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‘Room’, based on award-winning novel, to premiere in North America at London’s Grand Theatre

London's Grand Theatre on Richmond Street. Liny Lamberink / 980 CFPL

The Grand Theatre has announced that the North American premiere of Room will be on its Spriet Stage in March of 2020.

The play is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by London’s Emma Donoghue. The novel was also previously adapted into a critically acclaimed film which won Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs.

“I couldn’t be happier that my home city’s own Grand Theatre is going to be the launch pad for the theatre version of Room in North America,” said Donoghue in a statement.

The story follows a mother and her young son, who believes the shed they live in is the entire world, as the mother realizes the time has come to escape.

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It first premiered on the stage in 2017, co-produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East and Abbey Theatre Dublin. The play includes songs and a cast of seven, including Little Jack who is shadowed by the narrator, Big Jack.

The North American launch of Room involves a first-time collaboration with Mirvish Productions and the U.K.’s Covent Garden Productions.

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It’s set to premiere in London, Ont., from March 10 to 28, 2020, before travelling to the CAA Theatre as part of the Off-Mirvish 2019/20 season in April 2020.

“I know [artistic director] Dennis Garnhum and the whole Grand team will do an extraordinary job of further developing the show through their COMPASS workshop process,” said Donoghue.

“By March 2020, we should end up with an extraordinary, all-Canadian cast for ROOM that we can all be very proud of.”

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COMPASS was launched in 2017 with an aim to create and premiere new work on the Grand’s Spriet and McManus stages. The production of Room for North America will be workshopping in London, Ont., as part of that program.

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