Royal Court Theatre News

The world premiere of a new play by award-winning playwright Chris Dunkley, The Soft of Her Palm opens at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine performances - Sunday and Monday evenings and Tuesday matinees from tonight, 7 October 2012 (Press Night: Monday, 8 October 2012 at 7.30pm).

Mike Bartlett's hit play COCK will complete its critically acclaimed limited run tonight, Saturday, October 6 at 8pm.

Charlie De'ath (James), Richard Mylan (Adam), Suzanne Shaw (Geraldine), Nicola Stapleton (Sandy) and Dan Wilder (parts as cast) star in the world premiere of Baggage, written by John Muirhead and Mike Charlesworth. Directed by Audrey Cooke, Baggage will close at the Arts Theatre today, 6 October. Baggage set design by Adam Wiltshire and lighting by Matthew Newbury.

Steep Theatre Company's Twelfth Season will begin tonight, October 4th, with their production of Robert Holman's Making Noise Quietly. Mr. Holman's body of work has served as an inspiration to many of today's most exciting playwrights, including Steep favorites Simon Stephens (Harper Regan, Pornography) and David Eldridge (Festen, Under the Blue Sky). Steep brings Mr. Holman's seminal work, Making Noise Quietly, to the Chicago stage for the first time in 23 years. Erica Weiss, Associate Artistic Director of Route 66 Theatre Company and director of their 2011 hit Twist of Water, will be making her Steep directing debut.

There are only six more performances to see Mike Bartlett's hit play COCK before it completes its critically acclaimed limited run on Saturday, October 6 at 8pm.

SIDEWAYS THE PLAY by Rex Pickett has extended its world premiere staging at Ruskin Group Theatre, running Fridays-Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm extended through October 28, 2012 (no performances 9/28-9/30).

Just in time for the holidays, iLuminate, the sensational dance-in-the-dark act that fuses performance with technology to literally glow in the dark, and earned a third-place finish on season six of 'America's Got Talent,' will debut a live show in New York City at The Duke on 42nd Street, a NEW 42ND STREET project on West 42nd Street. The limited run engagement commences November 23, 2012 and runs through January 5, 2013.

Following critically acclaimed sell-out runs on Broadway and in the West End, Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer prize winning play, DRIVING MISS DAISY, starring Gwen Taylor as Daisy Werthan, Don Warrington as Hoke Coleburn and Ian Porter as Boolie Werthan will go on a national tour from 10 October 2012.

Simon Chandler (Bernard/Terence), Rachel Finnegan (Halina/Betty/Margaret), Natasha Gordon (Connie), Ryan Kiggell (Charles), Ferdinand Kingsley (Casmir/Henry), Charlotte Lucas (Ellen), and Eugene O'Hare (Pierre) join the previously announced Adrian Lester (Ira Aldridge) to complete the cast for Red Velvet. Written by Lolita Chakrabarti, and directed by theTricycle's Artistic Director, Indhu Rubasingham, Red Velvet runs from 11 October - 24 November, with press night on 16 October. Check out photos of the cast and creative team in rehearsal below!

EMG Media & Marketing Ltd has announced the appointment of Kym Bartlett in a new senior role of Communications Director.

BARASSI is the story of iconic Australian footballer, coach, motivator and father of modern football, Ron Barassi depicted in an epic fashion, from child to elder statesman. It is a story of determination, passion and courage, of success and failure. The producers have announced the cast for this premiere production of Barassi, which will open at the Athenaeum Theatre tonight, 20 September. The cast features Steve Bastoni, Chris Asimos, Matt Parkinson, Jane Clifton, Richard Sutherland, Glenn Maynard, Amanda LaBonte, Bartholomew Walsh and footballer Russell Robertson.

Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein have announced the commission of Sleep Rock Thy Brain, a suite of three one-act plays by Rinne Groff, Lucas Hnath and Anne Washburn that will utilize aerial performance to explore the brain science of sleep.

The world premiere of Anya Reiss's adaptation of Chekhov's The Seagull, directed by Russell Bolam and starring Matthew Kelly, opens at the Main House, Southwark Playhouse, for a four week run on 12 November with previews from 8 November, 2012.

Cahoots Productions will present the West End debut of Zelda, written and performed by Kelly Burke and directed by Robert F. Gross running at the Trafalgar Studios from tonight, 18 September to 4 October with press night on 19 September.

To coincide with the ongoing presidential campaign, the Huntington Theatre Company will stage the American premiere of Now or Later, Christopher Shinn's timely political drama about our freedoms. Drama Desk and Outer Critic's Circle Award winner Michael Wilson, who recently helmed the acclaimed Broadway production of Gore Vidal's presidential drama The Best Man, directs the new production.

English Touring Theatre and Liverpool Playhouse will complete a trilogy of Roger McGough adaptations of classic Molière comedies with THE MISANTHROPE in spring 2013. The Misanthrope premières at the Liverpool Playhouse in February 2013 before a national tour.

Simon Chandler (Bernard/Terence), Rachel Finnegan (Halina/Betty/Margaret), Natasha Gordon (Connie), Ryan Kiggell (Charles), Ferdinand Kingsley (Casmir/Henry), Charlotte Lucas (Ellen), and Eugene O'Hare (Pierre) join the previously announced Adrian Lester (Ira Aldridge) to complete the cast for Red Velvet. Written by Lolita Chakrabarti, and directed by the Tricycle's Artistic Director, Indhu Rubasingham, Red Velvet runs from 11 October - 24 November, with press night on 16 October.

The world premiere of a new play by award-winning playwright Chris Dunkley, The Soft of Her Palm opens at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine performances - Sunday and Monday evenings and Tuesday matinees from Sunday, 7 October 2012 (Press Night: Monday, 8 October 2012 at 7.30pm).

American Stage Theatre Company presents HYSTERIA: OR FRAGMENTS OF AN ANALYSIS OF AN OBSESSIONAL NEUROSIS, by Terry Johnson and directed by Todd Olson and in co-production with Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (W.H.A.T.). Previews begin tonight, September 12 and 13 with an opening night of Friday, September 14, 2012, running through October 21.

Gas & Electric Arts brings Lee Miller's mythic story into focus with the Philadelphia premiere of Behind the Eye by renowned playwright Carson Kreitzer. With distinct, highly expressive, physical staging propelled by a stirring original score, Gas & Electric Arts will transport audiences into the subconscious mind of this daring, magnetic woman, tracing the path of a whirlwind life to discover the only thing she could not be: still. The show plays October 24 - November 18, 2012.