Los Angeles, Jul 30, 2022, IANS

Los Angeles, July 30 (IANS) Screenwriting legend Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of Harper Lee's beloved coming-of-age novel 'To Kill A Mockingbird' has cancelled its return to Broadway, reports Variety.

The stage play, which opened on Broadway in 2018, played its final performance at the Shubert Theatre on January 16. As per Variety, at the time, it was reported that the show would reopen in June at the Belasco Theatre.

The date was later moved to November 2, with the planned venue changing to the Music Box Theatre. Now, the play will shut down entirely, according to a report by the New York Times.

A spokesperson for the production declined to comment on the cancellation to Variety. News of the hasty cancellation was first reported by Showbiz 411.

In an email obtained by the Times sent to the cast and crew of the show, playwright Sorkin and director Bartlett Sher blamed the decision on the show's original lead producer Scott Rudin.

Sorkin and Sher reportedly wrote in the email that Rudin, who backed away from an active role on the show last year after allegations of his abusive behaviour toward staff broke, "reinserted himself as producer and for reasons which are, frankly, incomprehensible to us both, he stopped the play from reopening."

Rudin said in the email, "The reason I opted not to bring back 'TKAM' has to do with my lack of confidence in the climate for plays next winter. I do not believe that a remount of 'Mockingbird' would have been competitive in the marketplace."