Sir Kenneth will give 17 performances as Macbeth in a new production by Emmy and Tony award-winning director Rob Ashford.

BBC: Sir Kenneth Branagh heads Manchester festival

The original 1953 Broadway production of "Picnic, " for instance, ran for 477 performances, and the film version, which starred William Holden, Kim Novak and Rosalind Russell, was one of the biggest box-office smashes of 1955.

WSJ: Tales of the Lonely Crowd | Picnic | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | The Other Place | Theater Reviews by Terry Teachout

Producers said Wednesday the Tony-nominated production will play its final performance on June 15 after 27 previews and 478 regular performances at the Imperial Theatre.

WSJ: 'Nice Work If You Can Get It' to close in June

Yet the current production by his Atlantic Theatre Company, with its quiet, deliberate direction and understated performances, only heightens the bitter themes for which Mr Mamet's distinctive, biting dialogue was meant.

ECONOMIST: Retreading the boards

The sprightly, boisterous production that opened Sunday features a very talented cast who pour their hearts and voices into their performances.

WSJ: Review: The brawl's the thing in 'Donnybrook!'