Bush Theatre News

Artistic Director Christopher Haydon today announces full casting for the world premiere of The Iphigenia Quartet which includes Agamemnon, written by Caroline Bird and directed by Christopher Haydon; Chorus, written by Chris Thorpe and directed by Elayce Ismail; Iphigenia by Suhayla El-Bushra and directed by Rebecca Hill and Clytemnestra by Lulu Raczka and directed by Jennifer Tang. In Agamemnon, Andrew French plays Agamemnon, Nigel Barratt plays Menelaus, Sharon Duncan-Brewster plays Clytemnestra and Louise McMenemy plays Messenger. The cast of Agamemnon will all play Voice in Chorus. In Iphigenia and Clytemnestra, Shannon Tarbet plays Iphigenia and Maid, Susie Trayling plays Clytemnestra and Professor, Dwane Walcott plays Achilles and Soldier and Anthony Barclay plays Agamemnon and Director. The Iphigenia Quartet opens at the Gate Theatre, on 3 May, with previews from 23 April, until 21 May. Agamemnon and Clytemnestra will play in rep with Iphigenia and Chorus as part of Nuclear: A Season about the Family.

Today Frontier Theatre Productions announces the full cast for its first production of Marguerite Duras' The Lovers of Viorne in a translation by Barbara Bray, opening on 4 May, with a preview on 3 May, and running until 21 May.  James Roose-Evans directs Charlotte Cornwell (Claire), Kevin Trainor (Interrogator) and Martin Turner (Pierre Lannes).

Sheffield Theatres today announces the appointment of Robert Hastie as the company's new Artistic Director. Hastie takes up the position in July 2016, taking over from Daniel Evans who steps down as Artistic Director at the end of June to join Chichester Festival Theatre. This appointment sees Hastie return to Sheffield Theatres, where he began his professional theatre career as an actor in Edward Bond's Lear in 2005.

Abrons Arts Center and New York City Players' American Playwrights Division present REALLY, a new play written by Jackie Sibblies Drury, directed by Richard Maxwell and designed by photographer Michael Schmelling.

Premiering in London during Pride Festival, exhilarating Edinburgh Fringe hit THIS MUCH (OR AN ACT OF VIOLENCE TOWARDS THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE) shows three men battling conformity to ask how we define relationships, and how relationships define us. The London debut will begin 7th June at Soho Theatre and run through 2nd July 2016. Press night is Thursday 9th June at 7.15pm.

Tracy Letts' play BUG marks its 20th anniversary with a starry production at Found111 this spring.

Seattle Repertory Theatre presents Kimber Lee's heart-felt drama, BROWNSVILLE SONG (B-SIDE FOR TRAY), a vivid and stirring play that leaves one family at a powerful crossroads in search of hope. Directed by Juliette Carrillo (Seattle Rep's The Brothers Size), BROWNSVILLE SONG (B-SIDE FOR TRAY) runs tonight, March 25, through April 24, 2016 in the Leo K. Theatre.

Theatr Clwyd Artistic Director Tamara Harvey today announces the full casting for Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac which also features new Welsh poetry from Twm Morys. Steffan Rhodri leads the all-Welsh company in the role of Cyrano, with Sara Lloyd-Gregory as Roxanne and Marc Rhys as Christian, alongside Wayne Cater, Steven Elliott, Victoria John, Rhys Parry Jones, Daniel Llewelyn-Williams, Gwawr Loader, Sion Pritchard, Aled Pugh, Simon Holland Roberts and Dafydd Llyr Thomas.

Ahead of the full 2016 season announcement from Paines Plough, With A Little Bit Of Luck by Sabrina Mahfouz will begin a UK tour on 13 April at The Garage in Norwich. Part play and part gig With A Little Bit Of Luck is produced by Paines Plough and Latitude Festival and will tour to 29 venues across the UK. The tour will finish at London's iconic Roundhouse from 14 - 18 June as part of The Last Word Festival.

Ruby in the Dust's Gatsby, which plays at the Union Theatre this April, is proud to announce the cast to their jazz musical adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's epitome of glitz, glamour and the end of the American Dream. The cast includes The Only Way is Essex star Ferne McCann in her theatre debut.

Due to popular demand Abrons Arts Center and New York City Players are adding three additional performances of Really, a new play written by Jackie Sibblies Drury, directed by Richard Maxwell and designed by photographer Michael Schmelling. Performed by Elaine Davis, Tavish Miller and Kaneza Schaal, Really is a play about grief, intimacy and the difference between goodness and greatness seen through the lens of photography. A black woman takes pictures of her artist boyfriend's mom. As they jockey for a claim to him, they try to redefine themselves in the wake of his legacy.

Hampstead Theatre presents the UK premiere of Neil LaBute's romantic comedy REASONS TO BE HAPPY, which previews from tonight 17 March and opens 24 March for a run through 16 April 2016. Directed by Michael Attenborough, the full cast features Tom Burke, Warren Brown, Robyn Addison, and Lauren O'Neil.

Arrows & Traps Theatre Company presents Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, adapted by Helen Edmundson, tonight 15 March to Saturday 2 April.

The Old Globe just announced the complete cast and creative team of its production of Nick Payne's Broadway hit play CONSTELLATIONS, arriving April 9, directed by the Globe's own Richard Seer. BroadwayWorld is excited to report that Christian Coulson and Victoria Frings will star in the two-person play.

In Theatr Clwyd's 40th anniversary year, Artistic Director Tamara Harvey today announces her directorial debut - a major new production of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Never before produced by Theatr Clwyd, in the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare's death this will also be Clwyd's 400th production. Much Ado opens on 14 June, with previews from 9 June and runs until 2 July.

Policing, the NHS, welfare, immigration; the major national issues of the day are torn apart on stage in bold new work, THE STATE WE'RE IN, from four emerging playwrights - Afsaneh Gray, Christopher Hogg, Sherhan Lingham and Jenny Stark.

The full cast is announced today for the first ever large-scale stage production of Evelyn Waugh's classic novel Brideshead Revisited, adapted by Bryony Lavery, touring this spring and summer in the 50th anniversary year of Waugh's death.

Jonathan Coe's iconic 1970s coming-of-age novel, The Rotters' Club is brought to life on stage for the first time at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 2 - 9 April. Inspired by Jonathan Coe's own school days in Birmingham, and adapted for the stage from a young person's perspective by Richard Cameron, this production, commissioned by The REP and directed by Gwenda Hughes, will feature a cast of brilliantly talented young performers drawn from The REP's youth theatres.