PLEASE NOTE: The Inheritance is performed in two parts. Find more information about The Inheritance - Part 2 here.
Written by Matthew Lopez and directed by two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance first premiered at the Young Vic in London in March 2018, winning rave reviews from the London critics. Thanks to producers Sonia Friedman, Tom Kirdahy and Hunter Arnold, a West End transfer was granted, playing the Noel Coward Theatre from September 2018 through January 19, and the production would ultimately be rewarded with an impressive total of eight Olivier Award nominations (winning four, including “Best Director” for Stephen Daldry and “Best New Play”).
Although London is its birthplace, the epic drama, separated into two parts, was seemingly born to play the New York stage. And now, courtesy of Sonia, Tom and Hunter (once again), that destiny has been fulfilled with a Broadway transfer to the Barrymore Theatre.
Inspired by E.M. Forster’s novel Howards End, The Inheritance centers on a group of young gay men, living in New York City in a post-AIDS era, asking questions about 21st century gay identity, relationships and love within the LGBT+ community, and what this current generation owes to its predecessors.
Through the character of breakthrough playwright Toby Darling, The Inheritance also examines the ins and outs of Broadway as an industry, as well as the rewards and challenges of working in such a close-knit community and the perils of mixing business with pleasure. In addition, New York hotspots such as Fire Island also play a role in this love/hate letter to the Big Apple.
With a minimalist scenic design by Bob Crowley and beautifully subtle lighting by Jon Clark, The Inheritance relies heavily on Lopez’s dialogue and the relationships brought to life by the ensemble cast, who take us on a heart-wrenching and reflective journey, accompanied by bloody marys, sweat and tears… And we guarantee you’ll be shedding the odd tear yourselves thanks to the coups de théâtre this emotionally-charged production provides.
(Photos by Matthew Murphy)