Stephen Rea returns to the Public Theater in Cyprus Avenue

The Abbey Theatre & Royal Court Theatre co-production of David Ireland's Cyprus Avenue begins performances on June 2, 2018 at the Public Theater.

Tony & Academy Award nominee Stephen Rea is set to return to the Public Theater this summer as the Public presents the Abbey Theatre & Royal Court Theatre co-production of Cyprus Avenue, written by David Ireland and directed by Vicky Featherstone, which begins previews at the Public's LuEsther Hall on June 2, 2018, before an official opening on June 25 and a limited engagement through to July 29, 2018.

Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis commented: "Cyprus Avenue is a scathingly funny and horrifyingly entertaining look at bigotry gone mad. Anchored by Stephen Rea's tour de force performance, this play may take place in Ireland, but it speaks to the heart of America. The Public is proud to continue our long-standing relationships with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and the Royal Court in London, two of the finest theaters in the world, with this production of Cyprus Avenue."

Synopsis: "Cyprus Avenue is about one man trying to make sense of a radically changed world. Eric Miller (Stephen Rea) is a Belfast Unionist. He is exclusively and non-negotiably British. But nowadays he is worried he might be Irish. When Eric sees a likeness between his new-born granddaughter and the Irish republican leader, Gerry Adams, his sanity starts to unravel. Determined to defend his family and his heritage, Eric's lifetime of ingrained prejudice and unsettled identity push him to the edge."

Joining Mr. Rea on stage will be original cast members Chris Corrigan (as Slim) and Amy Molloy (as Julie). Additional casting and creative team information will be announced at a later date.

Cyprus Avenue premiered in 2016 and is also set to play encore engagements at Dublin's Peacock Stage at the Abbey Theatre (from April 30 to May 19) and at the MAC in Belfast (fro May 23 to 26).

Stephen Rea earned a Tony nomination in 1993, following his Broadway debut in Someone Who'll Watch Over Me. He last appeared at the Public Theater in the 2008 production of Kicking a Dead Horse and has also appeared off-Broadway in Signature Theatre's A Particle of Dread (Oedipus Variations) in 2014 and in Atlantic Theater Company's Age of the Moon in 2010. On screen, he picked up an Oscar nomination in 1993 for "The Crying Game," a Golden Globe nomination in 1997 for "Crime of the Century," and won a BAFTA Award in 2015 for "The Honourable Woman". Other notable film credits include "V for Vendetta," "Interview with a Vampire," and "Citizen X," among many others.

^{(Photo by Ros Kavanagh)}