We Happy Few Presents KILL THE RIPPER This Halloween!

Helen Hayes Recommended We Happy Few (IPHIGENIA 2023; DESDEMONA: 2022) heads to dreary, foggy London Town for this year's fall production. KILL THE RIPPER turns the hunter into the hunted as a trio of women learn to protect themselves from the mysterious killer preying on their friends and colleagues.

Queer themes of friendship, love, and mutual aid permeate this revisionist take on the notorious string of murders that plagued London at the end of the 19th century.    Whip-smart, uproariously funny, and on the bleeding edge of cool, this charming and clever play debuted in Canada just two years ago, and We Happy Few is excited to be staging the American premiere.

A Feminist Victorian revenge play. Finally.

It's Victorian England and Jack the Ripper is on the loose. The police have very few leads as to the identity of this serial killer with a penchant for prostitutes. So what are three savvy ladies-of-the-night to do? Step one: Learn to fight. Step two: Take down Jack the Ripper themselves! This is revisionist history at it's best: told through a feminist lens and with plenty of action. This sexy, silly, and touching play will leave you feeling empowered and ready to take on the world! 

Kill The Ripper was written by Fairlith Harvey. It is directed by Megan Behm (CYMBELINE; Virginia Shakespeare Festival) and stars Gabby Wolfe (LA LLORONA, LOVERS' VOWS), Paige O'Malley (DESDEMONA, TREASURE ISLAND), Bri Houtman (IPHIGENIA), and Bob Pike (IPHIGENIA, FRANKENSTEIN). Produced by Kerry McGee. Stage management by Mackenzie Wentela. Intimacy direction and fight choreography by Casey Kaleba. Lights by Jason Aufdem-Brinke, sound design and composition by Ethan Balis, technical direction by Martin Bernier, set by Megan Holden, costuming by Madi Wentela, props by Rose Talbot, dramaturgy by Alex Berrios, dialect coaching by Jenna Berk, graphic design by Stefany Pesta.

Founded in 2012, We Happy Few's mission is to rediscover and reimagine classic stories that challenge, illuminate, and charm audiences. We Happy Few has established itself as one of Washington D.C.'s best small theatre companies (City Paper, 2021; the DCist, 2015) by nurturing a creative environment that thrives on ensemble collaborations with some of the nation's most promising emerging theatre artists. WHF's flagship production of a six actor, 90-minute HAMLET premiered at the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival to great acclaim, exploring the idea that the entire play unfolded in the title character's mind. WHF's 2017 production of HENRY V was hailed as “a fascinating, resonant, and important new take on a known work” (Broadway World). We Happy Few earned its first Helen Hayes Recommendation with 2018's PERICLES, and its first two Helen Hayes nominations for 2019's LOVERS' VOWS. DC Metro Theater Arts declared We Happy Few's work “a new approach to Shakespeare you will not want to miss.”

Kill The Ripper is presented at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St SE, DC) on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from October 26th to November 18th, with additional showings on Wednesday, October 25th and Tuesday, October 31st. All performances begin at 7:00PM.

Audiences must provide proof of vaccination and take a temperature check upon entering the venue. All audience members must remain masked throughout the performance. 

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