Rona Kelly - Page 8

It's that time of year again. Commuters watch and wonder, as waves of people cram onto their rush hour trains. You can spot them a mile off, thanks to their lightsabers, corsets, and this year blindingly bright Hawaiian shirts. It can only mean one thing: Secret Cinema is taking over London. Just a few weeks after Blade Runner - The Final Cut wowed audiences, Secret Cinema presents William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet. A night of music, mischief and Queen Mab, come seek happy nights and celebrate a summer of (brawling) love.

National Youth Music Theatre's season is well underway at The Other Palace. With casts and creatives featuring young people, NYMT's work develops up and coming talent on stage and off. The latest show to open is The Beautiful Game, which also stars veteran actor Jasper Britton. Talking to us during rehearsals, Jasper reveals his tips for learning lines, what his day job is, and how his own start in acting is intertwined with the start of NYMT.

Ever wondered what goes into creating your favourite productions? Those moments of magic (or macabre) where you go 'How did they do that?!' In our new Special Effects series, we'll be discovering how the worlds on stage come to life by exploring the worlds off stage, talking to the creatives and crews from some of the UK's biggest shows and theatre companies. This month, we're looking at stage blood and effects in two infamously bloody shows. We spoke to the Company Stage Manager on Michael Grandage's The Lieutenant of Inishmore and the Designer of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Tamburlaine, who shared their practices (and a few secrets).

Founded in 1976, the National Youth Music Theatre exists to create opportunities and provide training for young people, interested in the world of musical theatre. From playing the piano in auditions to Artistic Director, Jeremy Walker's journey through National Youth Music Theatre is one to be shared. Talking to us about the ambitions of NYMT and the upcoming season at The Other Palace, he reveals just why the work they do is so important.

If Tyrone Huntley could sum of the last few years, it would be just one word: 'Crazy!' From working with wonderful teams of creatives such as Sonia Friedman, to playing Judas in Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's acclaimed Jesus Christ Superstar, 'the possibilities are endless' for this young actor.  This summer, Tyrone is set to feature in Homos, or Everyone in America, the European premiere of this play. Catching  up during rehearsals, he shared his excitement for taking on this role, thoughts on the last few years, and what advice he would give to others on a similar trajectory.

Last week, Secret Cinema Founder Fabien Riggall spoke to us about ten years of SC. Looking back on his past learnings, he also shared his excitement for what the future holds, including Secret Cinema Presents Romeo + Juliet. In the run up to this event, we caught up with Matt Bennett, the Creative Director. Hearing about his journey from audience member to artistic control, Matt let us in on some secrets ahead for this summer's show including an exclusive...

For over a decade, Secret Cinema has been creating imaginative and immersive worlds for audiences to explore and experience. Combining music, theatre, art and (of course) film, it's an artform and night out unlike any other. The next world awaits this summer and it's one which 'has been on the cards for a long time': Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. Founder Fabien Riggall takes us back to the early roots of Secret Cinema, explains why they've chosen this world this year, and looks ahead to the future.

It's big...it's green...and no, it's not just the park! This summer, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre stages Little Shop of Horrors with rehearsals currently underway.  Though his character Seymour may be 'full of broken dreams', Marc Antolin certainly isn't. Taking on his dream role, Marc shares his favourite songs from the show and why he loves returning to Regent's Park.

Exit the King marks the first time Eugène Ionesco work has been performed at the National. Playing on the vast Olivier stage, this absurdist play features a cast of just six actors, an intimate staging. One of those is actress Debra Gillett, making her return to the National. With the production opening tomorrow, Debra shares how rehearsals have been going and looks ahead to how Exit the King will resonate with audiences and actors alike.

Following on from a timely Rome Season, the Royal Shakespeare Company again looks to the past to inform the present, with a West End transfer of Imperium - I: Conspirator & II: Dictator. And who can blame them? With politics and personages all too familiar, Rome and its Republic make the perfect subject for audiences today. A historical (and hysterical) retelling, one particular detail unfortunately remains the same between then and now.

Five years since premiering at The Public Theater and with five Tony's under its belt, Fun Home comes to London and instantly finds a home with audiences. Based on the graphic memoirs by Alison Bechdel, Fun Home is an examination of sexuality, the self and cycles, brought to life by a dynamic set and stand out performances.

'Another op'nin', another show...' Following the award-winning production in 2015, Opera North's Kiss Me Kate returns to tour the UK this summer. Talking to Kate herself during rehearsals, Stephanie Corley shares her journey into opera, the challenges of taking on a musical, and her connection to the show.

Murder mysteries aren't actor Nick Hendrix's 'go-to' genre. And yet this week he finds himself in rehearsals for a new play The Strange Death of John Doe, as well as the newest episodes of Midsomer Murders. As the current series comes to an end, Nick looks back on his time on the show so far, his idea for a spin off, and returning to Hampstead Theatre.

Set up by Shaun McCourt and Leigh Lothian, West End Live Lounge continues to go from strength to strength. Returning to The Other Palace, it seems 'The Only Way Is Up' for the charity concert series after a sell-out night of Number 1's (even though George Jackson's song didn't make an appearance!)

Part of the inaugural season at the Bridge Theatre, Laurie Sansom directs Nightfall. An exquisite exploration into grief, anxiety and change, Barney Norris' new play is an introspective character study and one which plays as such.

Continuing our interview series of NT Live broadcasts, this month's focuses on Macbeth at the National Theatre. Directed by Rufus Norris and featuring Rory Kinnear and Anne-Marie Duff, Macbeth will be broadcast live to cinemas across the UK and in selected international venues from Thursday 10 May. Joshua Lacey and Sam Psyk share their thoughts ahead of the broadcast, one who'll be on stage on the night and one behind the scenes (and screen).

Translations is currently in rehearsals at the National Theatre, ahead of its first major revival on the London stage. This not only marks actor Dermot Crowley's fourth time appearing in the play, but also over four decades of working at the National. Catching up over a lunch break, Dermot tells us just what it is that makes him want to return both to the play and the National again, and shares his advice on playing the Olivier.

Bestselling novelist and award winning playwright Barney Norris brings his new play Nightfall to the Bridge Theatre. Speaking to us during rehearsals, Barney takes us through the process of mounting a new play in a new space, as part of the theatre's inaugural season.

Originally commissioned as part of the National Youth Theatre's 60th anniversary, The Fall is about generations and the differences and similarities between them. Somewhat appropriately, the show itself has brought together different generations of NYT. As a new cast of students prepares to open the show at Southwark Playhouse, NYT alumni and Olivier nominated playwright James Fritz revisits the script. With rehearsals drawing to a close, James shares the journey of this show and why this is his favourite time of the process.

Chichester Festival Theatre is a place of firsts for Tracy-Ann Oberman. Last year, she performed in The Fiddler on the Roof, her first professional musical. This Spring, she returns to CFT once again for her first Noel Coward play, Present Laughter. With tech week coming up, Tracy-Ann spoke to us about why she wanted to take on Coward, what else is on her wish list, and what audiences can expect from Present Laughter.