Anthony Walker-Cook - Page 3

What a year for theatre 2019 has been! Remembering all of the amazing shows as part of the build-up to the BroadwayWorld UK Awards has been a complete joy, and it is my pleasure to present some thoughts about the shows that have left a distinct impression on my stagey mind.

Pub quiz time, and it's the music round. Question one: who composed the scores of Rogue One, The Incredibles 2 and Doctor Strange? Question two: who composed the scores of Godzilla, Good Omens and Independence Day?

It's been a good year for Sharon D Clarke. In April, she finished starring in Caroline, or Change, for which she won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Clarke and the show transfer to Broadway next year. In the summer, she was The Lady in Blues in the Night at the Kiln Theatre and she also starred as Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic. Miller's play, directed by Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell, transfers to the Piccadilly Theatre this autumn.

In a programme note, Meet Me At Dawn's writer Zinnie Harris explains that the work engages with the life-defining moment in the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice when the former looks back and seals his lover's fate to remain in the underworld. This look, rightly pointed out as difficult to stage because of its fleetingness, occupies the entirety of Harris' play, allowing the two figures to converse, laugh and, most importantly, say goodbye.

It all started with Richard Gadd offering a lonely woman a cup of tea in a bar. Little did Gadd know that in the coming years that same woman would begin to stalk him relentlessly. In this brave monologue, Gadd walks audiences through this autobiographical story step by painful step.

Janie Dee and Moronke Akinola can currently be seen in The Niceties at the Finborough Theatre, which centres on the conflict between a university history professor and her student - a conflict that spreads from the academic to the personal. BroadwayWorld spoke with both actors about Eleanor Burgess's play, and what they want audiences to take away from seeing the show.

Sir Ian McKellen. On stage. Talking about theatre. That's it a?' five stars (could it ever be anything else?). But, before you click off Broadway World, let me tell you a few reasons why Ian McKellen On Stage is one of the most enjoyable nights in a theatre I've ever had.

After winning a Stage Debut Award in 2017 for The Country Girls and starring alongside Jennifer Saunders in Lady Windermere's Fan, Grace Molony can now be seen in the London transfer of Laura Wade's The Watsons, which opens tonight at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Directed by Samuel West, The Watsons tackls Jane Austen's unfinished final novel. BroadwayWorld spoke with Grace about Austen's legacy, returning to the show, and the play's unexpected relevance today.

At the G7 summit last month, the wives of the world leaders were pictured together by Donald Tusk walking not across a zebra crossing as per The Beatles but through a garden. Tusk's caption described them as “the light side of the Force.” Yet, this picture did little to suggest these women were anything like the feisty Princess Leia, the colour of their clothing – a mix of yellow, red, pink and white – unhelpfully instead suggesting they were flowers.

Rebekah Murrell made her professional acting debut in Natasha Gordon's award-winning Nine Night, which opened at the National Theatre before transferring to Trafalgar Studios. Earlier this year, she followed that up with her directing debut: J'Ouvert at Theatre503. She can now be seen performing in Glass at the Royal Court, one of four new plays written by Caryl Churchill and directed by James Macdonald. BroadwayWorld spoke with Rebekah about the rehearsal process, Churchill's work, and what changes she would like to see in the theatre industry.

Within the first 20 minutes of Lesley Storm's Black Ciffon, Alicia asks a?oeIs there enough gin?a?? Finally, I thought, a character I could get behind. But as Alicia's Freudian feelings for her son were diagnosed, I found that my initial assessments weren't quite apt. A smile broke on my face, offering a personal moment of levity during an otherwise middling play.

Known to audiences for her roles in Casualty and Emmerdale, Chelsea Halfpenny has recently taken on the role of Judy Bernly in Dolly Parton's feel-good musical, 9 to 5, replacing Amber Davies.  BroadwayWorld sat down with Chelsea to talk about joining the show, Dolly Parton's music and her theatre idols. 

The simple act of deception that opens Ibsen's A Doll's House never ceases to amaze me. A housewife enters, laden with boxes or bags from a recent shopping trip, and pops a sweetie secretly in her mouth. Her husband calls, playfully asking if she visited the confectioners whilst in town. Of course not, the wife replies, licking her lips. If she can lie about something so simple as a delectable treat, what else is she hiding?

After a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe and a sold-out run at the Arcola at the end of last year, Gbolahan Obisesan's adaptation of Chigozie Obioma's novel The Fishermen is now at the Trafalgar Studios.

Known to audiences as Alfie Moon from EastEnders, Shane Richie recently playing Hugo/Loco Chanelle in the West End's Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and can currently be found touring the UK as Archie Rice in John Osborne's The Entertainer.

Following last year's rousing production of Pericles, the National Theatre's Public Acts scheme has returned this summer with As You Like It. It's adapted by Shania Taub and Laurie Woolery, with music and lyrics also by Taub, and directed by Douglas Rintoul. BroadwayWorld sat down with Beth Hinton-Lever, a professional actor playing Jacques, and Jackie, one of the community cast, to discuss why Public Acts is important for society today and how the 100-strong cast encourages audiences to reread Shakespeare's classic comedy in a new, dappled light.

What does a Mr Potato Head have in common with a Zimmer frame? Or a rocking horse with antique lamps? Or an empty crisp packet with a baby's highchair? The answer: all of them and more can be found on Fly Davis's set for Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's Appropriate,which opens in the living room of a grand plantation house. Amidst all this clutter audiences will discover the hideous past of the modern American family.

From an English Queen to Argentinian leader, Samantha Pauly has been spending a lot of her time recently performing as famous women from history. Recently Katherine Howard in the Chicago production of Six, Pauly is currently performing in Jamie Lloyd's Evita at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre as Eva Perón. Pauly stars alongside Ektor Rivera, Trent Saunders and Francis Mayli McCann. BroadwayWorld spoke with her about Jamie Lloyd's rehearsal process and theatre's ability to change our perceptions of the past.

Known for her recent work in The Rink at the Southwark Playhouse and Follies at the National Theatre, Gemma Sutton can currently be found singing the blues at the Kiln Theatre in Blues in the Night.

Known to many as Ronnie Mitchell from East Enders, Samantha Womack has enjoyed a successful career in television, film and theatre. Currently starring in The Girl on the Train, an adaptation of Paul Hawkins' 2015 novel, Womack plays Rachel, a functioning alcoholic. The show has been touring the UK and is now in the Duke of York's Theatre for a limited run. BroadwayWorld talked with Samantha about playing a character with an addiction, the arts industry today and why she enjoys acting on stage.