Brits Off Broadway Festival Brings Seven British Plays to NYC

The ninth season of the Brits Off Broadway Festival will feature seven British plays presented by 59E59 Theaters.

The festival is exactly what it says on the tin, and this year’s schedule will run from March 27-June 30. It is reported that the event is the only festival in New York City celebrating new British theater, and each production will be held at one of three venues that make up the 59E59 Theaters: Theater A, Theater B and Theater C.

All of the following descriptions of the plays are provided by the official 59E59 site.

“Good With People,” a David Harrower play kicks things off with a run March 27-April 21 at Theater B. The production is directed by George Perrin and stars Blythe Duff and Andrew Scott-Ramsay.

“Good With People” is a haunting tow-hander from one of Scotland’s greatest writers, David Harrower, tracing the path of personal and political destruction in Helensburgh, Scotland.

“Bullet Catch” will run April 6-April 21 in Theater C.

Acclaimed performer, director, playwright (and magician) Rob Drummond plays modern-day marvel William Wonder in this theatrical magic show featuring mind reading, levitation and, if you’re brave enough to stay, the most notorious finale in show business.

“The Girl I Left Behind Me,” will follow in Theater C on April 30-May 19.

In their critically acclaimed one woman show, Jessica Walker and Neil Bartlett create a tribute to the artistry and glamour of the often outrageous cross-dressing women of the British music hall and American variety stages, taking a provocatively contemporary look at what it means when a woman wears the trousers – on stage.

“Botallack O’Clock” will also play in Theater C, running May 21-June 9.

Third Man Theatre presents a black comedy based on the life and death of the artist Roger Hilton CBE. Botallack O’Clock is a funny, moving and thought-provoking journey into the creative mind of one of the most unique voices in post-war British art.

“Cornelius” is hailed as a “forgotten masterpiece from one of Britain’s greatest dramatists, J.B. Priestley” and will run in Theater A from June 4-30.

As bankruptcy looms, the ever-optimistic Jim Cornelius, partner at import firm Briggs and Murrison, is fighting to keep his creditors happy and his spirits up. Tensions rise with the arrival of Judy, the beautiful, young typist who shows Cornelius the life he could have led…

“The Boat Factory” also will run June 4-30, but in Theater B.

Dan Gordon’s play is an extraordinary evocation of a city in a century. The many voices of the script carry echoes of other places, other worlds, other epics, but return eventually to the home place and the amazing eloquence of ordinary people living lives of racy, bracing power and great delicacy of skill.

Finally, running June 11-30 in Theater C is “Dirty Great Love Story,” which might have the best summary of all the plays:

A very human tale of good intentions and bad timing. Two hopeful, hapless romantics get drunk, get it on and then get the hell away from each other.