Royal Court Theatre News

Dorothy Berwin, Mark Lee and Tom Kirdahy are pleased to announce the second winners of the Berwin Lee Playwrights Award. The Berwin Lee Award was created to foster and promote the craft of playwriting in both the United States and the United Kingdom and to encourage the writing and production of plays.

Watching video footage from a drone, Pentagon officials see a huddle of people - unarmed smugglers, with mules - treading their familiar path across the Turkish-Iraqi border. Hours later, Turkish Armed Forces drop bombs on the group. 34 civilians are killed.

Dur to huge demand, new tickets go on sale today for the Sydney season of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show. Audiences are queuing to do the Time Warp with Craig McLachlan, Bert Newton and the rest of the cast. The Rocky Horror Show plays at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from 11 April, before a return season at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne from 12 June.

hotINK at The Lark is proud to present four play readings, written by playwrights who hail from the Middle East and Eastern Europe: MRS. GHADA'S PAIN THRESHOLD by Abdullah Alkafri (Syria), translated by Hassan Abdulrazzak; I.D. by Amahl Khouri (Jordan); MINE WATER by Csaba Szekely (Romania), translated by Mari Albert; THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF WASHING MACHINES by Elise Wilk (Romania), translated by Ioana Ieronim.

According to the Daily Mail, Pauline McLynn will take over the role of 'Ella Khan' from Jane Horrocks in EAST IS EAST on tour

Runcible Theatre Company will present Scenes from an Execution by Howard Barker at The Royal George Theatre through March 29, 2015.

An exhibition of new photographs by Simon Annand of some of Britain's leading playwrights will open at the Royal Exchange in Manchester this April, to mark the 10th anniversary of The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting.

This season's mainstage production, John Ford's 'Tis Pity She's A Whore, directed by Red Bull Artistic Director Jesse Berger, will begin a limited Off-Broadway engagement April 14th at The Duke on 42nd Street. Opening Night is set for Sunday April 26th. Performances continue through May 16th.

According to Showbiz411, Fox is busy planning a special Halloween 2015 release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. Original producer Lou Adler and Kenny Ortega (High School Musical) are 'preparing a new film with outtakes from the original and lots of surprises.' Film stars Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Tim Curry and Meat Loaf are all rumored to take part in the special celebration.

In a production commissioned by the Finborough Theatre, Our American Cousin is the play that President Abraham Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated at Ford's Theatre, Washington DC, on 14 April 1865 - exactly 150 years ago. The first London production in more than a century opens at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine Sunday and Monday evening and Tuesday matinee performances from Sunday, 29 March 2015 (Press Night: Monday, 30 March 2015 at 7.30pm).

The Edge Theater presents 'Cock' tonight, March 6 through April 5 at 1560 Teller Street in Lakewood.

Theatre Club has announced the lineup for this spring's Ernst C. Stiefel Reading Series.

Tony Maudsley (ITV1's Benidorm) will play Edna Turnblad in the major 40-week UK tour of Hairspray which will open at Curve theatre in Leicester this autumn. He will be joined by TV and stage actress and presenter Claire Sweeney (Educating Rita, Guys and Dolls) as Velma Von Tussle, Olivier Award nominated actor and much-loved Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan (BBC1 Tumble) as Wilbur Turnblad and British singer and West End performer Brenda Edwards (Chicago, We Will Rock You, The X Factor) as Motormouth Maybelle. Freya Sutton will reprise the role of Tracy Turnblad alongside established musical theatre performer Jon Tsouras (A Chorus Line) who will play the role of Corny Collins. Dex Lee (The Scottsboro Boys) will play Seaweed, Ashley Gilmour (Miss Saigon) will play Link Larkin, Lauren Stroud (Wicked) will play Amber, Monique Young (Top Hat) will play Penny, Karis Jack (Urinetown) will play Little Inez, Adam Price (Hairspray) will play Male Authority Figure, Tracey Penn (Made in Dagenham) will play Female Authority Figure and Layton Williams (Bad Education, Billy Elliot) will play Duane. Further casting will be announced in due course.

MCC THEATER has announced that the New York premiere of Jennifer Haley's The Nether directed by Anne Kaufman has now extended through Sunday, March 22, 2015 due to popular and critical acclaim. The production opened on Tuesday, February 24th and was previously scheduled through March 15, 2015 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). A production of The Nether also just opened to great critical acclaim in London's West End at the famed Royal Court Theatre. The play had its world premiere in Los Angeles in 2013 at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre. For info and tickets, please visit www.mcctheater.org.

Joining Imelda Staunton, who stars as the indomitable Momma Rose in the West End transfer of Jonathan Kent's production of Gypsy, are Lara Pulver and Gemma Sutton who reprise the roles of Louise and June respectively in the five star Chichester Festival Theatre production, while Peter Davison joins the cast to play Herbie. The cast also features Dan Burton as Tulsa, Billy Hartman as Uncle Jocko, Jack Chissick as Mr Goldstone, Anita Louise Combe as Tessie Tura, Harry Dickman as Pop, Lucinda Shaw as Mother, Roger Dipper as L.A., Louise Gold as Mazeppa, Clare Halse as Majorie May, Tom Hodgkins as Mr Weber, Kieran Jae as Yonkers, Julie Legrand as Electra, Danielle Morris as Geraldine, Luke Street as Little Rock, Damien Poole as Kansas, Lauren Hall as Delores and Natalie Woods as Agnes. Ensemble members include Liz Ewing, Lauren Ingram, Tom Murphy and Phillip Catchpole. The casting of the roles of Baby June and Baby Louise will be announced shortly.

Mike Bartlett's drama, COCK, in a production directed by Paul Griffiths and starring Francis Chouler, Matt Newman, Melissa Haiden and James Skilton, comes to Alexander Bar and Cafe's Upstairs Theatre this March. Winner of the 2010 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre, Bartlett's sharp, witty script takes a candid look at one mans sexuality and the difficulties that arise when faced with a whole new world of possibility.

Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the United States premiere of Red Bud by Brett Neveu and directed by Brant Russell at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., January 22 - February 28.

Women's Project Theater, under the leadership of newly-appointed Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty, is pleased to present the World Premiere of BRIGHT HALF LIFE - a new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Tanya Barfield and directed by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman - in a five-week limited engagement at New York City Center Stage II (131 W. 55th Street) through March 22, 2015. Opening night is set for tonight, February 25.