Theatre adaptation of Brokeback Mountain to debut in London's West End

Performances of the new stage production written by Ashley Robinson will begin in May 2023 at London's @sohoplace theatre.

Entertainment . Written by Nicole Lee.

Two male actors pose side by side in promotional photo for the Brokeback Mountain play

A newly created Brokeback Mountain play will make its world premiere at London’s @sohoplace West End theatre during the summer of 2023, with a limited 12-week run from May 10 to August 12.

This stage adaptation was written by Ashley Robinson and it will include original songs by Dan Gillespie Sells. While the play is not a traditionally choreographed musical, Sells says, “I’ve really enjoyed reconnecting with a genre of music I grew up with and using it to serve the drama of each moment. Plus, I get to work with some legendary artists which is such an honour and a joy.”

Director, Jonathan Butterell, said, “When Ashley approached us about collaborating on ‘Brokeback Mountain’ we were struck immediately by his deep connection to the world and community that Annie has so brilliantly written about over the years. He brought to the adaptation an authenticity and an understanding of these working-class men, scraping to survive the harsh brutality of their environment and the insularity of thinking surrounding them, which ultimately leads to their tragedy.”

The leads, Jack and Ennis, will be played by Mike Faist, a BAFTA-nominee for his role in West Side Story, and Lucas Hedges, an Oscar-nominee for his role in Manchester by the Sea. Both actors are making their West End stage debuts in this stage performance.

 

Originally published as a short story by Annie Proulx in 1997, the romantic and heartbreaking tale follows two cowboys who meet and secretly fall in love while working together as sheep herders at Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming, USA, in 1963.

In response to the new theatre production, Proulx said, “Brokeback Mountain has been recreated in several different forms, each with its own distinctive moods and impact. Ashley’s script is fresh and deeply moving, opening sight lines not visible in the original nor successive treatments.”

 

 

The Brokeback Mountain film is recognised as one of the first LGBTQ+ movies to gain international recognition. It premiered in US theatres in 2006 when mainstream attitudes about same-sex couples were still homophobic, and it effectively dismantled stereotypes about country western cowboys and brought attention to the intimacy of queer male relationships.

Starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, the feature won four Golden Globes, four BAFTAs, three Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and three Academy Awards, including Best Director, Adapted Screenplay and Score.

 

 

Fans of queer country western love stories will be delighted to know that Strange Way of Life starring Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke is coming to the Cannes Film Festival this May, as well. Openly gay director Pedro Almodóvar promises an intimate and romantic story that unpacks masculine relationships.

 

© 2023 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.

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