Battersea Arts Centre News

a?oeThey ask me where I am from! I say I am a mix. Of both racism and sexism a?" they lay equally on my skin. Passed down unknowingly by my next of kin.a??

Spring 2020 marks the start of Northern Stage's 50th anniversary year; featuring ambitious new productions made in Newcastle including stage premieres of Shandyland - originally developed through The Old Vic 12 scheme, written by Bruntwood Prize winning playwright Gareth Farr; a new theatrical version of The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff by Teesside folk trio The Young'uns, directed by Northern Stage Artistic Director Lorne Campbell; HERE - a co-production with Northern Stage associate artists Curious Monkey written by Lindsay Rodden; Northern Stage's Young Company presents the third part of their kaleidoscopic view of the state of our nation, asking Where Do We Go Now?; plus new shows from some of the UK's most exciting and innovative touring companies including Frantic Assembly, Headlong and Told By An Idiot.

The shortlist is announced today for the 2019 Achates Philanthropy Prize, the only annual prize that celebrates first-time supporters of the arts in the UK.

Co-produced by HOME, double Scotsman Fringe First winner Javaad Alipoor brings Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran, the second part of a trilogy of plays confronting modern life in all its unpredictability, to the venue where it was made, HOME Manchester, 23 October - 2 November 2019. 

Artistic Director Brigid Larmour today announces programming to complete Watford Palace Theatre's season for September 2019 - June 2020, following the world première of Mushy: Lyrically Speaking earlier this month. The co-production with Rifco Theatre Company is now on tour across the UK until 5 October.

JULIET & ROMEO, LOST DOG's award-winning, witty, clever and slightly unnerving version of Shakespeare's teenage love story has been playing to capacity audiences all over the UK since its ten-night run at Battersea Arts Centre and five-night run at the Place in February 2018. This is a world in which Shakespeare's tragic teenagers survive, get married, have a child and are now in marriage guidance counsellinga??with the audience set in listening modea??

Two of the greatest actors of their generation come together in one unforgettable story of a shared life, and all of its complexities. Get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

Blending humour, brutality and clowning, Bert and Nasi attempt to overcome what divides them in a surreal show for surreal times, using their personal and professional relationship as a jumping off point to explore polarisation. Following three performances in the last week of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where Bert and Nasi also performed their Total Theatre Award winning new show THE END, ONE comes to BAC to complete the trilogy that began with Eurohouse and Palmyra. The pair will perform all three shows on the 19th October.

Watford Palace Theatre today announce full cast for Patrick Hamilton's classic psychological thriller, Gaslight. Richard Beecham directs Hannah Hutch (Nancy), Sandra James-Young (Elizabeth), Jasmine Jones (Jack Manningham), Tricia Kelly (Inspector Rough) and Sally Tatum (Bella Manningham). The production opens on 7 October with previews from 2 October and runs until 26 October.

Winner of the 2019 Antepavilion Architecture Prize 2019, London's brand new Potemkin Theatre announces its late-summer programme of fresh, forward-looking performance and audience-focused events. Bringing together opera, family-friendly theatre, new writing for the stage, expert architectural talks and an innovative two-day symposium, the programme makes the very most of its waterside location and encourages audiences to enjoy the remaining late-summer evenings. Opening with a performance from Shadwell Opera, the programme draws to a close almost a month later with a weekend symposium focusing on the future of immersive theatre and design that involves, among other guests, members of the renowned PunchDrunk team.

Over the course of a few years, director Rachel Chavkin has gone from being a staple of the off-Broadway scene to the director with one of the most distinctive and creative aesthetics on Broadway. That's just one of many ways that she proves she's in a league all her own.

Following his international hit Bubble Schmeisis, Nick Cassenbaum has been touring My Kind of Michael, a heartfelt, passionate and playful tribute to his childhood hero, Michael Barrymore. Following a lengthy Spring tour the show has its final dates in September and October.

This co-production presented by Nouveau Riché and Omnibus Theatre announces three new queens to star in the award-winning, critically-acclaimed play written by Jessica L. Hagan and adapted for the stage by Ryan Calais Cameron. Tosin Alabi (ROUNDHOUSE, UNICORN THEATRE ) Eshe Asante (CHANNEL 4: Humans, OVALHOUSE ) and Elisha Robin will join Koko Kwaku, who will be reprising her role for the national tour.

Total Theatre Awards today announced the 2019 shortlist. From the list announced today, a total of seven awards will be awarded across five categories: a?oePhysical & Visual Theatrea??; a?oeInnovation, Experimentation & Playing with Forma??; a?oeEmerginga??; a?oeCircusa??; and a?oeDancea?? at a ceremony to be held on 23rd August.

Applications are now open for the second iteration of Let's Take Over, a skills development program for 15 a?" 25 year olds which culminates in a one-day take over event at Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre. The program is based on the Young Producers program at Battersea Arts Centre in London and is returning for the second time due to the success of the inaugural program earlier this year.

As Pride celebrations and the spreading legalisation of gay marriage are met with a rise of homophobic leaders and protests against inclusive education, it is both hard and easy to believe that until 1967 homosexual acts were illegal in the UK, with countless gay people persecuted. Bringing the tragic story of one such person to the stage, whose arrest in 1954 led to a string of persecutions against gay men in Taunton, Tom Marshman will tour A Haunted Existence following a debut in Bristol last year.

The Space, the commissioning and development agency promoting digital engagement across the cultural sector, announced today that Sarah Ellis, Director of Digital Development at the RSC, has been appointed as its new Chair.

One of the UK's most significant performance makers, Bryony Kimmings, returns to Melbourne to present the Australian premiere of her solo masterpiece, I'm A Phoenix, Bitch from 11 - 15 September, 2019. The powerful, dark and joyous tour de force about motherhood, heartbreak and finding inner strength combines personal stories with epic film and original pop songs.

In two new shows, Bertrand Lesca and Nasi Voutsas use their personal and professional relationship to explore global issues: in One, an argument between the pair becomes the jumping off point to talk about the polarisation of contemporary politics, whilst in The End they imagine the future death of their relationship in parallel to the future death of Earth. One will complete the trilogy that began with Eurohouse and Palmyra, and will perform for three days only at the Fringe before a three week run at Battersea Arts Centre. The End, a sad and funny account of the ongoing ecological crisis, will be presented for ten performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Conjuring categorically stupid nonsense is harder than it looks. Dan and Neil however, make it look easy. Leave your refined, sophisticated tastes at the door (you are fooling NO ONE anyway) and get down with some of the silliest sods in this here town of scallywags.