Bedlam to present world premiere play ‘Persuasion’ in September

Sarah Rose Kearns' play is adapted from the Jane Austen novel of the same name.

Bedlam will present their first show since the pandemic this fall. Inspired by the Jane Austen novel, Sarah Rose Kearns' Persuasion will receive its world premiere at Bedlam. Performances begin on September 11, ahead of an opening night on September 21 and a seven week engagement.

Set after the Napoleonic wars, Persuasion follows Anne, a young woman who seeks to win the heart of her previous flame, Captain Wentworth. Persuasion is the last complete novel to be written by Jane Austen, and was published six months after her death in 1818.

Bedlam Artistic Director Eric Tucker said of Persuasion: "We feel extremely lucky to have come through the pandemic as a company and fortunate to be able to return to the stage with Sarah Rose Kearns' Persuasion... Rose's adaptation will be very satisfying for Jane Austen fans, while at the same time give them her own spin on the material... It's incredibly funny and romantic and the perfect fare for audiences looking for an escape after the last year and a half."

Persuasion is written by Sarah Rose Kearns, and is directed by Eric Tucker. Kearns will play Anne Elliot, alongside Rajesh Bose as Frederick Wentworth, Caroline Grogan, Nandita Shenoy, Jamie Smithson, Randolph Curtis Rand, Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy, Claire Hsu, Annabel Capper, and Yonatan Gebeyehu.

Susannah Millonzi choreographs, with scenic design by John McDermott, costume design by Charlotte Palmer Lane, lighting design by Les Dickert and sound design by Jane Shaw.

Persuasion is at Bedlam from September 11.

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^{Photo credit: Persuasion Artwork (Photo courtesy of Persuasion)}