This extraordinary theatrical event, from four-time Tony Award® winner Tom Stoppard (The Coast of Utopia), is now on Broadway following a record-breaking run in London's West End. It's August 1968, and Russian tanks are rolling in to Prague... Jan, the Czech student, lives for rock music, Max, the English professor, lives for Communism, and Esme, the flower child, is high. By 1990, the tanks are rolling out, the Stones are rolling in and idealism has hit the wall. Stoppard's sweeping and passionate play spans two countries, three generations and 22 turbulent years, at the end of which, love remains — and so does rock 'n' roll.
Original London cast members Brian Cox, Sinead Cusack and Rufus Sewell (winner of the
Olivier, Evening Standard and London Critics' Circle Awards) reprise their roles on Broadway together with original London cast members Alice Eve and Nicole Ansari. Direction is by multi-award winning Trevor Nunn. Stoppard's extensive body of work includes The Invention of Love, Arcadia, The Real Thing, Night and Day, Jumpers and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. The premiere of Rock 'n' Roll marks the 40th anniversary since Stoppard was introduced to Broadway audiences.
Rock 'n' Roll opened on Broadway on November 4, 2007.
Rock 'n' Roll received its world premiere at the Royal Court as part of their 50th Anniversary celebration and subsequently transferred to the West End's Duke of York's Theatre, where the sold-out production ran for many months.
Winner of the London Evening Standard Theatre Award and London Critics' Circle Theatre Awards for Best New Play, Rock 'n' Roll is produced on Broadway by Bob Boyett & Sonia Friedman Productions, Ostar Productions, Roger Berlind, Tulchin/Bartner, Douglas G. Smith, Dancap Productions, Jam Theatricals, The Weinstein Company, in association with Lincoln Center Theater.
Nicole Ansari, Sinead Cusack and Rufus Sewell are appearing with the permission of Actors' Equity Association. The producers gratefully acknowledge Actors' Equity Association for its assistance to this production.
Set design is by Robert Jones, costume design is by Emma Ryott, lighting design is by Howard Harrison and sound design by Ian Dickinson.