Dundee Rep is set to break America when its production of In My Father’s Words heads to New York.
The Rep is the only Scottish company to have been invited to take part in the Brits Off Broadway festival this summer and has been awarded a £58,000 grant by Creative Scotland to take the production across the pond.
It was produced as part of the Culture 2014 strand for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and toured the Highlands and Islands.
It was seen by American company 59E59 Theaters during a performance in Stornoway last summer and the company will now host the show at its venue in New York in June.
The play in English and Gaelic tells the story of Louis, a university academic who teaches classics, and his elderly father, Don, who struggles with loss of language as part of a gradual decline into dementia.
The production was directed by Philip Howard, joint artistic director of the Rep, who said: “Taking in My Father’s Words to New York gives us an incredible opportunity to develop our international touring skills while showcasing Dundee Rep on an international stage.
“Performing at a festival which celebrates the best of new works from British theatre will significantly raise our profile, as well as that of theatre in Scotland.
“We have been extending our Scottish touring networks, and this will build on that skills base, giving our technical and production staff a fantastic opportunity to work in New York and offering international exposure for the cast.
“Performing in New York will allow us to extend the life of the project further, and give us an exciting opportunity to present the production and play to new audiences and promoters in North America.”
Mr Howard said the opportunity to showcase the Gaelic element of the play was particularly attractive.
He added: “Taking part in Brits Off Broadway particularly represents an introduction to the Gaelic language through a beautiful piece of writing, which is comprehensible to non-Gaelic speakers.
“Angus Peter Campbell, who plays the character of Don, is a very well-known and respected figure in Gaelic literature, and we also plan to engage with local Gaelic groups such as the New York Caledonian Club.”
The show will run for four weeks until June 28, with 30 performances scheduled.