Billie and a red-hot ticket to New York
BIllIe PIPer is in early discussions about making her new york theatrical debut in the transfer of yerma, the controversial young Vic production in which she gave an award- winning performance as a woman unable to have children.
simon stone’s contemporary adaptation of Federico Garcia lorca’s work ( which he also directed) played to packed houses at the london theatre last summer.
stone said lorca had written a 20th-century Greek tragedy, and gave ample warning that he was not going to handle the piece with kid gloves.
‘There’s a lot about this play I’m going to be vandalising,’ he told The Guardian — before proceeding to do just that, in the most spectacular fashion.
his interpretation divided audiences, but punters and critics were united in their praise for Piper’s performance as a childless woman relentlessly searching for ways to become pregnant.
she went on to win the evening standard Theatre award for best actress. The young Vic and Piper’s representatives are in discussions with the Park Avenue Armory in new york about showcasing yerma there for a limited run in 2018 (again with stone at the helm).
There had been overtures from producers to move it to Broadway, but the actress was not able to commit to a long enough run to make it financially viable.
her two sons — Winston, eight, and four-year-old eugene — are her priority, and doing a three or four-month run in a Broadway house would not have worked.
‘everyone is working to make this happen, but there’s nothing to confirm,’ a spokesman for Piper told me.