Ella Hickson News

EKP and Paines Plough, with 45North and in association with Sonia Friedman Productions, today announce the 35 shortlisted scripts for the inaugural The Women's Prize for Playwriting 2020, selected from 1,169 entries.

Theatre publishers Nick Hern Books (NHB) have announced five further writers to join The NHB Playgroup, their ongoing initiative throughout the current theatre shutdown which offers one free play each week to read and discuss, followed by a Q&A with the writer.

Today, The Old Vic announces details of Your Old Vic, a programme of creative, fun and inspiring events, projects and content to keep the theatre connected with audiences, and audiences connected with each other.

Theatre publishers Nick Hern Books have launched The NHB Playgroup, a new initiative offering one free play each week to read and discuss, plus a Q&A with the writer.

After a Members advance sale so busy it prompted the early extension of two productions, tickets for the Stratford Festival's groundbreaking new season go on sale to the public today. The 2020 season is one of the biggest ever and includes the much-anticipated opening of the new Tom Patterson Theatre. With the $100-million fundraising goal a hair's breadth away from completion, the bespoke theatre is one of North America's most significant new arts builds in decades.

London is never short of temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From a starry revival to musical comedies and an incendiary Pulitzer winner, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews, interviews and features!

The Women's Prize for Playwriting, launched by EKP and Paines Plough, today announces a partnership with Samuel French, a Concord Theatricals company, who will publish the winning scripts found in first, second and third place.

Shakespeare's Globe has announced full casting for the world premiere of Swive [Elizabeth]. Created by award-winning writer Ella Hickson and award-winning director Natalie Abrahami, and designed by Ben Stones, this new play will shine candlelight on the ways and means by which women in power negotiate patriarchal pressure in order to get their way.

With the new Tom Patterson Theatre taking shape on the banks of the Avon River, the Stratford Festival is thrilled to announce key casting as it builds the acting company for its monumental 2020 season.

EKP and Paines Plough today launch The Women's Prize for Playwriting to celebrate and support exceptional UK and Ireland-based playwrights who identify as female. The winning playwright will receive £12,000 in respect of an exclusive option for EKP and Paines Plough to co-produce the winning play. The founding sponsor of The Women's Prize for Playwriting is PER.

Sydney Theatre Company Artistic Director Kip Williams unveiled the STC 2020 season tonight a?' a year brimming with fantastic writing, electric performances and beautiful designs. The season will consist of 12 plays performed over four venues a?' the Roslyn Packer Theatre in Walsh Bay, the Drama Theatre and Playhouse Theatre at the Sydney Opera House, and Riverside Theatre in Parramatta.

Colm Feore will utter the first words on the Stratford Festival's newest stage, an echo of the inaugural performance in 1953, when Alec Guinness's opening speech in Richard III anticipated the a?oeglorious summera?? that was to come for Stratford. Feore, an internationally acclaimed stage and screen actor, is just one of a diverse company of accomplished actors who will present a repertory season of 15 productions in four remarkable theatres.

The Old Vic announces the appointment of Harriet Mackie as Producer at The Old Vic, replacing Georgia Gatti who will leave the organisation later this year.

HighTide will return to Aldeburgh for their 13th festival with a world premiere and new work from homegrown talent. This fantastic programme will be Steven Atkinson's final Festival as Artistic Director; it illustrates HighTide's commitment to championing new writing as the space for political, contemporary and provocative work, created by new and diverse artists.

The audience plays surveillance state in this pioneering collaboration between playwright Ella Hickson and sound designers Ben and Max Ringham. We experience the action through individual sets of headphones, corresponding to a hidden mic on our protagonist Anna - listening in to her every exchange and private moment.

The Old Vic is delighted to announce Matthew Warchus' Season 5 featuring an exciting and eclectic mix of thought-provoking entertainment.

Anna and Hans are married, in love and moving up in the world - but it is a world ruled by suspicion. Who can be trusted when everyone is listening? Can we ever escape our past?

After the success of their 2018 HighTide: Edinburgh programme, HighTide have now partnered with Assembly to present Disruption, their programme of contemporary new writing exclusively at Assembly Roxy. The six pieces chosen demonstrate HighTide and Assembly Festival's shared vision for new writing as a space of political, contemporary and provocative work, created by new, diverse artists. HighTide is renowned for the discovery of new playwrights, including Ella Hickson, Nick Payne and Vinay Patel, and the Disruption season sees HighTide writers premiere at the world's largest arts festival ahead of performances at HighTide Festivals Aldeburgh and Walthamstow.

National Theatre has announced its listings for May - October 2019. Check out the full lineup below!

The North Wall today announce the full programme for Alchymy Festival 2019, running from 12-14 April at The North Wall Arts Centre. The programme includes performances, industry events, work-in-progress showings, and workshops, as well as performances from winners of the inaugural Alchymy Company Award and Alchymy Writing Residencies. The festival was programmed by The North Wall co-directors John Hoggarth and Ria Parry, and producer Ellie Keel, and is supported by Arts Council England.