BWW Review: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, Bridge TheatreNovember 25, 2019Copies of C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe have decorated children's bookshelves since its publication in 1950, and the image of a solitary gas lamppost amidst a blanket of white snow has become iconic. Following a successful run at the Leeds Playhouse in 2017, Sally Cookson's adaptation of Lewis's novel is now at the Bridge Theatre, and proves a perfect tonic to the theatrical soul, with impeccable design and innovative scenic effects.
BWW Review: RICHARD III, Sam Wanamaker PlayhouseNovember 23, 2019What you might not expect when sitting down in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, a replica Elizabethan indoor theatre, is to see the titular character of Richard III enter on stage wearing football clothes. Granted, it's an unusual twist. Representing a companion to a condensed Henry VI (which squishes three plays into one), what Richard III makes clear from the beginning is that the game to become king is just beginning.

BWW Interview: Carol Lingwood Talks Costume at the National TheatreNovember 25, 2019If you find yourself at the National Theatre with some spare time, head to the Wolfson Gallery for an impressive, colourful trip. Costume at the National Theatre is a free exhibition that invites audiences to learn of the people and processes at work behind the stage to provide the stunning costumes on any three of the National's theatres. BroadwayWorld spoke with If you find yourself at the National Theatre with some spare time, head to the Wolfson Gallery for an impressive, colourful trip. Costume at the National Theatre is a free exhibition that invites audiences to learn about the people and processes at work behind the stage to provide the stunning costumes seen in the National's three theatres spaces. BroadwayWorld spoke with Carol Lingwood, Head of Costume at the National Theatre, about the impetus behind the exhibition, and the challenges and joys of making costumes that will look as good on their first performance as they will on their last.Carol Lingwood, Head of Costume at the National Theatre, about the impetus behind the exhibition and the challenges and joys of making costumes that last.
BWW Review: I WILL STILL BE WHOLE (WHEN YOU RIP ME IN HALF)/BEFORE I WAS A BEAR, The BunkerNovember 16, 2019Though the Bunker will be closing early 2020, it has rightly garnered a reputation for providing a platform for new voices. The same is true for the two new pieces being performed there currently: not only are i will still be whole (when you rip me in half) and Before I Was A Bearthe respective debut plays of Ava Wong Davies and Eleanor Tindall, but they also proclaim their authors as confident new voices.
BWW Interview: Josh Williams Talks TOUCHING THE VOID at Duke Of York's TheatreNovember 18, 2019After a premiere at Bristol Old Vic, and a tour including Inverness and Hong Kong, Touching the Void is now at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End. Writer David Greig and director Morris have managed the astonishing feat of translating to stage the story of Joe Simpson, who was stranded in the Peruvian Andes after his climbing partner Simon Yates had to make the terrible decision to cut the rope connecting them. BroadwayWorld spoke with Josh Williams about the physical intensity demanded by the show and how it depicts the men who set their minds on scaling these mountains.
Engaging A New Generation of Talent at THEATRECRAFT 2019November 12, 2019On a sunny November morning, the Royal Opera House opened its doors for TheatreCraft 2019, the UK's largest free event for those aged 16-30 who want an offstage career in theatre. BroadwayWorld attended the event alongside over 1,300 young people to learn more about the jobs that happen behind the scenes in venues across the country.
BWW Review: THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, Barbican CentreNovember 7, 2019As you enter the Barbican's auditorium to watch the RSC's The Taming of the Shrew, you can't miss the sound of fireworks in the background. It's implied a celebration is coming. As part of this RSC season alongside As You Like It and Measure for Measure, The Taming of the Shrew is directed by Justin Audibert. But is it an explosion of theatrical goodness or a wet fizzle? Prithee, read on to find out.
BWW Review: DEATH OF A SALESMAN, Piccadilly TheatreNovember 4, 2019Following a sold-out run at the Young Vic, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman has transferred to the West End and, with blistering direction from Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell, it remains one of the standout shows of the year.
BWW Review: SINATRA: RAW, Wilton's Music HallOctober 24, 2019Start spreading the news, Richard Shelton's renowned cabaret Sinatra: Raw is now at Wilton's Music Hall as the culmination of a national tour. Previously receiving an Offie nomination for Best Male Performance, Shelton brings his depiction of one of history's finest singers for a two-week engagement.
BWW Review: BERYL, Arcola TheatreOctober 23, 2019The winner of over 90 domestic championships and seven national titles alongside setting a slew of records, Beryl Burton was one of England's most successful cyclists. With a career that started in the late 1950s and that continued into the 1980s, the dedication and strength of a?oethe Yorkshire housewifea?? certainly represented the grit and determination associated with the North.
BroadwayWorld UK Awards 2019: Anthony Walker-Cook's RecommendationsOctober 25, 2019What 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.
BWW Review: SETTLING THE SCORE, Royal Albert HallOctober 20, 2019Pub 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?
BWW Interview: Sharon D Clarke Talks DEATH OF A SALESMAN at Piccadilly TheatreOctober 18, 2019It'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.
BWW Review: MEET ME AT DAWN, Arcola TheatreOctober 16, 2019In 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.
BWW Review: BABY REINDEER, Bush TheatreOctober 11, 2019It 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.
BWW Interview: Janie Dee and Moronke Akinola Talk THE NICETIES at Finborough TheatreOctober 8, 2019Janie 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.
BWW Review: IAN MCKELLEN ON STAGE, Harold Pinter TheatreOctober 2, 2019Sir 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.
BWW Interview: Grace Molony Talks THE WATSONS at Menier Chocolate FactorySeptember 30, 2019After 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.
BWW Review: TWO LADIES, Bridge TheatreSeptember 26, 2019At 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.
BWW Interview: Rebekah Murrell Talks GLASS at the Royal CourtSeptember 27, 2019Rebekah 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.