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Safety Measures at BAM
Our top priority remains the health and safety of our audiences, artists, and staff.

Face masks are highly recommended at BAM. We will continue to update our policies in adherence with the latest health and safety guidelines and protocols.
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Zadie Smith’s debut play is “a celebration of community and local legends, of telling a good story and living a life worth telling.”
—The Guardian
Apr 1—16, 2023
The Wife of Willesden
Theater

NEW YORK PREMIERE

BAM in association with A.R.T.
Presents
The Wife of Willesden
Adapted by Zadie Smith from Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath
Kiln Theatre
Directed by Indhu Rubasingham

 

In her debut play, bestselling author Zadie Smith—whose books include the Man Booker Prize-nominated novel On Beauty— gives us Alvita, a Jamaican-born British woman in her mid-50s holding court at a North West London pub. After a sold-out, critically acclaimed run, this modern translation of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales comes to the Harvey Theater at BAM Strong. Directed by Indhu Rubasingham, with an ensemble cast starring Clare Perkins in a stunning, exhilarating performance, this exuberant and verbally inventive play showcases the pleasures of Smith’s quick wit. Rich with frank sexuality, it celebrates free expression and the human urge both to live stories and share them.

 

 

 

 

 

Set and costume design by Robert Jones
Lighting design by Guy Hoare
Composition and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham
Casting by Julia Horan CDG
Movement by Imogen Knight

 
ON SALE DATES
Mon Dec 12
BAM Members at 12pm
 
Mon Dec 19
General Public at 12pm
 
Age guidance: 14+
 
RUN TIME
1hr 40min
VENUE
TICKET INFO

TICKETS START AT  $35

BAM Members receive 20% off through January 31. No promo code needed.

All performances will adhere to protocols developed in accordance with New York State regulations and in consultation with medical professionals for the safety of our artists, audiences, and staff. 

ACCESSIBILITY

For more information and access to specific seating locations, visit BAM.org/visit/accessibility, email accessibility@BAM.org, or call 718.636.4100.

OPEN CAPTIONING
Performances on April 14 and 15 include open captioning provided by c2. Captioning screens are located on both sides of the theater, displaying spoken dialogue and other auditory elements that impact the experience of the production. Best visibility is from seating locations in side sections of the theater, Row K and behind.

 
RELATED EVENTS

Leadership support for BAM Access Programs provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation

Jerome L. Greene Foundation

 

Leadership support for theater at BAM provided by The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.; The SHS Foundation; and The Shubert Foundation, Inc.

“If you’re a Zadie Smith fan, what are you waiting for?”
— TimeOut
“Irresistibly rambunctious theatrical debut”
— The Telegraph
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