Laurence Fishburne's RIFF RAFF Receives UK Premiere, 4/6-4/24

Award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne's powerful hit play RIFF RAFF will receive its UK premiere at the Arcola Theatre from April 6 through April 24, 2010.

It's Halloween, and half-brothers Mike "20-20" and Billy "Torch" are holed up in an abandoned crack den on the Lower East Side. They've got three kilos of smack, blood on their hands and New York's biggest drug lord on their tail.

With nowhere to turn, Mike calls an old friend from Brooklyn to sort out the mess. When he arrives and the night draws in, stories are swapped, loyalties are tested and the bleakness of their criminal lives threatens to envelop them forever.

RIFF RAFF will be directed by Bill Buckhurst and designed by Simon Kenny. Buckhurst's other directing credits include VEGEMITE TALES, PENETRATOR, and MACBETH.

Laurence Fishburne won the 1992 tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in August Wilson's TWO TRAINS RUNNING. He also appeared on Broadway in THE LION WINTER and THURGOOD in 1999 and 2008 respectively.

His film career includes "What's Love Got To Do With It" which earned him an Oscar nomination. He's also appeared in films such as "King of New York," "Boyz N The Hood," "Event Horizon," "The Matrix," "The Matrix Reloaded," and "The Matrix Revolutions."

Founded in 2000 by Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen and Executive Producer Leyla Nazli, Arcola Theatre is now one of the most respected arts venues in the UK - blazing a trail in artistic excellence and innovative management since day-one. Housed in a stunning converted factory in Hackney, Arcola is a favourite of established theatre literati as well as young, upwardly mobile innovators. London's largest theatre studio, Arcola has become well known for the variety of its programming- from new writing to classic drama, music and comedy.

Arcola has staged work by some of the best living actors, writers and directors including productions by William Gaskill, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Ariel Dorfman, Sean Holmes, Dominic Dromgoole, Max Stafford-Clark, Frank McGuinness, Jack Shepherd, David Farr, Bonnie Greer, Adam Rapp, Sam Shepard, Eric Schlosser, Helena Kaut-Howson, Greg Hicks, Lia Williams, Bill Bryden and Kathryn Hunter.

Our in-house productions are complemented by groundbreaking work in Studio 2 from some of the most exciting young companies in the world. Arcola is much more than an arts venue and runs one of the most extensive multi-cultural community and youth programmes in East London providing much needed resources and training.

For more information or to order tickets visit online at www.arcolatheatre.com.

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

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