The New Vic Theatre’s first co-production created in partnership with Upswing and the Unicorn Theatre will have its international premiere in New York this October after the New Victory Theater based on Broadway selected The Princess and The Pea to form part of its Autumn season.

The co-production, developed with the New Vic’s long-standing collaborators Upswing and the Unicorn Theatre, is directed by New Vic Theatre’s Theresa Heskins and Upswing’s Vicki Dela Amedume MBE and originally premiered at Newcastle-under-Lyme’s theatre in-the-round in June, following a short run in London at the Unicorn.

The first time the three companies have produced work together, this international transfer is an endorsement of the quality of work the New Vic and its partners are delivering for pre-school aged children and their families.

The Princess and The Pea will make the international transfer to the New Victory Theater from 19 – 27 October and is the second production that the New Vic will have transferred across the Atlantic, following on from their international tour of Around The World In 80 Days in 2019 which travelled to New York and Florida.

New Vic Artistic Director Theresa Heskins, who adapted and co-directed the play, said: “It is such an honour to have been asked to take this production to the New Victory Theater for their autumn season, alongside our partners Upswing and the Unicorn. The New Vic and Upswing have been working together for a long time, fusing the artforms of circus and theatre and pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve onstage by combining these forms. Now we’ve joined together to deliver a new circus partnership programme and this is its first production, specifically targeted towards this younger audience. We were so pleased with the reaction UK audiences gave the production in June and I’m really looking forward to taking the show to New York’s theatre district – to the famous 42nd Street - to see how an international audience reacts.”

Upswing Artistic Director and New Vic Associate Director Vicki Dela Amedume said: “Bringing our show to the New Victory Theater is a dream come true. It's an incredible opportunity to share our unique blend of acrobatics and storytelling with new audiences and to celebrate the power of partnerships as key to the success of ambitious ideas.  It is the first collaboration between the Unicorn, Upswing and the New Vic but a continuation of a decade of work with the New Vic exploring the power and potential of bringing together circus and theatre.” 

Rachel Bagshaw, Unicorn Theatre Artistic Director said: “We were overjoyed to see such an enthusiastic response to The Princess and the Pea when it premiered at the Unicorn in London, and now bringing this sold-out show to New York is a thrilling milestone for us. It has been a real pleasure collaborating with Upswing and the New Vic to create work that entertains, engages and inspires younger audiences, and we can’t wait to share it across the Atlantic."

A playful remix of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairytale, vividly brought to life through a combination of breathtaking acrobatics, clowning and fast-paced adventure, the Broadway performance run will reunite original cast members Danielle Bird (Olivier award-winning The Worst Witch, Astley’s Astounding Adventures, New Vic) as Yellow Servant; Nathan Johnston (Associate Artist with Upswing, Sleight of Hands, CAST Doncaster and UK tour) as Green Servant; Robert Penny (Red Riding Hood, Liverpool Everyman, The Cat in the Hat, Leicester Curve/The Rose Kingston) as Blue Servant; and Rhiannon Skerritt (Beauty and the Beast, New Vic, The Box of Delights, Royal Shakespeare Company) as Purple Princess.