The Children's Hour to bow on B'way in fall of 2011

Keira Knightley & Elisabeth Moss

The New York Times reports that producers Sonia Friedman and Scott Landis, currently featured on Broaday with 'La Bete,' are planning on bringing their upcoming West End production of Lillian Hellman’s 1934 drama, The Children’s Hour, to Broadway in the fall of 2011.

The Broadway production will see Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss revive their roles, which they will originate when the play opens in London in the Spring of 2011. The Children’s Hour will not transfer to Broadway immediately after the end of its West End run, as 'La Bete' recently did, due to the prior commitments of both its leading actresses.

The Children’s Hour: When a troubled teenager starts to spin a web of deceit, all around her are soon caught up in it. Karen Wright (Keira Knightley) and Martha Dobie (Elisabeth Moss) have worked for years to establish their all-girls boarding school, and now, with the school flourishing and Karen on the verge of marriage, their lives and loves finally appear secure. However, when malicious student Mary runs away from the school and seeks to avoid being sent back, she draws on hearsay, gossip, and her own imagination, to concoct a story that threatens the school, the marriage, and their entire futures.

Keira Knightley will make her Broadway debut in The Children's Hour. She was last on stage in 'The Misanthrope' directed by Thea Sharrock at London's Comedy Theatre. Her many film credits include "Never Let Me Go" which opened the 2010 London Film Festival, "Bend It Like Beckham," "Love Actually," "Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy," "King Arthur," "The Jacket," "Pride and Prejudice," "Domino," "Silk," "Atonement," "The Edge of Love," "The Duchess," "Last Night" and the forthcoming "London Boulevard" and "A Dangerous Method." Her television credits include the critically acclaimed remake of "Doctor Zhivago," "Oliver" and "Coming Home."

Elisabeth Moss, who will make her West End debut in The Children’s Hour, is best known for playing the role of "Peggy Olson" in the ongoing award-winning television series "Mad Men," for which she has received both Emmy Award and SAG Award nominations, as well as for the role of "Zoe Bartlett" in "The West Wing". Moss made her Broadway stage debut in David Mamet’s 'Speed the Plow' in 2008. Her film credits include "Get Him to the Greek," "Did you Hear About the Morgans?" and "Girl, Interrupted," as well as the forthcoming "On the Road" and "Darling Companion."

The Children's Hour will be directed by Ian Rickson whose Broadway credits are 'The Seagull,' which starred Kristin Scott Thomas;'Hedda Gabler,' which starred Mary Louise Parker; and 'The Weir.' His London credits include 'Jerusalem' (expected on Broadway in 2011), 'The Hothouse,' and 'Dublin Carol.'

The Children's Hour premiered on Broadway in 1934 and starred Katherine Emery (Karen Wright) and Anne Revere (Martha Dobie). It was revived in 1952 with Kim Hunter (Karen Wright) and (Patricia Neal). A film based on the play was released in 1936. In orfer to avoid censorship the name was changed to 'These Three' and the story was adapted by Heller so that the centre of the drama was no longer a lesbian relationship but rather a heterosexual love triangle.

In 1961 the play was once again adapted by Heller, but this time the lesbian theme was not removed and the movie was released titled 'The Childrens Hour.'It starred Audrey Hepburn as 'Karen Wright' and Shirley MacLaine as 'Martha Dobie.'