Co-Produce my Play in The West End!

Le Gallienne Theatre Company

Meet Millie Grable.

She’s bitter.

She’s twisted.

You’ll love her.

”Irrelevant is a play dedicated to every great artist who has ever been overlooked. And the more I think about it - to every human being who has ever deserved, yet still denied, their dreams.

This one woman show speaks on behalf of all the great talents being passed up every single day by an industry that either doesn’t understand the rarity of a true artist… or more terrifyingly… doesn’t care.

Our theatre industry is in crisis. A change or die moment in a glorious history. So, it’s more important than ever that, while we begin to navigate the new waters we are facing, we aren’t afraid to pose some vital questions and to face some uncomfortable truths. The business has a lot to answer for in the way it has treated, and treats, artists. But! Hopefully, by being bold; by using our voices off-stage; through challenging the status quo, and by owning our relevance, we can create an enlightened industry for future generations.

I’d like to begin a little revolution. And I’d love your support.”

- Keith Merrill, Writer and director of IRRELEVANT and Artistic Director of Le Gallienne Theatre Company

On a practical note: I am an expert in making small-budget productions look expensive. Suffice it to say; I don't need a lot of capital. But to make this ship run smoothly, I need your help!

For your investment, here is what you'll benefit from.

Funding Tiers:

The Shirley Temple:

100 pounds gives you a grateful mention in our programme's funding credits.

The Rock Hudson:

500 pounds gets you mentioned as an 'Angel' in our programme, two free tickets to the show and two glasses of champagne.

The Liz Taylor:

1000 pounds gets your name on the poster as Producer, four free tickets to the opening night/ after party, and drinks with the creatives and our star.

And for 7000 pounds - you can be the sole producer of my World Premiere; a stake in the play and first refusal when we transfer - as well as access to watch rehearsals; offer input and invitations to any subsequent events and parties in conjunction with the production.

If any of this sounds interesting, please get on board and let's make something special together!

Thank you so much,

Keith Merrill

Artistic Director

Le Gallienne Theatre Company

Now, a bit about us...

"2012. Le Gallienne Theatre Company began a 'journey that could' as a pipe dream in a basement in Queen's New York. Not a penny in the budget but with a singular mission, I unapologetically decided New Yorkers needed a place to gather and enjoy the best of British theatre. Acted by our very best actors, along with great music by our finest artists, I would offer a uniquely immersive experience.

Theatre with a twist. In essence a modern Baroque salon.

The pieces fell into place with the ease of filling a void the city didn't know it had. Within two weeks of coming up with a name and mission, I discovered a period venue in The Gershwin Hotel and was granted rights to our first play. I quickly secured the superlative talents of Steve Ross and KT Sullivan to serenade us with Coward, then discovered an excellent violinist on a Manhattan subway platform who would majestically escort my audience from one playing space to another because, well, why not! And with the classic aesthetic of Christopher Stegmayer and the help of brilliant actress Mary Ellen Ashley, our premiere was overbooked with a returns queue. Proving the adage: if you build it, they will come.

Upon that inaugural presentation of Noël Coward's 'Design For Living,' we received the attention of The Noël Coward Estate. We were asked to be a part of their 'Noël Coward in New York Festival' at Lincoln Center. I was commissioned to write a piece for the festival, and 'Noël Coward: The Women of His World' was born: a musical play using only the actual letters, musings and music of The Master himself and the women he loved most - Gladys Calthrop, Joyce Carey, Esmé Wynne-Tyson, Marlene Dietrich and Gertrude Lawrence. I would then direct the festival's penultimate presentation: Coward's rarely done, 'Star Quality', starring the incomparable Bebe Neuwirth.

Our home base was upgraded to the infamous National Arts Club in Gramercy Park, a sumptuous double townhouse from yesteryear complete with Tiffany ceilings, where we became its first resident theatre company. In 2014, The Players Club invited us into their iconic wood-panelled and stained glass theatre, where I staged Liliom and Ghosts. When the management changed hands, we played our final two performances at the Mint Theatre in Times Square before we temporarily shut the doors on my series in 2015. Over the years, we'd brought New Yorkers a varied diet of great plays, great actors and wonderful music in our salon-like atmosphere, making this less a reading series and more an experience to remember.

I am thrilled to finally bring Le Gallienne Theatre Company to you with our first full run of my new play!"

- Keith Merrill, Artistic Director

NOËL COWARD: THE WOMEN OF HIS WORLD

Created and directed by Keith Merrill 

Lincoln Center, NYC 

Commissioned by

The Noël Coward Estate 

Cast included:

Dee Hoty, Cady Huffman, Dana Ivey & Alan Cox

https://www.playbill.com/article/cady-huffman-dana-ivey-dee-hoty-and-more-set-for-noel-coward-the-women-of-his-world-at-lincoln-center-com-194808

STAR QUALITY

By Noël Coward

Directed by Keith Merrill

Lincoln Center, NY

Cast included:

Bebe Neuwirth, Tug Rice, Max Gordon Moore, Sandra Shipley & Brian Murray 

https://www.playbill.com/article/noel-cowards-star-quality-with-bebe-neuwirth-brian-murray-alison-fraser-shimmers-in-nyc-reading-aug-13-com-196546

GHOSTS

By Henrik Ibsen

Directed by Keith Merrill

The Players Club, NYC

Cast included:

Michael Urie, Richard Easton

& Rachel Pickup

WHAT EVERY WOMAN KNOWS

By JM Barrie

Dir. David Glenn Armstrong

The Mint Theatre, NYC

Cast included:

Carole Shelley, Kevin Collins,

Aedin Moloney

& Tug Rice

THE CHERRY ORCHARD

By Anton Chekhov

Directed by Keith Merrill

The Mint Theatre, NYC

Cast included:

Suzanne Bertish,

James Waterston &

Paxton Whitehead

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Noel-and-Companys-THE-CHERRY-ORCHARD-Staged-Reading-Set-for-Tonight-20130923

THE MOUSETRAP

By Agatha Christie

Directed by Larry Fuller

The National Arts Club, NYC

Cast included:

Jill Paice &

Carole Shelley

AFTER THE DANCE

By Terrence Rattigan

Directed by Keith Merrill

The National Arts Club, NYC

Cast included:

Tina Benko, Jessica Dickey, Tug Rice, Amy Rutberg

LILIOM

by Ferenc Molnár

Directed by Keith Merrill

The The Players Club, NYC

Creatives included:

Andrea Marcovicci, Steve Ross,

Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf, Erin Davie,

Nili Bassman, Marc Vietor

& Jessica Bates

THE VORTEX

By Noël Coward

Directed By Gabriel Barre

The Gershwin Hotel

Cast included:

Edward Hibbert,

Suzanne Bertish, KT Sullivan

& Bobby Steggert 

DESIGN FOR LIVING

By Noël Coward

Directed by Keith Merrill

The Gershwin Hotel

Creatives included:

Steve Ross, Amy Rutberg,

Keith Merrill

& Kevin Collins