Blending theatre, live music, and spoken word, Olivier nominee Arinzé Kene's genre-deying work Misty officially opens its American premiere March 9. Previews began at Off-Broadway's The Shed March 3 for a run through April 2. Get a first look at the production below.
Having starred on the London stage in Death of a Salesman and Girl from the North Country, Kene makes his U.S. stage debut in his work which takes audiences through London under gentrification while exploring what it means to be an artist today. Kene said, “Misty at its heart is a play about gentrification—how it changes people’s lives and how it ruins people's lives. I came to Hackney in East London in the early ’90s when I moved from Nigeria. I’ve seen it change over the years. I wanted to tell that story from the point of view of the people who have grown up there and the people who have been displaced as well.”
Helming the creative team is director Omar Elerian (NASSIM, Two Palestinians Go Dogging), joined by set and costume designer Rajha Shakiry, lighting designer Jackie Shemesh, sound designer Elena Peña, and video designer Daniel Denton. The original score, composed by Kene, Adrian MacLeod, and Shiloh Coke, is performed by a live band.
The Shed's Artistic Director Alex Poots said, “This play’s inventive discourse on city-making unravels the complexities of class experiences in London that resonate deeply with any global city.“
Commissioned by London's Bush Theatre where it originally premiered in 2018, Misty subsequently transferred to the West End. The work earned a 2019 Olivier nomination for Best New Play as well as a nomination for Kene for Best New Actor. As the playwright of Misty, Kene became the second Black British playwright to have a play produced in the West End.
Visit TheShed.org.
Arinzé Kene
Arinzé Kene
Arinzé Kene
Arinzé Kene and Nadine Lee
Arinzé Kene
Arinzé Kene
Arinzé Kene and Ifeoluwa Adeniyi
Arinzé Kene
