King Hedley II
Theatre Royal Stratford East · 17 MAY - 15 JUN
Lenny Henry in August Wilson's ferocious exploration of redemption in 1980s America.
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Overview
1980s Pittsburgh, a city in decay. Against the backdrop of Reagan’s America, King, an ex-con, is trying to rebuild his life and start a family.
He’s got hopes and dreams of opening a video store and building a new life. If only he can get ten thousand dollars together, if only he can catch a break. In his dusty backyard he plots and plans with his friend Mister, but is this all a pipe dream?
Featuring Lenny Henry as smooth-talking hustler Elmore, August Wilson’s touching and angry King Hedley II is a quest for redemption for one man and a whole community.
Age Recommendation: 14+
Critic reviews
Lenny Henry returns to August Wilson in a searing, epic production that is fantastically performed and full of rage
A committed production of an intense and difficult play, not always easy to watch, but somehow worth it
This powerful play offers a clear and important message
Lenny Henry is excellent as a dangerous hustler in this thunderous August Wilson revival
It’s that classic tale of a man desperate to be somebody, but with no idea how
August Wilson’s overheated story of an ex-con attempting to rebuild his life is buoyed by an energetic cast with meaty roles
Lenny Henry saunters around the stage brimming with menace in this powerful bit of theatre
Lenny Henry stars in King Hedley II, August Wilson’s epic drama of African American family life
Lenny Henry brings power to tragedy with weight and darkness
A soulful revival of chilling relevance and a dandy Lenny Henry
A snapshot of life
Wilson endows his setting with a rare sense of foreboding, as if the quantity of guns being brandished about wasn’t enough
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