Battersea Arts Centre News

In a unique collaboration, a wide-ranging group of arts organisations and human rights charities commissioned Ai Weiwei to design a new flag in response to the real and present dangers of a world changing at break-neck speed and a community that has forgotten why human rights are so important, to offer hope and to educate generations to come about the absolute importance of universal human rights. Everyone across the country is invited to Fly The Flag for Human Rights between 24 and 30 June 2019 in events around the UK, with over 150 organisations involved.

Omnibus Theatre announces an exciting new collaboration with their associate artists multi-award-winning creative movement Nouveau Riche.

Victor Esses and Ellie Keel Productions today announce Edinburgh Festival Fringe run of Where to Belong in association with CASA Festival and Rich Mix. The production, written and performed by Victor Esses, opens at Summerhall on 2 August, with previews from 31 July and runs until 25 August ahead of a UK tour in 2020. Full details for the tour to be announced.

Weaving together poetic text and movement, Alexandrina Hemsley and Seke Chimutengwende come together to retell an Afrofuturist history of the universe from the big bang through to the universe's death. Seke and Alexandrina combine elements of science fiction with personal narrative to probe the holes in our understanding of the past, speculating on how to be with their bodies that carry histories of marginalisation and anti-blackness. Taking the personal and projecting it onto a cosmic scale, Black Holes explores the potential and problematics of Afrofuturism.

At the annual Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) ceremony, the Traverse Theatre Company is overjoyed to have scooped a hat trick of awards for Ulster American, including a 'Best Female Performance' award for Lucianne McEvoy. She will return to play a leading part in the Traverse Festival 2019 world premiere production of Crocodile Fever, by Meghan Tyler.

Birmingham Stage Company today announces cast for Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain - Part Four! which returns to the Apollo Theatre marking Horrible Histories' eighth year in the West End. Neal Foster directs Pip Chamberlain and Benedict Martin. Barmy Britain - Part Four! was the most successful Horrible Histories show so far and enjoyed a sell-out 2018 summer season. It opens this year on 6 August, with previews from 1 August, and runs until 31 August.

Today the full programme of events has been announced around Fly The Flag, a major new project marking the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and brand new images of Ai Weiwei with young people have been released.

When Chris Thorpe performed his one-man show Status at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe, he claimed, provocatively, it wasn't about Brexit. Now, as the withdrawal date fluctuates, the Fringe First-winning, globe-spanning show about how we acquire our national identity, and what happens when we try to escape it, confronts head on the guilt, alienation and identity crisis experienced in response to the biggest political upheaval of the Century.

Watford Palace Theatre today announce a radical re-imagining of Patrick Hamilton's classic psychological thriller, Gaslight, directed by Richard Beecham. The production opens on 7 October with previews from 2 October and runs until 26 October.

Today (Wed 22 May) EdFest.com, a partnership between Assembly, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance and Underbelly celebrates twelve years of working together, with the launch of its new programme for 2019.

Following a hugely successful run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018, LUNG's bold verbatim drama is set to return for a national tour, marking the first time the show has visited communities directly affected by the inquiry. Drawing on over 200 hours of interviews conducted with teachers, students, parents and governors, Helen Monks (Raised By Wolves, Inside No. 9 and Upstart Crow) and award-winning playwright and director Matt Woodhead uncover the truth behind the local story which made national press, accusing 'hardline' Muslim teachers and governors of plotting extremism in Birmingham schools.

More2Screen today announces the cinema release of the critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Angela Carter's Wise Children which will be screened in more than 250 cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 3 October 2019. Directed and adapted for the stage by Emma Rice, the production is the first from her new company Wise Children. Cinema tickets are on sale now at WiseChildrenCinema.com

Very funny game show styled exploration of the rise and fall of Nick Cassenbaum's hero, Michael Barrymore

Following an extended run at Battersea Arts Centre, an Offies 2019 Award win, and a run at Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts from 3rd to 7th May, Bryony Kimmings (Fake it 'til you Make it, A Pacifists Guide to the War on Cancer, Channel 4's The Sex Clinic: Artist In Residence) brings critically acclaimed I'm a Phoenix, Bitch to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 31st July to 25th August, which will also feature as part of the British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2019.

Part David Lynch thriller, part Fright Night drive-in flick, THE CABIN! is a horror show written by kids, for adults, and is set to premiere in Melbourne on 3 July as part of the Darebin Arts Speakeasy 2019 season.

Troupe today announces full cast for the The Sweet Science of Bruising by Joy Wilkinson which transfers to Wilton's Music Hall, following its sold-out run at Southwark Playhouse last year. Kirsty Patrick Ward directs Owen Brenman (Professor Charlie Sharp), Celeste Dodwell (Violet Hunter), Jane How (Aunt George), Tom Lorcan (Paul Stokes), Emma McDonald (Anna Lamb) and Wilf Scolding (Gabriel Lamb) alongside returning cast, Ashley Cook (Doctor James Bell), Alice Kerrigan (Emily), Jessica Regan (Matilda 'Matty' Blackwell) and Fiona Skinner (Polly Stokes). The production opens at Wilton's Music Hall on 7 June, with previews from 5 June, and runs until 29 June.

The Big House today announces the return of Bullet Tongue Reloaded a promenade piece at the new home of The Big House in Islington. Written by Andrew Day and Sonya Hale, the production tackles the topic of County Lines and was developed with a young cast many of whom are directly affected by this issue. The production opens on 24 May, with previews from 22 May and runs until 15 June.

Why do we want the things that we want? Paula Varjack's playful critique of consumer culture through the lens of high fashion returns to the capital for Battersea Arts Centre show 27 April.

Around 100,000 young people in the UK live with, and beyond, cancer. Toby Peach, a writer and performer, is one of them. Amongst other projects, he has toured internationally with his award-winning show The Eulogy of Toby Peach, a creative response to his own experience as a cancer patient. Toby speaks to Broadway World UK about his latest project Looking Forward at the Battersea Arts Centre.

Live Collision International Festival (LCIF2019), Ireland's leading live art festival, announces today its exceptional programme of daring new theatre, dance, music, art, installations, activism and parties which will take over Project Arts Centre in Dublin from 24 until 27 April 2019.