Ronke Adekoluejo joins Stephen Rea in “Cyprus Avenue,” which begins previews Saturday, June 2, at The Public Theater. The new play is written by David Ireland and directed by Royal Court Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone. Rea last performed at The Public in 2008 in Sam Shepard’s “Kicking a Dead Horse.”
“Cyprus Avenue” is David Ireland’s subversively funny and savage new play 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.
Continuing The Public’s mission to make great theater accessible to all, The Public’s Free First Previews program continues this summer. Free tickets to the first preview Saturday, June 2, became available May 26 via TodayTix mobile lottery and will also be available June 2 via the lottery in the lobby of The Public Theater at Astor Place, with entries starting at noon and winners drawn at 1 p.m.
The complete cast of “Cyprus Avenue” features Chris Corrigan (Slim), Andrea Irvine (Bernie), Amy Molloy (Julie) and Rea (Eric).
“Cyprus Avenue” begins performances in The Public’s LuEsther Hall Saturday, June 2, and runs through Sunday, July 29, with an official press opening Monday, June 25. The performance schedule is Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. There is no 8 p.m. performance Tuesday, June 26, or Wednesday, July 4. There is no 2 p.m. performance Saturday, June 2, or Sunday, June 3. There is an added performance
Tuesday, July 3, at 2 p.m.
Single tickets, starting at $80, are available now and can be accessed by calling 212-967-7555, by visiting www.publictheater.org or in person at the Taub Box Office at The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette St., New York, N.Y.
The Library at The Public is open nightly for food and drink, beginning at 5:30 p.m., and Joe’s Pub at The Public continues to offer some of the best music in the city. For more information, visit