KEY CHANGE to Receive US Premiere at Fourth Street Theater

The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation is thrilled to announce the US premiere of the critically-acclaimed KEY CHANGE, an Open Clasp production, written by Catrina McHugh and directed by Laura Lindow. KEY CHANGE comes to the US as the 2015 winner of the Best of Edinburgh Award given annually by the Foundation. Performances begin on Thursday, January 7 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 31. Press Opening is Wednesday, January 13 at 7 PM. The performance schedule is Thursday - Saturday at 7 PM; Sunday at 5 PM. Please note the following schedule adjustments: there is an added performance on Monday, January 11 at 7 PM; there is no performance on Tuesday, January 12. Performances are at the Fourth Street Theater (83 East 4th Street, between Bowery & Second Avenue). The ticket price ranges from $25 - $35. To purchase tickets, call SmartTix on 212-868-4444 or visit www.smarttix.com.

Honest, powerful, and very funny, Key Change is an intense, raw and illuminating portrayal of incarcerated women. Devised by women from Her Majesty's Prison Low Newton, in the North of England, KEY CHANGE carries their stories over the razor wire and into the theater, giving audiences a brutally honest and unflinching depiction of not only life behind bars, but the circumstances that put the women there in the first place.

Lyn Gardner, writing for The Guardian, said KEY CHANGE was "exquisite...often raw, always heartfelt and sometimes singing with an everyday poetry as if the devising process had unlocked a waterfall of creativity." The Scotsman said it was "a tale told with kinetic honesty and tightly controlled tenderness." The Observer called KEY CHANGE "remarkable."

Open Clasp was originally commissioned by Dilly Arts on an innovative project to give voice to the women in HMP's Low Newton Prison. The UK has one of the highest rates of women's imprisonment in Western Europe. Over 50% of women in prison report having suffered domestic abuse, 1 in 3 has suffered sexual abuse and nearly 40% leave prison homeless. With this in mind, KEY CHANGE was originally performed for audiences of incarcerated men, highlighting that these women were survivors rather than victims. Open Clasp subsequently took KEY CHANGE to the Edinburgh Fringe as part of Northern Stage's 2015 program at Summerhall.

Playwright Catrina McHugh explained, "We take pride in the knowledge that we're contributing to a bigger conversation that considers life before prison where women are heroes in their own personal story of survival, and the understanding that women are often victims first and offenders second, and that prison isn't necessarily the best place to prevent reoffending."

The cast features Christina Berriman Dawson (George Gently for the BBC); Victoria Copeland (Jumping Puddles, Open Clasp/Frantic Assembly co-production); Cheryl Dixon; Judi Earl; and Jessica Johnson (Cuckoo for the BBC).

Laura Lindow (director) is a multi-award winning writer/director hailing from Edinburgh, Scotland. Her recent solo show then LEAP was commissioned by major theatres in London and Manchester and supported by The Empty Space. It is currently completing its first national tour of rural venues and studio theatres. Other credits include: Donna Disco (director) Chicken Pox Fox, Heartbreak Soup (writer/director), Up & Out, Christmas Sprout! (writer) Northern Stage. Laura also performs as Lead Clown Doctor, Dr Lulu McDoo working with hospitalized children and their families.

Originally from Liverpool, UK, award-winning writer Catrina McHugh (playwright) moved to Newcastle in 1993 after falling in love with a Geordie, Newcastle and the North East of England. Driven by a passionate belief that great theatre can bring about social change, she co-founded Open Clasp in 1998. She has been hailed as 'the female Lee Hall only better' and has unparalleled experience working creatively with the most disenfranchised women and successfully works with communities to create risk-taking and exciting theatre providing powerful stimulus for discussion and debate.

Open Clasp Theatre Company make truthful, risk taking and unforgettable theatre from a female gaze to inspire new and young audiences. Their award-winning work is directly informed by the lived experiences of marginalized women and rooted in the belief that theatre changes lives. Founded in 1998, they have unparalleled experience working creatively with the most disenfranchised women to create truthful, risk-taking and exciting theatre providing powerful stimulus for discussion and debate. In 2013 Open Clasp were awarded the national Emma Humphreys Prize for outstanding contribution in raising awareness of violence against women and children in their work.

"Open Clasp does something which is not only unique, entertaining and engaging but also incredibly important. They tell stories that need to be heard and they allow their audiences to see the world through unexpected eyes." Erica Whyman, Royal Shakespeare Company, Deputy Artistic Director & Open Clasp Patron. www.openclasp.org.uk

The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation was established to bring excellent dramatic work from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to New York audiences by funding the New York run of the winning show. The mission to support artists in their desire to be seen and produced is carried out with no financial or commercial involvement in their future success. For more information, visit www.bestofedinburgh.org.

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