Simon Kenny

Review: DEATH AND THE MAIDEN at National Centre for Performing Arts Mumbai
by Richa Das - May 18, 2026

There is something deeply contrarian about stepping out on a very very hot summer day to watch a very very serious play - I am beginning to think summers belong to humor. Winters can allow some pondering and occasional deep-dives into the horrors of the past. Despite looking for joy, I wound up catching an early evening production of Death and the Maiden at Mumbai’s NCPA, directed by NCPA head Bruce Guthrie, starring Ira Dubey, Neil Bhoopalam and Vivek Gomber. 

THE HARDER THEY COME Reveals Full Cast at Stratford East
by Stephi Wild - Apr 30, 2026

Stratford East announced full casting for THE HARDER THEY COME, the reggae musical adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks, returning for a new run with Natey Jones reprising his role as Ivan.

Frances Ruffelle, Sally George, and Alan Cumming's I CAN DIE TOO Will Premiere at Pitlochry Festival Theatre
by Stephi Wild - Apr 16, 2026

Tony Award winner Frances Ruffelle and Olivier Award winner Stephen Ashfield will star in I CAN DIE TOO, a new play with music co-written by Ruffelle, Sally George, and Alan Cumming, at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

Lead Cast Revealed For THE HARDER THEY COME at Stratford East
by Stephi Wild - Apr 9, 2026

Natey Jones and Madeline Charlemagne are set to reprise their roles in the reggae musical THE HARDER THEY COME, returning to Stratford East from 16 May to 4 July 2026, with Chanice Alexander-Burnett joining as Elsa from 8 June.

Lead Cast Announced for THE HARDER THEY COME Returning to Stratford East
by A.A. Cristi - Apr 9, 2026

Lead casting has been announced for the return of THE HARDER THEY COME at Stratford East, running May 16 through July 4, 2026. Directed by Matthew Xia, the production features a stage adaptation by Suzan-Lori Parks, based on the 1970s Jamaican film produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone.

THE HARDER THEY COME To Return To Stratford East In 2026
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 2, 2026

THE HARDER THEY COME will return to Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2026 following its 2025 run. The reggae musical is adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Matthew Xia, with performances scheduled from May 16 through July 4.

THE HARDER THEY COME to Return to Stratford East This February
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 2, 2026

​Stratford East will present the reggae musical The Harder They Come. The production is based on the cult Jamaican film produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone.

Cast and Creative Team Set For Matthew Xia’s SMALL ISLAND at Leeds Playhouse
by Stephi Wild - Jan 20, 2026

The cast and creative team have been announced who will be joining director Matthew Xia on an unforgettable journey from the sun-drenched shores of Jamaica to the cold, grey streets of 1940s London in Small Island.

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.

Review: THE PARTY GIRLS, Oxford Playhouse
by Niamh Jones - Oct 2, 2025

Glamorous and mythic, the Mitford sisters often feel like untouchable figures of the past, central to the tumultuous politics of the interwar period and yet forgotten amidst the rollcall of far more significant names. They seem like the sorts of characters who would be impossible to bring to life, and yet Amy Rosenthal’s The Party Girls successfully brings these figures vividly into the sphere of the audience’s knowledge.

Stratford East Extends THE HARDER THEY COME By One Week
by Stephi Wild - Sep 24, 2025

Stratford East has announced an extension for the critically acclaimed new production of THE HARDER THEY COME, the newly adapted reggae musical based on the cult Jamaican film of the same name.

Review: THE HARDER THEY COME, Theatre Royal Stratford East
by Franco Milazzo - Sep 23, 2025

One minute you’re in an East London street, the next you are immediately transported to early-1970s Kingston: the style, the sounds, the rhythms, the smell of ambition and frustration. The Harder They Come at Stratford East is a vivid, energetic production that honours the cult classic film while breathing new life into it.

Photos: THE HARDER THEY COME in Rehearsal at Stratford East
by Stephi Wild - Aug 20, 2025

Stratford East has released first look rehearsal images for The Harder They Come, the newly adapted reggae musical based on the cult Jamaican film of the same name. Check out the photos here!

Cast and Creative Team Set For THE HARDER THEY COME at Stratford East
by Stephi Wild - Jul 15, 2025

Stratford East has announced the full cast and creative team for the UK premiere of THE HARDER THEY COME, the newly adapted reggae musical based on the cult Jamaican film of the same name.

Entries Open For RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award 2025
by Stephi Wild - Jul 10, 2025

The Royal Theatrical Support Trust (RTST) and Mercury Theatre, Colchester have announced that the 2025 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award Scheme is now open for entries.

Marlowe Theatre to Present World Premiere of THE PARTY GIRLS
by Josh Sharpe - Mar 24, 2025

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, will present the world premiere of a timely and passionate new play by Amy Rosenthal: The Party Girls. This is the first touring production to be produced by the Kent Theatre.

Cast Set For A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre 
by Stephi Wild - Feb 18, 2025

Casting has been announced for Birmingham Rep’s new production of A Thousand Splendid Suns, Ursula Rani Sarma’s play based on Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling spiritual sequel to The Kite Runner. 

Review: OUR MIGHTY GROOVE, Sadler's Wells East
by Louise Penn - Feb 10, 2025

In the new Sadler's Wells East venue, we are invited to observe and then enter the world of Club Groove in a pulsing, energetic, modern dance piece allowing the audience to mingle on the dance floor. The story is slight but the vibe is unmistakable. This production opens with a half-hour of powerhouse movement before becoming fully immersive. Look at me, it challenges, and you do.

Mia Khan and Kyle Ndukuba Will Lead ROMEO AND JULIET at The Belgrade Theatre Coventry
by Stephi Wild - Dec 19, 2024

Initial casting has been announced for the 2025 world premiere of ROMEO AND JULIET, an innovative new version of Shakespeare's play, originally scored with rap and R&B, opening at the Belgrade Theatre.

Review: THE UNSEEN, Riverside Studios
by Gary Naylor - Nov 22, 2024

Prisoners not the only victims of tyranny's dehumanisation of body and soul