Joe Hill News

On March 9th, Third Rail Repertory Theatre will screen The Tragedy of King Richard the Second and Antony & Cleopatra at the World Trade Center in downtown Portland. The performances were live-captured at London's National Theatre and will be screened in high-definition as part of Third Rail's National Theatre Live program, which brings the best of London Theatre to Portland audiences. 

The Tragedy of King Richard II is currently being broadcast live to cinemas from the Almeida Theatre in London as part of National Theatre Live. See an exclusive clip from the film below!

In a competitive situation, Netflix and Sugar23 have acquired the rights to Erica Katz's upcoming book The Boys' Club and are developing a film to be based on the book

Darby Stanchfield will star as Nina Locke in Locke & Key, according to Deadline. The series is Netflix's adaptation of Joe Hill's comic, from Hill, Carlton Cuse and IDW Entertainment.

Celebrated Philadelphia playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger is bringing the world premiere of CLICK, a fast, darkly humorous play, to the award-winning Simpatico Theatre. The work will be staged as a co-production with The University of the Arts as part of Simpatico's 'Season of System Failures' from March 27 to April 14, 2019 at The Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake (302 S. Hicks Street, Philadelphia, PA). Opening night for press is Friday, March 29 at 8PM.

The Tragedy of King Richard the Second marks the Almeida's first National Theatre Live, broadcasting to audiences around the world on 15 January. We spoke to actor Leo Bill and caught up with Camera Director Tony Grech-Smith, to find out how those onstage and those behind the scenes (and screens) prepare.

Well, it's that time of the year again--time for a look-back on what was worth making note of during the calendar year that's about to come to an end. It's from a totally personal, subjective point of view, of course, but frankly that's the way opera-lovers always seem to like it, n'est-ce pas? The productions worth noting come from places big, small and in-between, from composers old as the hills to freshly minted or somewhere in between (likewise the performers), from traditional or boldly modern to simply stand up and sing.

'Forget, forgive, conclude and be agreed...' Sure, the Almeida's The Tragedy of King Richard the Second is one you won't soon forget, thanks to stand out performances from Simon Russell Beale and Leo Bill. Even staunch devotees of the original text will be able to forgive Jeff James' edit, which lifts and drives the piece. But to conclude: it's unlikely that all will agree on Joe Hill-Gibbins' chaotic and sometimes polarizing vision.

Discussing how relevant the play is to not only our time but this very week, Saskia Reeves also shares the joys of working on Shakespeare with Declan Donnellan and Joe Hill-Gibbins, 'directors who have real imagination and love the text and storytelling'.

Simon Russell Beale returns to National Theatre Live screens following broadcasts of Timon of Athens and King Lear, and his recent role in the National Theatre's critically acclaimed production of The Lehman Trilogy. Beale plays William Shakespeare's Richard II, broadcast live from the stage of the Almeida Theatre in London to The Ridgefield Playhouse screen on Tuesday, January 15 at 2pm and shown in an encore screening Thursday, January 17 at 7pm. This visceral new production about the limits of power is directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins, whose previous plays include Little Revolution at the Almeida and Absolute Hell at the National Theatre. These screenings are part of the Atria Senior Living Classical Series with support from Whistle Stop Bakery and are underwritten by Jeanne Cook, Liz & Steven Goldstone and Sabina &Walter Slavin.

I hope somebody from New York City Opera was at BAM last weekend, because Mark-Anthony Turnage's GREEK--a modern retelling of the Oedipus myth from Scottish Opera/Opera Ventures, presented by BAM's Next Wave Festival--is just what the doctor ordered for that company. A great story, a small cast, a score that maybe won't leave you humming but moves like gangbusters, a simple production that doesn't look cheesy (except maybe in a mozzarella-ish way). And, oh yes, a happy audience for a work that deserves greater reach on these shores.

The Trustees of the JMK Trust today announce that from 2019 the JMK Award will enter a new partnership with the Orange Tree Theatre, with the winner's production forming a core part of the theatre's annual programming. At this new home, the JMK Award will offer one director the opportunity to direct a full-scale Orange Tree show with the production values and nurturing guidance the building is famous for. The JMK Award, which had previously been resident at the Young Vic for seven years, forms part of the national programme for the The JMK Trust, running alongside the Regional Directors Programme.

London is never short of temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. We've already posted our Christmas picks, and now here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings (sans tinsel). Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld reviews, interviews and features!

Dustin Tucker's THE HAUNTING 2.0, presented in the Studio Series at Portland Stage, proves to be a sophisticated and fascinating sequel to last season's inaugural Halloween event. Shaping six horror stories by Maine writers into an imaginative, often chilling dramatic sequence, Tucker's piece explores the psychological dimensions of terror with a combination of visceral fear and dark humor.

The Almeida Theatre today announces the full cast for Joe Hill-Gibbins's new production of Shakespeare's The Tragedy of King Richard the Second, with Simon Russell Beale in the title role.

The National Theatre has today announced its new season

Pioneer Theatre Company begins the sixth season of Play-by-Play's New Play Reading Series with Art & Class by Utah playwright, Matthew Ivan Bennett. The staged readings will take place at the Babcock Theatre on Friday, October 5 and Saturday, October 6, 2018.

Artistic Director Rupert Goold today announces the Almeida Theatre's new season.