Bruce Norris’s biting satire Clybourne Park, which ran at the Royal Court last year and is about to begin a West End run, has added the South Bank Sky Arts Theatre Award to its bulging trophy cabinet.
The American tale of prejudice and political correctness has been collecting every award it can during the London theatre award season. It has already been named Best New Play in the Evening Standard Theatre Awards and the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards.
Its win in the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, the successor to the annual South Bank Show Awards, came at the expense of fellow nominees Earthquakes In London (National Theatre) and Ruined (Almeida theatre).
Clybourne Park spans two generations 50 years apart. In 1959, Russ and Bev are selling their desirable two-bed at a knock-down price. This enables the first black family to move into the neighbourhood, creating ripples of discontent amongst the cosy white urbanites of Clybourne Park. In 2009, the same property is being bought by Lindsey and Steve whose plans to raze the house and start again is met with a similar response.
The success of the Royal Court production follows similar high-profile pieces Enron and Jerusalem, which made their London debuts at the Sloane Square venue before transferring to the West End and faced off against each other in most of last year’s awards ceremonies.
MA