London will hear Rita roar! Mark Brokaw will helm the European premiere of Nicky Silver's dark comedy The Lyons at the Menier Chocolate Factory. The production will begin performances on September 19, with an official opening night on September 26. The Lyons will play a limited engagement through November 16. Casting has not yet been announced.
Brokaw directed The Lyons both off and on Broadway. The Lyons is about a family grappling with the impending death of its patriarch. When Ben Lyons’ wife, Rita, and their grown children gather to say goodbye, they learn that despite being a family, each of them is utterly isolated. Afraid of closeness and afraid of solitude, they are propelled into foreign territory—human connection.
The play premiered at off-Broadway's Vineyard Theatre in 2011 before transferring to Broadway's Cort Theatre in 2012. Linda Lavin received a 2012 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her performance as Rita.