Review: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, National Theatre
This is an Earnest for a new generation, Bridgertonian in its approach and just brat enough. Everybody is a little gay. Everybody is incredibly horny. Everybody has the smoothest comeback. Webster forgoes any sanctimony with sacrilegious extravagance. Gorgeously anachronistic costumes by Rae Smith splash on Smith’s own set design, shaking up the comedy of manners conventions in favour of a more original take.
Review: WAR HORSE IN CONCERT at Century II Concert Hall
As I sat in the audience, waiting for the performance of War Horse In Concert, a Pops presentation for the Wichita Symphony, I overhead several audience members discussing their expectations for what they were about to experience. “Is this a play?” “It looks like there are narrators!” “Is this different from a regular concert?” Most “In Concert” performances are based on well known musicals, but War Horse In Concert is based on War Horse Suite 2022, a symphonic work derived from the score of the play with the same name. The play is based on the original story written by Michael Morpurgo. War Horse: The Story in Concert premiered at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2016, with music composed by Adrian Sutton, and the narration was adapted from the play script written in 1982 by Nick Stafford. The performance consisted of a very simple staged version of the piece, with multiple actors playing multiple roles, supplying dialogue at the important points in the story. There was also a main singer and a chorus to help convey the emotions that the spoken word can fail to supply. This allows the orchestra to feature the score so the story to be told by both the music and the word. A concert version is usually a scaled down production, sans sets, props, elaborate costumes, and in the case of War Horse, the puppets used to portray the horses. The audience is asked to use their imaginations, and their mind’s eye, to fill in the remainder of the story.
Photos: WAR HORSE UK and Ireland Tour Holds Press Performance
War Horse held its press performances for the UK & Ireland tour at The Lowry, in Salford yesterday. Those in attendance included author Michael Morpurgo, Coronation Street stars Peter Ash, Michael Le Vell, Jane Hazlegrove and more. Check out photos here!
Review: WAITING FOR GODOT, Theatre Royal Haymarket
A country road. A tree. Evening. Two figures commiserate with each other’s woes. “Nothing to be done”. We have to wait 35 years to receive a really revolutionary new take on Waiting for Godot: Samuel Beckett’s estate still has too much power over any revival of the 20th century classic. James Macdonald’s starry cast is, obviously, the draw here: Ben Whishaw returns to the West End as Vladimir, the restless soul of the pair, while Lucian Msamati is the forgetful Estragon. It’s an excellent opportunity to see a handful of our most exquisite performers at work.
Photos: UK and Ireland Tour of WAR HORSE
Brand new production photos have been released for the National Theatre’s acclaimed production of War Horse, based on Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel. This all-new production is now touring the UK and Ireland, currently playing at the New Wimbledon Theatre, with a press performance on Sunday 22 September at The Lowry in Salford.
Cast Announced For UK Tour of DANESHA
The cast has been announced for the UK tour of brand new play Danesha, a joyful celebration of coming of age, exploring black culture, queer joy and finding and loving your authentic self written by emerging Manchester-born playwright Stefanie Reynolds.