Irish Rep Readies Coward's Rarely Revived Ball

Irish Repertory Theatre has added the rarely revived Noel Coward musical After the Ball, based on Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan, to its 2004-2005 season lineup. The tuner, directed and designed by Tony Walton, will begin off-Broadway performances on December 7.

After the Ball is set in London 1899 at the turn of the century. Queen Victoria still reigns supreme as the creme de la creme gather at the home of Lord and Lady Windermere in Hyde Park for a brilliant soiree, the ball of the season! But amidst the warmth of the gaslights, the swirling ballgowns and the outrageous flirting from behind flashing fans, a secret lurks and betrayal rears its ugly head.

The Irish Repertory production, choreographed by Lisa Shriver, will feature Kristin Huxhold, Mary Illes, Paul Carlin, David Staller, Collette Simmons, Greg Mills, Kathleen Widdoes, Josh Grisetti, Drew Eshelman and Elizabeth Inghram.

After the Ball opened at London's Globe Theatre in the summer of 1954. It was not a big hit and the piece was largely forgotten until recent years, when Coward Centennial celebrations featured performances of it. In 1999, the Chicago Humanities Festival presented a concert staging of a new version of the work, which featured editing and additional material by Barry Day. It is this version that the Irish Rep will use in its fully staged production of the musical.

After the Ball is scheduled to officially open on December 16.