

Lily Rabe is an American actress. She is best known for her multiple roles on the FX anthology horror series American Horror Story (2011–2021). For her performance as Portia in the Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice, she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisabeth Moss</span> American actress (born 1982)

Elisabeth Singleton Moss is a British-American actor and producer. She is known for her work in several television dramas, garnering many accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, which led Vulture to name her the "Queen of Peak TV".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie White</span> American actress (born 1961)

Julie K. White is an American actress. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in The Little Dog Laughed in 2007. She has also received three other Tony Award nominations for her performances in Airline Highway in 2013, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus in 2019 and POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive in 2022. She played Sam Witwicky's mother in Transformers film series (2007-2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Peele</span> American actor, comedian, and filmmaker (born 1979)

Jordan Haworth Peele is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker, known for his film and television work in the comedy and horror genres. Peele started his career in sketch comedy before transitioning his career as a writer and director of psychological horror and satirical films. In 2017, Peele was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.

The Children's Party at the Palace was an event organised by Peter Orton of Hit Entertainment and David Johnstone of DJI consult, held in the Garden at Buckingham Palace on 25 June 2006 in honour of the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. The event, which had the theme of British children's literature, was attended by 2,000 children and 1,000 adults who were chosen through a national ballot. On arrival, all guests received a purple hamper with snacks put together by Jamie Oliver.

The Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF), a national forum for playwrights and theatre leaders, is dedicated to developing and producing new American plays. It is held every summer at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Finn</span> American theatrical producer

Jeffrey Finn is a Tony award-winning theatrical producer. He is the Vice President of Theater Producing and Programming at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Artistic Director of Broadway Center Stage. He received the Commercial Theater Institute's 2013 Robert Whitehead Award for outstanding achievement in commercial theatre producing. Finn is the President of Jeffrey Finn Productions and Hot On Broadway. He attended Connecticut College, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1992. He attended Beaver Country Day School from 1984 to 1988. Finn is a member of The Broadway League and The Independent Presenters Network, and is also a Tony Award voter.

Primary Stages was founded in 1984 by Casey Childs as an Off-Broadway not-for-profit theater company. In 2004, Primary Stages moved from its 99-seat home of 17 years at 354 West 45th Street to the 199-seat theater at 59E59 Theaters. In 2014, the company moved to The Duke on 42nd Street until 2016, when the Cherry Lane Theatre became the home for all Primary Stages productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gavin Barwell</span> British Conservative politician

Gavin Laurence Barwell, Baron Barwell is a British politician and former Downing Street Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Theresa May. A member of the Conservative Party, he was Member of Parliament for Croydon Central from 2010 until 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hettienne Park</span> American actress and writer (born 1973)

Hettienne Park is an American actress and writer, having played roles in Young Adult (2011), Bride Wars (2009), Blindspot (2018), The Outsider (2020), her most notable role being Beverly Katz on the psychological horror television series Hannibal (2013–14).

<i>Smash</i> (TV series) 2012 American television series

Smash is an American musical drama television series created by playwright Theresa Rebeck and developed by Robert Greenblatt for NBC. Steven Spielberg served as one of the executive producers. The series was broadcast in the US by NBC and produced by DreamWorks Television and Universal Television. The series revolves around a fictional New York City theater community and specifically the creation of a new Broadway musical. It features a large ensemble cast, led by Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Katharine McPhee, Christian Borle, Megan Hilty, and Anjelica Huston.

"Pilot" is the debut episode for the television series Smash, which premiered on NBC in the United States on February 6, 2012. The episode was written by series creator Theresa Rebeck and was directed by Michael Mayer. The show revolves around a group of characters who come together to put on a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. The episode featured a mix of original songs and cover songs, the former being written by series composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

"The Callback" is the second episode of the American television series Smash. The episode aired on February 13, 2012. It was written by series creator Theresa Rebeck and directed by Michael Mayer, who also directed the pilot.

Robert Burger is an American composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, and music director.

<i>Trouble</i> (2017 film) 2017 American film

Trouble is a 2017 American independent comedy-drama film written and directed by Theresa Rebeck and starring Anjelica Huston, Bill Pullman and David Morse. Huston serves as one of the executive producers of the film.

Hanako Footman is an English actress and writer. She starred in the BBC Two sitcom Defending the Guilty (2018–2019). She is also known for her theatre work.

Akiya Henry is a British actress. She is best known for her theatre work, winning a WhatsOnStage Award and earning a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.

References

  1. Brunner, Raven (26 June 2022). "Theresa Rebeck's New Play Mad House Opens in London's West End June 26". Playbill. Retrieved 6 August 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. 1 2 Millward, Tom. "Akiya Henry and more to join David Harbour and Bill Pullman in Mad House". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 2022-08-06.