YIPPEE KI YAY: One-Man Parody of DIE HARD to Play at The Huntington

The Huntington will present Yippee Ki Yay, the funny, festive, and affectionate tribute to the classic action film Die Hard, written by Richard Marsh, directed by Hal Chambers, and performed by Darrel Bailey. The US tour, produced by James Seabright, stops at The Huntington’s Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA (527 Tremont St) from Wednesday, December 27 – Sunday, December 31, 2023. 
 
In Yippee Ki Yay, when gunmen seize an LA skyscraper, off-duty policeman John McClane is the hostages’ only hope. This uplifting action romp (and unauthorized parody) pays affectionate tribute to the iconic 80s fan favorite, and is essential viewing for Hans Gruber superfans and newcomers alike.
 
This US tour of this joyfully funny show told in verse follows a critically acclaimed tour of the UK and two seasons of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe where it was one of the “Picks of the Fringe” in The Stage and recommended by The British Comedy Guide. The Guardian exclaimed, “Whether you’re a Die Hard fan or not, it guarantees happy trails,” and The Times called it an “especially entertaining show” and “a love letter to a masterpiece!”
 
Yippee Ki Yay runs for a limited time – 8 performances only – during the holiday season as a nod to the pop culture debates about whether the film should be considered a Christmas movie. In interviews, Marsh has said he believes it to be a holiday film, but not necessarily one suitable for children.
 
 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
 
 

Richard Marsh (Writer) Richard’s one-man show Skittles was commissioned for Radio 4 as Love & Sweets and won Best Scripted Comedy in the BBC Audio Drama Awards. Dirty Great Love Story (co-written and -performed with Katie Bonna) won a Fringe First in Edinburgh before transferring to New York then the West End. Wingman sold out in Edinburgh before touring and is being developed with Big Talk for UK TV and then with CBS Studios for American TV. It has yet to be on actual TV. Richard created Radio 4 poetry sitcom Cardboard Heart, starring alongside Phil Daniels, Olivia Poulet, Jemima Rooper, Rebecca Scroggs, Russell Tovey, and Sam Troughton. Richard is currently developing various TV projects and writing a musical adaptation of classic indie movie Son of Rambow (with Miranda Cooper and Nick Coler of Girls Aloud fame). He is a former London poetry slam champion.
 
Hal Chambers (Director) is a writer and director. He trained at the University of Sussex, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and The National Theatre Studio Directing Course. He has created and directed several productions including Sam Rose in the Shadows, The Golden Cowpat (both Greenwich Theatre and UK Tour) and Tim and Light (Rich Mix, UK Tour). His directing credits include Dare Me to the Desert (Kings Head Theatre), The Elephant in the Room (New Wimbledon Theatre) and The Fastest Clock in the Universe (Alma Tavern Theatre).
 
Darrel Bailey (Performer) is a West Midlands actor who trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and most recently performed in Small Island (National). Other credits include As You Like It, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Orsino / Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night (Open Bar), Oedipus (Almeida), Alice in Wonderland (Brockwell Park), Much Ado About Nothing (St Paul’s, Covent Garden), and an immersive production of One Hundred Trillion (Dot Collective). Darrel has previously starred in “Shadow and Bone” (Netflix), “Eastenders” (BBC), and in several short films including Role, Fixing War in Post, A&E, and The Zero Hour.
 
 
 
 
The creative team for Yippee Ki Yay also includes Movement and Associate Director Emma Webb, Lighting Designer Robbie Butler, and Sound Designer and Composer Ben Hudson.
 
 

DETAILS ON YIPPEE KI YAY
 

WHEN
Performances: December 27 – December 31, 2023
Wednesday, December 27 at 7:30pm (Press Opening)
Thursday, December 28 at 4pm
Thursday, December 28 at 7:30pm
Friday, December 29 at 4pm
Friday, December 29 at 7:30pm
Saturday, December 30 at 4pm
Saturday, December 30 at 7:30pm
Sunday, December 31 at 4pm
 
Running time: 75 minutes (with no intermission)
 
Press Opening: Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 7:30pm (RSVP here)
 
 
WHERE
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA
527 Tremont St, Boston
 
 
TICKETS
Tickets to in-person performances start at $65. Season ticket packages and FlexPasses are also now on sale:
 
online at huntingtontheatre.org
by phone at 617-266-0800;
or in person at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA (527 Tremont Street)
 
Select discounts apply:
$10 off: season ticket holders
$40 “HYPE” tickets for patrons 40 years old and younger (valid ID required)
$20 student and military tickets (valid ID required)
 
The Huntington asks that any patron experiencing COVID symptoms stay home and contact ticketing services for more information about exchanges.
 
 

ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON
 

Celebrating over 40 years of outstanding theatre, The Huntington is Boston’s theatrical commons and leading professional theatre company. On our stages and throughout our city, we share enduring and untold stories that spark the imagination of audiences and artists and amplify the wide range of voices in our community.

Under the leadership of Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director Loretta Greco and Executive Director Christopher Mannelli, The Huntington is committed to welcoming broad and diverse audiences, provides life- changing opportunities for students through its robust education and community programs, is a national leader in the development of playwrights and new plays, acts as the host organization for a multi-year residency of The Front Porch Arts Collective, a Black theatre company based in Boston, and serves the local arts community through our operation of The Huntington Calderwood/BCA.
 
The Huntington reopened the historic Huntington Theatre in fall of 2022 after its transformational renovation, and is currently in phase two of the project; a storied venue with a bold vision for the future, the renovation and building project will allow us to innovatively expand our services to audiences, artists, and the community for generations to come. For more information, visit huntingtontheatre.org.
 

Photo credit: Steve Ullathorne

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