Elling closes early on Broadway

The Broadway premiere of Simon Bent's Elling, which features film actor Brendan Fraser in his Broadway debut, will close on 28 Nov 2010, just one week after opening. When the show closes it will have played twenty two previews and only nine regular performances.

Elling opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on 21 Nov 2010, following previews from 2 Nov, and was sheduled to play a strictly limited engagement through to 20 Mar 2011.

The play stars Brendan Fraser ("The Mummy" film series), Tony Award-winner Denis O'Hare (Take Me Out), Jennifer Coolidge (The Women), Tony Award-winner Richard Easton (The Invention of Love) and Jeremy Shamos.

Elling is adapted by playwright Simon Bent from the film "Elling," a screenplay by Axel Hellstenius, which is itself based on the novel of the same name by Norwegian writer Ingvar Ambjørnsen.

Mummy's boy Elling (Denis O'Hare) and his roommate, the uncouth, reluctant virgin 'Kjell Bjarne' (Brendan Fraser), are the Odd Couple of Oslo: a pair of confused souls taking their first steps in the outside world after years of isolated, institutional life. Given a flat in the city by social services, they must re-assimilate themselves into society or face a return to the asylum. So it's simply a question of convincing their social worker that they really are "normal" - even if it does feel safer sleeping in the wardrobe.

The design team is comprised of Scott Pask (set), Kenneth Posner (lighting), Catherine Zuber (costumes) and David Van Tieghem (composer/sound).

The play had its world premiere at London's fringe theatre The Bush, before transferring to London's West End where it played at Trafalgar Studios 1 from 6 Jul - 6 Oct 2007. That production, directed by Paul Miller, starred John Simm as 'Elling' and Adrian Bower as 'Kjell Bjarne.'

The play is produced on Broadway by Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group, Bob Bartner, Bill Kenwright, John O'Boyle, Deborah Taylor, Burnt Umber, Bill Ballard/David Mirvish, Finola Dwyer, David Parfitt, Ronnie Planalp and Michael David in association with Bob Boyett.