Almeida's Festen Gets West End Transfer

The Almeida Theatre production of David Eldridge's English Language stage version of Festen The Celebration, an adaptation of the original Danish Dogme film and play, is transferring to the West End. The show will begin performances at the Lyric Theatre on September 15 and open there on September 23.

Festen centers on Helge Klingenfeltand his family. He is celebrating his 60th birthday with his family at a magnificent old house in the Danish countryside. Gathered together are his loyal wife Else, his daughter Helene, and sons Christian and Michael. As the evening progresses Christian feels compelled to break the silence surrounding a dark family secret.

The production, directed by Rufus Norris, ran at the Almeida for a limited engagement from March through May of this year. Matt Wolf in his Variety review of the show wrote: "Few would dispute the spell cast by Rufus Norris' adroit Almeida staging, which, if anything, could amplify still further the hallucinatory landscape in which this oh-so-Scandinavian drama unfolds. As it is, Festen is considerably less disturbing than, say, The Pillowman, though sound designer Paul Arditti is equally invaluable to both productions. But notwithstanding the commitment of a large cast who enter fully into the play's bilious, largely repellent spirit, you have to question one character's eleventh-hour assertion, 'I'm sure we are all deeply moved.' Not necessarily."

The cast at the Almeida included Jane Asher as Else, Sam Beazley as Grandfather, Sam Cox as Poul, Tom Hardy as Michael, Andrew Maud as Lars, Jonny Lee Miller as Christian, Gary Oliver as Kim, Lisa Palfrey as Mette, Michael Thomas as Helmut, Ruth Millar as Pia, Robert Pugh as Helge, Patrick Robinson as Gbatokai and Claire Rushbrook as Helene. It is not yet known whether all of these company members will be transferring with the show.