Kunstler, Jeffrey Sweet’s critically acclaimed US play about legal civil rights hero William Kunstler, gets its long-awaited European premiere at London’s White Bear Theatre, with original star Jeff McCarthy reprising his title role.
“At a time when America is short of heroes, I decided to write about one of my personal heroes, the radical lawyer William Kunstler. He engaged many of the most controversial issues of the time, issues that are certainly still challenging us today” – playwright Jeffrey Sweet
Famous for defending the Chicago Seven, William Kunstler (1919-1995) was America’s leading radical lawyer and a Civil Rights activist with an outsize personality and a tremendous appetite for life. Jeffrey Sweet’s play introduces the legendary legal renegade to European audiences.
In this two-hander drama, tensions flare when Kunstler arrives on a college campus to give a seminar. The brilliant young law student assigned to introduce him objects to his appearance and is determined to confront him. Has Kunstler finally met his match?
Kunstler vividly brings to life the Chicago Seven conspiracy trial and the Central Park Five, using the lawyer’s own memoirs to get a sense of his thought process, philosophy and language. Sweet also draws on scenes from public record, including the trial in Chicago and Kunstler’s speeches. Interweaving real moments and imagined scenes, the play brilliantly conveys the lawyer’s remarkable life and work.
Following the 7.30pm opening night performance on Friday 3 May 2024, I’ll talk to Kunstler author Jeffrey Sweet, director Meagen Fay (who was friends with the lawyer), and stars Jeff McCarthy and Nykila Norman. Any questions? Join us!