Arnold Wesker News

On Monday 18 March, the acclaimed Spanish actress and director Nuria Espert was awarded the Degree of Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London.

John Lithgow will lead the world premiere of a new play about the antisemitism of author Roald Dahl. Giant, written by Mark Rosenblatt and directed by Nicholas Hynter, will premiere in London at the Royal Court Theatre this September.

The Royal Court Theatre has announced the inaugural season from new Artistic Director David Byrne: nine new plays, all from writers making their Royal Court debuts. Learn more about the full season lineup here!

The Almeida Theatre has announced a new season for 2024! Learn more about highlights from the season here!

IAN MCKELLEN, TOHEEB JIMOH & RICHARD COYLE star in Robert Icke's production of PLAYER KINGS, adapted from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2.

The cast of Cuckoo chat performing, working on Vicky Featherstone's swansong performance, and the navigating Michael Wynne's brilliantly slippery writing.

Emanate production are bringing The Arc: A Trilogy of New Jewish Plays, three plays by writers Amy Rosenthal, Alexis Zegerman, and Ryan Craig, to Soho Theatre. Following its inaugural production at the Kiln Theatre last year, Emanate have forged a space for Jewish voices to shine a spotlight on and celebrate modern Jewish stories in theatre.

Lottie Walker will appear as Sara in Chopped Liver & Unions, by J.J. Leppink, at theSpace on the Mile from 4-26 August as part of the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The one-woman play gives a vivid account of her life and the long struggle to improve the working conditions of female garment workers in the East End of London. 

On Friday 17 March, the Olivier Awards 2023 with Mastercard hosted their Nominees’ Celebration, in partnership with Cunard at The Londoner hotel, the world's first super boutique hotel in the heart of London's theatre district. Notable nominees such as Rose Ayling-Ellis, Beverley Knight, Rob Madge, Rafe Spall and Giles Terera were in attendance, among many of the other nominated theatre makers. Check out the photos here!

The Olivier Awards with Mastercard 2023 have formally announced the recipients for this year's Industry Recognition Award. The event is organised annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre.

Mint Theater Company returns to New York City Ce nter Stage II with the American premiere of Noël Coward’s The Rat Trap, directed by Alexander Lass, opening Monday November 21st (7pm) at New York City Center Stage II for a limited Off-Broadway engagement through December 10th only. 

The Mint Theater company will be presenting the American Premiere of Noel Coward's The Rap Trap, and the world premiere of Becomes a Woman by Betty Smith (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn).

La Secretaría de Cultura del Gobierno de México y el Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (Inbal) lamentan el deceso de Adriana Roel, actriz emérita de la Compañía Nacional de Teatro, quien obtuvo dos premios Ariel como Mejor Actriz. Figura memorable en la historia de la escena mexicana participó en más de 50 montajes, 40 películas y alrededor de 30 telenovelas durante 60 años de trayectoria en cine, teatro y televisión.

This evening, at an event held at Battersea Arts Centre, The Royal Society of Literature (RSL), the charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, announced 60 new appointments including the first induction of writers elected to Fellowship through the Bicentenary RSL Open Initiative. 

In 'The Dark Outside' by Bernard Kops, a birthday celebration for a one-armed East London tailor, who is in a life crisis, brings home his three grown children.

In 'The Dark Outside' by Bernard Kops, a birthday celebration for a one-armed East London tailor, who is in a life crisis, brings home his three grown children.  All are facing traumatic changes.  It falls to his wife--the family matriarch and unfailing strength--to hold the clan together. 

McKellen talks about his work on stage (Richard III, Acting Shakespeare, Waiting for Godot) and screen (The Lord of the Rings, The X-Men, Gods and Monsters, The Good Liar) during this wide-ranging dialogue.

Ian McKellen is giving fans a peek into what his life was like while working on Lord of the Rings. He took to Twitter yesterday to share a link to some journal entries, during his time working on the film franchise over 20 years ago.

Could Ian McKellen be headed back to Broadway? According to The New York Post, the actor says he'd consider bringing his one-man show, Ian McKellen On Stage, to the Great White Way.

Ian McKellen joined the UK tour of Les Miserables for one performance today.