Round House Theatre has postponed the American premiere of Natasha Gordon’s Nine Night due to COVID-19 cases detected within the company during regular testing protocols. Gordon became the first Black British female playwright on London’s West End with the play’s triumphant 2018 transfer from the National Theatre.
Originally scheduled to begin performances on January 5, 2022, this month’s planned performances and filmed version of Nine Night will instead run during the 2022–2023 season, premiering in September 2022. The entire cast and creative team under the direction of Timothy Douglas will return for the rescheduled performance dates, which will be announced along with the full 2022–2023 season later this spring. (At this time, there are no plans to film the production this fall.)
“While we wish we could safely present Nine Night this season as planned, our priority is the safety of our artists, patrons, staff, and students,” says Artistic Director Ryan Rilette. “Rescheduling for this fall will allow us to give this remarkable play the U.S. premiere that it deserves, and we look forward to sharing it with our community.”
About Nine Night: Family matriarch Gloria has died, and her family gathers for the traditional Jamaican Nine Night, a multi-day celebration (and endurance test) full of food, revelry, and a nonstop parade of mourners. Natasha Gordon’s debut play—a popular triumph in its 2018 National Theatre premiere and subsequent West End run—explores the tensions of inhabiting two cultures, the inescapable bonds of family, and the many layers of grief in an “exuberantly funny” (The Guardian) and profoundly relatable story of the ties that bind. Raved The Guardian’s Michael Billington: “Playwrighting debuts don’t come much better than this.”
Current Nine Night ticket holders will be contacted directly with ticket options, and ticket-related questions may be directed to the Box Office at [email protected] or 240.644.1100.
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