The critically acclaimed The Devil’s Larder, by the renowned Scottish company Grid Iron, to receive Spring 2006 run at Performance Space 122

The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation announces

THE BEST OF EDINBURGH

The critically acclaimed The Devil’s Larder, by the renowned Scottish company Grid Iron, to receive Spring 2006 run at Performance Space 122

New York, New York August 26, 2005—The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation, in partnership with Performance Space 122, is excited to announce that The Devil’s Larder, based on Jim Crace’s book of short stories, is The Best of Edinburgh. Grid Iron, Scotland’s most renowned site-specific company, is the creator of this first ever theatrical adaptation. The announcement came at the Scotsman Fringe Awards ceremony on Friday, August 26 at 10 AM (GMT) at the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland.

This year, The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation, creator of The Best of Edinburgh, forged a new strategic partnership with Performance Space 122 (PS 122), for the Foundation’s annual award, The Best of Edinburgh. This new partnership will bestow The Devil’s Larder with a fully realized New York run from March 1 – 12, 2005 at Performance Space 122.

The Devil’s Larder winds a sinuous path from narrative episode to story-telling, from installation to song, examining how food can act as a catalyst for unleashing our fears, desires and taboos. Jim Crace’s teasingly dark novella is the basis for a journey into this culinary underworld. The Times of London called it “a heady mixture of the disturbing and the erotic” and The Scotsman raved that The Devil’s Larder “never ceases to astonish.”

Carol Tambor, Chairman of the Carol Tambor Foundation, was captivated by this unique, site-specific work, taken from Jim Crace’s deliciously wicked novella. She said “It was a tough decision again this year, we have seen so many wonderful plays. But The Devil’s Larder was particularly striking. I saw it very early on in the Festival and it just stayed with me throughout. It’s haunting effect is perfect for the neo-Gothic, labyrinthine spaces of PS 122. Site-specific theatre is seldom experienced in NY and a great challenge to pull off so successfully.”

To be eligible for The Best of Edinburgh, the show must be an original work, never seen in the United States, and have received a 4-star or 5-star review from The Scotsman, Scotland’s foremost publication. Carol Tambor and members of her Foundation, along with Performance Space 122 Artistic Director Vallejo Gantner, chose the winning production.

The Best of Edinburgh builds a bridge between New York City and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world. Created by Carol Tambor through her Theatrical Foundation in 2004, the inaugural award winners (Sister’s, Such Devoted Sisters and Rosebud: The Lives of Orson Wells) were given a four-day producer’s showcase in New York City. This showcase resulted in both shows being picked up for productions in the US and Canada.

“While event was a phenomenal success last year, with both shows picked up for theatrical runs in North America, we are incredibly excited about our new partnership with PS 122,” says Ms. Tambor. “To give these artists an opportunity for a real New York run, at an institution renowned for discovering and nurturing new and innovative works, is incredibly valuable to these young artists. It really gets to the heart of the Foundation’s mission: to honor an outstanding and innovative show from the Festival and help build a bridge from Edinburgh to New York.”

Carol Tambor is a portrait artist by trade and a theatre aficionado. For the past decade, she has traveled to Edinburgh to enjoy the Festival offerings. Dismayed by how few New York producers make it to the Festival, she decided to create an opportunity for Edinburgh’s best shows to be seen by New York producers and theatre lovers, culminating in a four-day producer’s presentation in NYC in November 2004. The Best of Edinburgh has evolved into honoring the winning show with a two-week Off Broadway engagement.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has been ongoing since 1947. Fringe 2005 will feature over 1800 shows in 265 different venues throughout Edinburgh. The 2004 Festival sold more than 1,251,997 tickets to the three-week festival. Edinburgh Festival Fringe has served as a launching pad for the careers of renowned stars such as Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Jude Law and Eddie Izzard as well as renowned playwrights like Tom Stoppard.

The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation was established to bring excellent dramatic work to the New York audience. The mission is to support artists in their desire to be seen and produced. The Foundation provides support with no future financial or commercial involvement in their success.