Wellington Repertory Presents Arsenic & Old Lace

Wellington Repertory Presents Classic Comedy Arsenic & Old Lace

Wellington Repertory Theatre presents Joseph Kesselring’s Arsenic and Old Lace,
directed by Rob Ormsby. First staged on Broadway in 1941, the play remains one of the most popular plays for professional and amateur theatre groups around the world.

In the mad Brewster mansion Mortimer Brewster discovers that his two much loved Aunts have been poisoning lonely old men and burying them in the cellar. He desperately tries to figure out how to protect them from the harsh realities of the law. He could lay the blame on his crazy bugle-blowing brother Teddy who believes he is President Roosevelt. Or maybe blame his “psycho” brother Johnny, a pathological serial killer with an unfortunate resemblance to Boris Karloff. Or maybe he’s the one who’s going insane?

“This is such a great play, with all the best elements of laugh-out-loud farcical black comedy.

The cast are crazy about it and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to stage it as a fitting celebration of Wellington Repertory Theatre’s 90th anniversary this year,” said Rob Ormsby, Director.

“While this production will be true to the original script, we are having great fun playing up the "gothic" feel and working with a unique set design. It will definitely be different for those who’ve seen the play or the film before and very accessible to new theater goers as well,” he said.

Established in 1926, Wellington Repertory Theatre is the capital’s oldest community theatre pre-dating the advent of professional theatre in the city by decades. It retains a special place in Wellington’s arts scene by providing opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved in theatre and for audiences to see popular plays that they might not otherwise have the chance to see in Wellington.

Arsenic & Old Lace runs from Wednesday 6 to Saturday 16 April (excluding Monday 11 April, and production times vary) at the Gryphon Theatre, Ghuznee Street, Wellington.

To book tickets, email bookings@wellingtonrepertory.org.nz, or call 479 3393. Tickets prices are $25 waged, $20 unwaged, $20 for pre-paid groups of 10 or more.

ENDS

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