7 / 10
In that ending, the play adopts a shrugging sophistry about the vagaries of real justice that disappoints, especially with so much talent on display. If you’re going to excavate a story this horrific, make a claim, have a thesis, tell us more than just “you can get away with a lot in America.” “So… what?” Holden–as-Baird asks his supervisor. “What are we doing here?” I wanted to know the same.
8 / 10
The most impactful aural moments, though, are the quieter ones from which whispers arise. In his top-notch, 360-degree sound design, Giles Thomas routinely employs recorded voices to stand in for unseen townspeople, responding and reacting to Holden's characters from various sides of the theatre. You'd be forgiven if you thought those outcries were coming from your fellow audience members at first — I and my neighbors sure did. It's but one way Kenrex involves us in the story and invites us to ask what we'd do in the Skidmore townspeople's shoes.
Go onstage at KENREX with Drama Desk Award winner John Patrick Elliott. Watch how one musician and one desk bring Skidmore to life through sound and music in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production.
The two-time Olivier Award-winning thriller KENREX just had its American premiere at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, featuring Olivier Award winner Jack Holden, Ed Stambollouian, and John Patrick Elliott. Watch in this video as the team explains more of what the new play is all about.
The two-time Olivier Award-winning thriller KENREX had its American premiere at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. See photos from opening night here, featuring company members Jack Holden, Ed Stambollouian, and John Patrick Elliott, plus more stars.
Two-time 2026 Olivier Award-winning KENREX by Olivier Award winner Jack Holden and Olivier Award nominee Ed Stambollouian, is now open at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Read the reviews here!
New York City has officially welcomed two-time 2026 Olivier Award-winning KENREX by Olivier Award winner Jack Holden and Olivier Award nominee Ed Stambollouian, to the Lucille Lortel Theatre. See photos from the show's celebration here!
Get a first look at photos of the two-time Olivier Award-winning KENREX, the thriller by Olivier Award winner Jack Holden and Olivier Award nominee Ed Stambollouian, which has its American premiere at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
The two-time Olivier Award-winning American premiere of KENREX, the thriller by Olivier Award winner Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian, is launching digital lottery and in-person rush policies.
The American premiere of KENREX, the critically acclaimed thriller by Olivier Award nominee Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian, based on an astonishing true story, will take place this Spring at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music in a Play | John Patrick Elliott |
| 2026 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Solo Performance | Jack Holden |
| 2026 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design of a Play | Giles Thomas |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Solo Performance | Jack Holden |
