BEAUTIFUL BURNOUT TO RECEIVE USA PREMIERE
25 Feb-27 Mar 2011, St Ann’s Warehouse, New York
Frantic Assembly and National Theatre of Scotland present
BEAUTIFUL BURNOUT
by Bryony Lavery
Directed by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett
Featuring the music of Underworld
Designed by Laura Hopkins
Lighting Designed by Andy Purves
Sound Design by Carolyn Downing
Video Design by Ian William Galloway
The National Theatre of Scotland and Frantic Assembly co-production Beautiful Burnout will receive its
USA Premiere at St Ann’s Warehouse, New York from 25 February – 27 March 2011.
Beautiful Burnout is about the soul sapping three-minute rounds that determine which young men become
gods and which gods become mortal. The production was instigated by co-director Steven Hoggett’s
observations of boxers training at Brooklyn’s famous Gleason’s Gym, where he became intrigued with both
the beauty and brutality in the movement and distress of the live boxers.
Steven Hoggett, Co-director, Beautiful Burnout said:
“We're thrilled about the prospect of playing the show at St Ann's - it goes back to the initial inspiration for
the project after visiting Gleason's gym back when Black Watch was playing there in 2008. It's a great
opportunity for Frantic and for American audiences to see the company's work - we're very proud of this
show and really feel that it fully represents the bold, uncompromising thrilling theatre that we aspire to
create.”
Neil Murray, Executive Producer, National Theatre Scotland said:
“We’re thrilled that on the back of an incredibly successful Edinburgh Festival run that the Beautiful
Burnout has been invited to St Ann’s Warehouse, Brooklyn. The theatre is just around the corner from
Gleason’s Gym - one of the boxing world’s shrines and a key inspiration for the show.”
Susan Feldman, Artistic Director of St. Ann’s Warehouse said:
“We’re very excited to bring National Theatre of Scotland/Frantic Assembly’s Beautiful Burnout to St. Ann’s
Warehouse in February/March after its spectacular Premiere at the Edinburgh Festival. The authenticity of
the young “boxers” is breathtaking to behold as directed by Steven Hoggett and Scott Graham. It’s the
perfect production for New York audiences.”
The run at St Ann’s Warehouse follows a critically acclaimed UK wide tour and performances at the
Edinburgh Festival Fringe where it won a Scotsman Fringe First Award.
Beautiful Burnout tells a bruising and lyrical tale of aspirations and counterpunches, delivered in a visceral,
hearts-in-your-mouth production about one of the most controversial sports of our time.
Frantic Assembly is celebrated in the UK and internationally for creating high octane, physical,
contemporary theatre, attracting new and young audiences. Frantic Assembly's unique physical style
combines movement, design, music and text. Recent production highlights include Stockholm by Bryony
Lavery (revived in Spring 2010 for Australian performances in association with Sydney Theatre Company),
Othello (TMA Award – Best Director 2009), pool (no water) by Mark Ravenhill and the site-responsive Dirty
Wonderland for Brighton Festival. In addition to its productions, Frantic Assembly operates an extensive
Creative Learning and Training Programme introducing 5,000 participants a year to the company’s process
of creating theatre in a wide variety of settings. Frantic Assembly is supported by Arts Council England.
Frantic Assembly was co-founded by existing co-Artistic Directors Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett.
Bryony Lavery’s plays include Her Aching Heart, Ophelia and A Wedding Story (2000). Her play Frozen,
commissioned by Birmingham Rep, won the TMA Best Play Award and was produced on Broadway where it
was nominated for four Tony awards. Stockholm for Frantic Assembly won the Wolff-Whiting award for
Best Play of 2008. Bryony’s recent work includes Kursk with Sound and Fury (The Young Vic) and The
Wicked Lady (the New Vic, Stoke), A Christmas Carol at Birmingham Rep and The Snow Queen at Chichester
Festival Theatre. Future works include the opera 57 Hours in The House Of Culture, with John Keane, Peter
Wyer and Phyllida Lloyd.
The full cast is Blythe Duff, Ryan Fletcher, Eddie Kay, Vicki Manderson, Taqi Nazeer, Henry Pettigrew and
Ewan Stewart.
Blythe Duff is best known for her role as Jackie Reid in the long running Scottish Television series Taggart.
Blythe has previously appeared in National Theatre of Scotland productions Be Near Me and Home
Glasgow.
Ewan Stewart is best known for his appearances in films such as Titanic, Young Adam, The Cook The Thief
His Wife And Her Lover and Rob Roy. His recent theatre work includes Sergeant Musgrave's Dance, Major
Barbara and The Murderer for the Royal National Theatre.
Ryan Fletcher’s theatre work includes Nobody will Ever Forgive Us, 365, Black Watch, and The Wolves in the
Walls, all for The National Theatre of Scotland.
He has also appeared in The Last Witch a Traverse and Edinburgh International Festival co-production, An
Advert for the Army and Ae Fond Kiss (Òran Mór) and is known to Scottish television audiences for his role
as Vader in River City (BBC Scotland).
Henry Pettigrew was in the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Black Watch and most recently
appeared in the Donmar West End production of Hamlet. His other theatre work includes The Bevellers
(Citizens’ Theatre) and Troilus and Cressida (Edinburgh International Festival/Royal Shakespeare Company).
On television he has appeared in Midsomer Murders (ITV).
Taqi Nazeer studied at the RSAMD. His previous professional stage work includes Heer Ranjha and Detainee
A, both for Ankur Productions.
Eddie Kay worked with Frantic Assembly on Hymns and Dirty Wonderland. His other theatre work includes,
Tracker (Broken Talkers), Shadowmouth (Sheffield Crucible) and Tranny-Boy (Legs on the Wall). For
television he has worked on the Eurovison Song Contest (Dustin the Turkey – Ireland). Eddie also
choreographed Round 10 (4 Dance) and directed Crash Test Human (Freshmess).
Vicki Manderson previously worked with the National Theatre of Scotland on Home Inverness. Her other
credits include: In(visible) Dancin and Dear Body (Protein Dance) and One up one down (Gilmore
Productions).
Press Performance:
Sunday 27th February 2011 at 8pm, St Ann’s Warehouse, New York
Press Office Contacts:
Andrew Neilson – Press Officer – 0141 227 9497 – andrew.neilson@nationaltheatrescotland.com
Press Images:
There is a selection of images for current productions available for download from
www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/press - please contact the press office for a password
Notes to Editors
The National Theatre of Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government. Since its launch in February
2006, the National Theatre of Scotland has been involved in creating over 137 productions in 125 different
locations. With no building of its own, the Company takes theatre all over Scotland and beyond, working
with existing and new venues and companies to create and tour theatre of the highest quality. It takes
place in the great buildings of Scotland, but also in site-specific locations, airports and tower blocks,
community halls and drill halls, ferries and forests. The company has performed to almost 600,000 people,
across three continents.
Venue and date:
Ticket Prices:
Booking number:
Online booking:
St. Ann's Warehouse, New York, 25 February to 27 March 2011
From $35.00
718.254.8779
www.stannswarehouse.org