Joe Bannister

Review: BLACK COMEDY, Orange Tree Theatre
by Franco Milazzo - May 28, 2026

There is exactly one joke in Peter Shaffer's 1965 farce: when the lights come on, the characters are in the dark. Everything else — the borrowed furniture, the hapless sculptor, the stern colonel, the ex-girlfriend arriving at the worst possible moment — is just escalation.

Photos: BLACK COMEDY at Orange Tree Theatre
by A.A. Cristi - May 20, 2026

Production photos have been released for BLACK COMEDY at Orange Tree Theatre. Directed by Caroline Steinbeis, the Peter Shaffer comedy is currently running through July 11, 2026, in Richmond.

Photos: BLACK COMEDY in Rehearsal at the Orange Tree Theatre
by Stephi Wild - Apr 30, 2026

All new rehearsal photos have been released from Peter Shaffer’s Black Comedy at the Orange Tree Theatre, directed by Caroline Steinbeis. Check out the photos here!

Full Cast And Creative Team Set For BLACK COMEDY At Orange Tree Theatre
by Stephi Wild - Mar 25, 2026

Orange Tree Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for Peter Shaffer’s Black Comedy. Directed by Caroline Steinbeis, the production will open on 27 May, with previews from 16 May, and runs until 11 July.

Photos: Tanika Gupta's HEDDA at Orange Tree Theatre
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 27, 2025

Orange Tree Theatre has released production photos for HEDDA, a new play by Tanika Gupta, inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, directed by Hettie Macdonald.

Review: HEDDA, Orange Tree Theatre
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Oct 28, 2025

There can be a tendancy to eye-roll at the prospect of a new interpretation of a classic play. However, Tanika Gupta's new take on Ibsen's Hedda Gabler at the Orange Tree is a genuinely innovative and fascinating take on the tale of the destructive nature of manipulation and the complexities of marriage.

Full Cast Set For Tanika Gupta's HEDDA at Orange Tree Theatre
by Stephi Wild - Aug 27, 2025

With Chiara Atik’s Poor Clare having come to a close and Strindberg’s Creditors preparing to take to the stage, Orange Tree Theatre has announced the full cast for Tanika Gupta’s Hedda.

Review: THE DA VINCI CODE, Salisbury Playhouse
by Cheryl Markosky - Apr 16, 2025

As I'm probably one of only a handful who hasn't read the book or seen the film of The Da Vinci Code, I was looking forward to the play based on Dan Brown's bestselling novel of 2003 described as thriller, mystery and treasure hunt.

Photos: THE DA VINCI CODE in Rehearsal at Salisbury Playhouse
by Stephi Wild - Apr 3, 2025

Rehearsal photos have been released for Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel’s stage adaptation of Dan Brown’s best-selling thriller novel The Da Vinci Code. Check out the photos

Full Cast Set for THE DA VINCI CODE at Salisbury Playhouse and Mercury Theatre Colchester
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 5, 2025

Wiltshire Creative and Mercury Theatre Colchester have revealed the full cast for Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel’s stage adaptation of Dan Brown’s best-selling thriller novel The Da Vinci Code. See who is starring and learn more!

Review: THE CONFESSIONS, National Theatre
by Gary Naylor - Oct 24, 2023

A unique production from a unique playwright / director has its faults, but far outweighs them with its warm truths and redemptive conclusion

Photos: First Look at Sheffield Theatres' Climate Emergency Double Bill, THE CONTINGENCY PLAN
by Stephi Wild - Oct 19, 2022

All new photos have been released from Sheffield Theatres' Climate Emergency Double Bill, The Contingency Plan, by Steve Waters.

Sheffield Theatres Announce Cast For Climate Emergency Double Bill, THE CONTINGENCY PLAN
by Stephi Wild - Aug 30, 2022

Sheffield Theatres has announced the full cast for the double bill of climate change plays by playwright Steve Waters: Resilience and On The Beach, part of The Contingency Plan, which will open at the Crucible, Sheffield on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 October respectively.

National Theatre Announces Lineup for November 2021 - February 2022
by Stephi Wild - Sep 23, 2021

The National Theatre today announces the on-sale dates of upcoming productions Trouble in Mind, Wuthering Heights and Small Island, as well as the return of daytime opening for visitors.

Hampstead Theatre's Associate Company, The Mono Box, Launches 'The Monologue Library'
by Stephi Wild - May 1, 2020

Hampstead Theatre's Associate Company, The Mono Box, has announced the launch of The Monologue Library, audio recordings of renowned artists performing their favourite theatrical speeches.

Review Roundup: London Premiere Of THE WATSONS Opens At Menier Chocolate Factory
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 3, 2019

Chichester Festival Theatre and Menier Chocolate Factory today presents the London première of Olivier Award-winner Laura Wade's The Watsons at the Menier.

BWW Review: THE WATSONS, Menier Chocolate Factory
by Marianka Swain - Oct 1, 2019

Laura Wade isn't the first to tackle Jane Austen's unfinished novel, abandoned in 1805, but she is the only one so far to write herself, the struggling adaptor, into the text. This witty, ingenious and surprisingly philosophical play, which premiered at Chichester last year, merges Austen with Pirandello, and satire with big existential questions.

Photo Flash: First Look at THE WATSONS at Menier Chocolate Factory
by Stephi Wild - Sep 27, 2019

Chichester Festival Theatre and Menier Chocolate Factory present the London première of Olivier Award-winner Laura Wade's The Watsons at the Menier.

FALSETTOS Leads September's Top 10 New London Shows
by Marianka Swain - Aug 28, 2019

London is never short of temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From a landmark musical and Caryl Churchill to Wall Street and ABBA immersion, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews, interviews and features!

Chichester Festival Theatre and Menier Chocolate Factory Announce Full Cast For The London Premiere Of THE WATSONS
by Stephi Wild - Aug 21, 2019

Chichester Festival Theatre and Menier Chocolate Factory today announce the full cast for the London première of Olivier Award-winner Laura Wade's The Watsons at the Menier. Samuel West directs original cast members Sam Alexander (Robert Watson), Sally Bankes (Nanny), Joe Bannister (Lord Osborne), Jane Booker (Lady Osborne), Elaine Claxton (Mrs Edwards), Tim Delap (Mr Howard), Sophie Duval (Mrs Robert), Louise Ford (Laura), John Wilson Goddard (Mr Watson), Grace Molony (Emma Watson), Elander Moore (Bertie), Paksie Vernon (Elizabeth Watson), Cat White (Miss Osborne) and Laurence Ubong Williams (Tom Musgrave), who are joined by Rhianna McGreevy (Margaret Watson), with Isaac Forward, Sonny Fowler and Teddy Probets sharing the role of Charles Howard for the run at the Menier. The Watsons played to critical acclaim at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2018. The production opens at the Menier on 30 September, with previews from 20 September, and runs until 16 November.