3 unique UK Fringe Festival critical and audience favorites get Off-Broadway runs.
October 8 - November 16 at SoHo Playhouse
After hosting the 10th anniversary of the FringeNYC Encore Series in September, SoHo Playhouse will present the 1st annual EDINBURGH ENCORE SERIES beginning October 8. This inaugural mini festival will feature 3 shows that scored high marks among critics and theatergoers alike at Scotland's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest live performance festival in the world:
• JEWISH CHRONICLES
Written and performed by Daniel Cainer.
This unique collection of stories in song will take you on a musical and lyrical journey like no other. Featuring tales of feuding tailors, a Jewess who joins a 1950s Christian cult, a cocaine addicted rabbi, some saucy shenanigans in a suburban laundromat and more! The UK Daily Mirror calls this irresistible tapestry of family legend and musical folklore "a must see", whilst Three Weeks declared it "genius… nothing short of artistic brilliance."
Oct. 8 - Nov. 16. Mondays at 7:30pm, Wednesdays at 3pm, Saturdays at 3pm and Sundays at 5pm.
• SIGNAL FAILURE
Written by Sasha Ellen. Directed by Peter Darney. Starring Spencer Cowan & Sasha Ellen.
A girl and (kind-of) stalker guy journey through life, love and the London transport system, until a newspaper column brings them together. Big-city-virgin Lorna’s missing her mother as she adjusts to the bustle of North London and her noisy roommates while reclusive night chef Brian is the proud owner of the cleanest floors in London. Brief encounters give way to (awkward) sexual encounters -- but the course of London transport never did run smooth. Expect accidents, delays and severe signal failure as two damaged people try to cross the gap in this twisted rom-com. The Scotsman calls it “a genuinely fresh look at not only relationships, but also modern city life.” And Broadway Baby raves that it is “incredibly moving… rife with cheeky humor, an upfront and witty script and two brilliantly funny performances.”
Oct. 8 - Nov. 16. Mondays & Tuesdays at 7:30pm, Wednesdays at 3pm, Thursdays & Fridays at 9:30pm, Saturdays at 5pm & 9:30pm, Sundays 3PM. Note: no shows 10/11, 10/16, 10/17, 10/18 or 10/31
• THE RAP GUIDE TO RELIGION
Written and performed by Baba Brinkman. Directed by Darren Lee Cole.
After scoring an Off-Broadway hit with The Rap Guide to Evolution (called "brainy and entertaining" by The New York Times), Canadian science rapper Baba Brinkman brings irreverent humor and fresh insight to the holy mess we call religion. This hip-hop tour of scientific research into the origins of supernatural beliefs and sacred symbols asks: Why do humans believe in a higher power? What are those beliefs good for? And once they are gone, what can replace them? The Scotsman calls it "uncannily clever," while the Edinburgh Reporter praised it as "devilishly insightful and dazzlingly witty."
Oct. 10 - Nov. 6. Thursdays - Saturdays at 9:30pm and Sundays at 7:30pm.
EDINBURGH ENCORE SERIES was curated by SoHo Playhouse artistic directorproducer Darren Lee Cole. "Fringe represents so many things to so many people. The best of it can be truly exceptional and a great window into what is happening in the world of theatre," notes Cole. "After working with FringeNYC Encore Series for the past 10 years and seeing what great opportunities it has provided, I decided it was time to expand to Edinburgh. Here are four shows from this year's festival that I believe exemplify the risk, talent and voice of the modern theatre. Religion, police tactics, sexual stalking and family secrets. Big issues for big times."
EDINBURGH ENCORE SERIES runs October 8 - November 16 at SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam Street between Varick and Avenue of the Americas). Tickets are $45, available at 212-691-1555 or online at www.sohoplayhouse.com.