The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner- Location, Tickets, Reviews
Atlantic Theater Company presents the U.S. premiere of The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner, adapted by British playwright and Olivier Award nominee Roy Williams from Alan Sillitoe’s classic short story of the same title.
The play is set in modern day London and follows the story of Colin, a high school aged young man, who is sent to a correctional facility after he robs a bakery. Colin is gifted at running, a hobby he continues within the locked walls of the “prison school.”
An official at the facility notices Colin’s talent and offers him a chance to compete in a long distance race against students from other schools, suggesting that it may be an opportunity to change his life for the better. To escape, emotionally and physically, Colin accepts the offer but is plagued by second thoughts about whether the school really has his best interests in mind.
Maxamoo
The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner is not a play about sports. Running merely serves as the vehicle Williams and Sillitoe use to tell the story of a troubled young man and his struggle to understand his place in a world rife with contradictions and unfairness. This is a play that touches on class and intergenerational conflict, complex institutional motives, and political philosophy, including the most gorgeously recited definition of socialism we’ve ever witnessed, and yet, it is fast paced and filled with well-drawn characters and moments of humor.
Young talent Sheldon Best, who is in exceptional physical shape, plays the troubled teenager Colin. He delivers a vigorous performance that shows the character’s gentle but restless nature. He never seems to stop moving and manages to run and exercise through much of his dialogue, including a particularly impressive set of pushups. Jasmine Cephas Jones and Joshua E. Nelson both shine in supporting roles. Jones’s Kenisha, Colin’s girlfriend, is sweet and lovable, while Nelson’s Jase, Colin’s giddy, goofy, loyal friend, provides much of the story’s humor. The British accents are of varying quality but we’re used to accents that come and go on New York stages.
Recommended if. . .
- You’re looking for an entertaining, yet sophisticated, play for a date or to entertain your inlaws;
- A well-spoken definition of socialism turns you on;
- You’re an Anglophile;
- You’re eager to hear stories from a perspective rarely performed on stage; OR
- A well-toned body in action delights you.
Public opinion
Twitter has been buzzing about the show since the early previews. This production is at Atlantic Theater’s Stage 2, which is its smaller theater, and we note that tickets are selling briskly. From Twitter:
@unseenfilms: I was @AtlanticTheater‘s LONLINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER tonight. It was amazing theater and has one hell of a physical performance
@MaureenMcSherry: Wonderful (astonishlngly fit) performances in THE LONLINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER @AtlanticTheater STAGE 2.
@ydavey: Thought Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner @AtlanticTheater is definitely worth seeing. Now I need to watch the Tom Courteney film!
@dramabookshop: LONG DISTANCE RUNNER @AtlanticTheater terrific (and timely) adaptation by Roy Williams and a uniformly splendid cast. Bravo Leah C. Gardiner
Have you seen The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner? What did you think? Share your thoughts in a comment below or tweet to us at @maxamoo.
Critic reviews
TheaterMania
Roy Williams brings his stage adaptation of Alan Sillitoe’s short story to Atlantic Theater Company.
New York Times
England’s Angry Young Man Returns as a Live Wire With Attitude
Entertainment Weekly
Williams’ version, while moving and at times inventive as a showcase for Best’s athletic charisma, doesn’t inject enough new energy into the tired tropes.
Village Voice
Run For Your Life
Mildly Bitter’s Musings
. . .[P]erhaps it is that cultural distance that gives the American audience the needed perspective to look at race and class and the disenfranchised young men who this story gives voice to.
TICKETS
$45 (Click here for tickets)
DATES
Performances through February 9, 2014
LOCATION
Atlantic Stage 2
330 West 16th Street
New York City
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RUNNING TIME
1 hour 30 minutes, no intermission
NEWS
Early Buzz: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Written by Alan Sillitoe
Adapted by Roy Williams
Directed by Leah C. Gardiner
Featuring Eshan Bay, Sheldon Best, Zainab Jah, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Patrick Murney, Joshua E. Nelson, Sydney Sainté, Raviv Ullman, Todd Weeks, Malik Yoba