CLYBOURNE PARK AWARDED 2011 PULITZER PRIZE FOR DRAMA

Posted on | By London Theatre Direct

Bruce Norris' much-lauded play CLYBOURNE PARK, currently performing at the Wyndhams Theatre adds another prestigious award to its tally.

Norris' bitingly amusing play comparing race and class issues in America in the 1950s to those in the present day has been phenomenally well-received.  This week saw CLYBOURNE PARK receive its coveted Pulitzer award at a ceremony at New York City's Colombia University.  The Pulitzer Prizes honour excellence in journalism and the arts in twenty one categories and were established in 1917, taking their name from newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer.  The annual award for Drama, which comes with a $10,000 prize, is chosen "for a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life."

The original play opened off-Broadway in February 2010 before making its way to the Royal Court.  Almost all of the Royal Court cast have remained for its current transfer to The Wyndhams.  In the UK it received the Olivier Award for Best New Play and was nominated for three other Oliviers.  The Pulitzer panel described the piece as a "powerful work whose memorable characters speak in a witty and perceptive way to America's sometimes toxic struggle with race and class consciousness."

The show stars Sophie Thompson, the younger sister of twice Academy Award-winning Emma Thompson alongside Lorna Brown, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sarah Goldberg and Michael Goldsmith and is only booking until 7th May, so snap up tickets while you still can!

[posted by James, 19/04/2011]