Patricia Hodge News

Further lead casting is announced today for Festival 2018 at Chichester Festival Theatre. Matt Lucas makes his Chichester debut as Bill Snibson, the Cockney barrow boy who discovers he's an Earl, in Daniel Evans's new production of ME AND MY GIRL. Tracy-Ann Oberman returns to the Festival Theatre as Monica in Noel Coward's PRESENT LAUGHTER; while Patricia Hodge also makes a welcome return as Margrethe Bohr in Michael Frayn's Copenhagen. Public booking for all Festival productions opens this Saturday, 3 March.

In celebration of Mousetrap Theatre Projects' (MTP) 21st anniversary, it is today announced Christopher Biggins and Harriet Thorpe will host the charity's Gala at the Prince of Wales Theatre on Sunday, 18 March at 7.30pm. MTP is a theatre education charity dedicated to bringing the magic of theatre into the lives of disadvantaged young people and young people with special needs.

Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Theatr Clwyd and English Touring Theatre today announce casting for their co-production of Tennessee Williams' masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire. 2017 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award winner Chelsea Walker directs Nicole Agada (Woman/Nurse), Will Bliss (Steve), Dexter Flanders (Mitch), Kelly Gough (Blanche), Amber James (Stella), Patrick Knowles (Stanley), Marai Louis (Eunice) and Joe Manjon (Pablo/Doctor/Paperboy). The second production in the inaugural season at NST City, A Streetcar Named Desire opens at Nuffield Southampton Theatres on 28 March with previews from 23 March, running until 31 March. The production will tour the UK with English Touring Theatre ahead of opening at Theatr Clwyd, where it plays from 15 March until 2 June, before returning to NST City.

Last night, Nikolai Foster's revival of ANNIE opened at the Piccadilly Theatre in London's West End. The production stars Miranda Hart as Miss Hannigan, Alex Bourne as Daddy Warbucks, Holly Dale Spencer as Grace Farrell, Jonny Fines as Rooster and Djalenga Scott as Lily.

Following a sold-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Trevor Nunn's revival of Terence Rattigan's brilliant comedy Love in Idleness has just transferred to the Apollo Theatre. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening festivities below!

The Royal Theatrical Support Trust (RTST) and Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST) are delighted to announce that Chelsea Walker has been awarded the 2017 RTST Director Award, with Tinuke Craig as runner-up.

The critically acclaimed and multi award-winning new musical AN AMERICAN IN PARIS had its official London premiere tonight, Tuesday 21 March, at the beautifully restored Dominion Theatre. Christopher Wheeldon's stunning reinvention of the Oscar-winning film (that starred Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron) features the sublime music and lyrics of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a new book by Craig Lucas. 

The Royal Theatrical Support Trust (RTST) and Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST) are delighted to announce that the 2017 RTST Director Award Scheme is now open for entries.

The Acting Company (Ian Belknap, Artistic Director; Elisa Spencer-Kaplan, Executive Director) will continue its 2016-2017 John McDonald Salon Series with a reading of Karel Capek's influential science fiction comedy R.U.R. on Monday, February 13th at 7 PM at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the West Side YMCA, 10 W. 64th Street, New York, NY.

4 couples. 3 bedrooms. One hilarious night. Trevor and Susannah, with their marriage on the rocks, invade 3 bedrooms of their family and friends over the course of an evening, spreading chaos in their wake. Director Maria Aitken (The 39 Steps, Private Lives) returns for this rollicking comedy of marital misunderstandings.

In conjunction with its upcoming production of Bedroom Farce, the Huntington Theatre Company will host a number of special events and post-show conversations. Performances begin Friday, November 11, 2016 at Avenue of the Arts/BU Theatre.

Michael Menendian, Producing Artistic Director of Raven Theatre, has announced casting for the company's upcoming production of Betrayal, by Harold Pinter.

The Royal Theatrical Support Trust (RTST) and Sheffield Theatres are delighted to announce the shortlist for the RTST Director Award 2016.

Retired bank manager Henry Pulling is happy alone with his dahlias until he meets his decidedly bohemian Aunt Augusta who, having rattled the family skeletons, persuades the reluctant Henry to flee to Europe. He finds himself in a luxurious whirl through Paris and Istanbul and on to South America; but alongside the romance and first-class thrills, there's a lot Henry doesn't know about his aunt - particularly why she has so many grateful men dotted around the globe.

The Acting Company will continue its 2016 John McDonald Salon Series with a reading of Oscar Wilde's beloved comedy An Ideal Husband on Monday, April 18th at 7 PM at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the West Side YMCA, 10 W. 64th Street, New York, NY. Single tickets are $35 and include a post-show reception with the cast. The performance is sold out. For waitlist information, call (212) 258-3111 or visit www.theactingcompany.org. 

For its 2016-17 season, the 33-year-old Raven Theatre Company will again bring new plays and playwrights to Chicago audiences along with revivals of classic and lesser-known works by masters of modern drama. Michael Menendian, producing artistic director, today announced a lineup that includes the early Tennessee Williams play Not About Nightingales and Pinter'sBetrayal as well as the Midwest premieres of Richard Greenberg's recent Broadway hit The Assembled Parties and Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti, one of the U.K.'s most acclaimed new playwrights, and the world premiere of Sycamore - a drama of contemporary family life set in the Midwest by New York-based playwright Sarah Sander.

Another traveler hits the road! The Daily Mail writes that MATILDA's Haley Flaherty has joined the cast of the new musical TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT at Chichester this spring.

Jonathan Church and Alan Finch announce the Chichester Festival Theatre 2016 season - the last under their leadership as Artistic Director and Executive Director. 

The Acting Company (Ian Belknap, Artistic Director; Elisa Spencer-Kaplan, Executive Director) will launch its 2016 John McDonald Salon Series with a reading of Harley Granville-Barker's controversial British drama Waste on Monday, January 25th at 7 PM at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the West Side YMCA, 10 W. 64th Street, New York, NY. Single tickets are $35 and include a post-show reception with the cast. Series subscriptions are also available. Purchase at www.theactingcompany.org or call (212) 258-3111.