Paul Hunter News

A big, bawdy tangle of theatrical joy and heartbreak, Wise Children is a celebration of show business, family, forgiveness and hope. Expect show girls and Shakespeare, sex and scandal, music, mischief and mistaken identity - and butterflies by the thousand.

How far would you be prepared to go in search of a good story? For acclaimed playwright Leo Butler, an invitation to take part in the world's first LSD drug trials since the 1960s proved just too intriguing to refuse…

Wise Children comes to the Old Vic, produced by the Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Oxford Playhouse and York Theatre Royal.

London is never short of temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From gender-flipped Sondheim to David Hare and Martin McDonagh, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld reviews, interviews and features!

The Old Vic today announces the cast of Wise Children, which will have its world premiere at The Old Vic on 17 October, with previews from 8 October, ahead of its UK tour. The cast includes Sam Archer, Ankur Bahl, Stu Barker, Omari Douglas, Mirabelle Gremaud, Alex Heane, Paul Hunter, Melissa James, Bettrys Jones, Patrycja Kujawska, Etta Murfitt, Katy Owen, Ian Ross, Gareth Snook and Mike Shepherd.

All You Need is LSD is a world premiere new play by Leo Butler, directed by Paul Hunter and Stephen Harper, premiering at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, 4-13 October (press night: Tuesday 9 October), before going on a tour of the following: Unity Theatre, Liverpool; Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol; The Lowry, Salford; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry,

Following the announcement that Leo Butler's new play All You Need Is LSD will run at the Belgrade Theatre 15-17 November, full casting for the world premiere tour has now been revealed.

Told By An Idiot have been creating the unexpected for 25 years, and with this offering they provide a comedic, alternative historical take on one of France's most formidable leaders. Based on Simon Leys' novel The Death of Napoleon, this page to stage interpretation features copious amounts of humour that consistently entertains.

Mayor Eric Garcetti today joined filmmaker Ava DuVernay and producer Dan Lin to launch the Evolve Entertainment Fund (EEF), a public-private partnership aimed at creating new opportunities for communities that have been historically excluded from the entertainment industry.

Kathryn Hunter directs Paul Hunter (Told by an Idiot co-founder and artistic director) and Ayesha Antoine (Red Velvet, Garrick Theatre, Dirty Great Love Story) in Napoleon Disrobed, a playful meditation on the significance of power, based on the acclaimed novella The Death of Napoleon by Simon Leys.

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mariah Carey's Butterfly with the release of a collector's edition 12' vinyl picture discfeaturing the album's iconic original cover photo and a special note from Mariah to her fanson Friday, October 20.

Rose Bruford College, one of London's leading drama schools, is to expand its postgraduate programme with a very particular international flavour.

Building upon the company's reputation for collaboration, innovation and artistic ambition, Told by an Idiot's Artistic Director Paul Hunter today announced plans for the company in 2017/18.  These include a tour to China, the premiere of a new work, a residency at the Barbican and a major educational initiative with one of the UK's leading drama schools.

BAFTA winner Joe Wright's production of Brecht's masterwork Life of Galileo will be accompanied by an original score composed by Tom Rowlands, founding member of the English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers. Joe and Tom first collaborated on the 2011 feature film, Hanna. 

Galileo Galilei: father, hero, heretic. When a chance discovery leads to evidence of a seismic shift in scientific thinking, Galileo sparks a dangerous dispute with authority. To challenge the idea that the earth is the centre of the universe is to challenge the all-powerful Roman Catholic Church.

Singer and actor Jack Shalloo's theatre credits include Madness musical Our House, Departure Lounge and Hamlet the Musical, and he released an album, London Soul, in 2011. He's currently appearing in The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales at Shakespeare's Globe, which begins previews on 24 November.

Underscore Theatre Company is pleased to present its third annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, featuring 14 new musical productions. Created to showcase and support Chicago's burgeoning field of musical theatre creators, this year's festival will be held August 9 - 28, 2016 at Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Each production will receive four performances during the Festival. The full schedule (Tuesdays - Sundays) and can be found at www.cmtf.org, with tickets currently on sale ($20 per show, $200 all-festival rush passes). The press "sneak preview," featuring a sampling of songs from the 2016 Festival, is Monday, August 8 at 7:30 pm.

Underscore Theatre Company is pleased to announce the full line-up for its third annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, featuring 14 new musical productions. Created to showcase and support Chicago's burgeoning field of musical theatre creators, this year's festival will be held August 8 - 28, 2016 at Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Each production will receive four performances during the Festival. The full schedule (Tuesdays - Sundays) can be found at www.cmtf.org, with single tickets and festival passes currently on-sale. The press preview, featuring songs from all of the 2016 productions, is Monday, August 8 at 7:30 pm.

Underscore Theatre Company is pleased to announce the full line-up for its third annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, featuring 14 new musical productions. Created to showcase and support Chicago's burgeoning field of musical theatre creators, this year's festival will be held August 9 - 28, 2016 at Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Each production will receive four performances - the full schedule of dates, times and press openings will be announced shortly. Single tickets and festival passes go on sale Friday, July 1 at www.cmtf.org.