A few years ago, I came across a story about a boy who broke into Buckingham Palace and stole Queen Victoria's knickers. He served a three-month prison sentence and then on release broke back into the palace. Between 1838 and 1841, there were two more recorded break-ins and two more prison sentences.
Sandy Grierson returns to the London stage in othellomacbeth, taking on the roles of Cassio and Macbeth in one show. No stranger to doubling, Grierson previously played the roles of Faustus and Mephistopheles in the Royal Shakespeare Company's acclaimed production of Doctor Faustus in 2016, the parts decided with the lighting of matches. Taking us through his thoughts on and experience with Shakespeare, Grierson shares Jude Christian's vision of the two plays and just why they chose (and to an extent needed) to 'f*** with them a bit'.
'But men are men...' Gender is taking centre stage in the current climate, telling her story not history. From new writes like SIX and The Old Vic's Sylvia, to the reframing of classics from a female perspective, the Liverpool Everyman's female led Othello and the Globe's Imogen prove the relevance of these texts to modern audiences. Elayce Ismail and Jude Christian's othellomacbeth is a hybrid of these: retelling two of Shakespeare's greatest plays, with the emphasis on the women and new additions. While bold it may be, the result is a mixed bag of 'confused events, new hatch'd to [this] woeful time'.
Katori Hall's The Mountaintop invites us to step into the private life of Martin Luther King for one night; one that hangs suspended in time, between his achievements and his final breath.
Documenting his grandparent's experiences of moving overseas, Vinay Patel has written a three-hour epic, which puts ethical choice and identity at the forefront of the narrative. Spanning 60 years and a couple of generations, Madani Younis' production is a beautiful reminder of the importance of family, and the values we place upon it.
A drama of unprecedented scope and heart, spanning seven decades and three continents, inspired by the experiences of his immigrant grandparents, Vinay Patel's An Adventure opens at Bush Theatre on 6 September (press night 11 September).
Othello opens at Oxford Playhouse on 20 September and tours to Harrogate Theatre, Cast in Doncaster, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham, Oldham Coliseum Theatre, The New Wolsey Theatre, Warwick Arts Centre, Northern Stage and Lighthouse Poole.
Charity Wakefield, currently appearing in Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's all-female Emilia, is the first woman to play William Shakespeare on the Globe stage.
Playwright Rory Mullarkey is back with another show at the Royal Court Theatre, following on from his 2014 production, The Wolf From the Door. At the start of Pity, it seems like an ordinary day in a quiet town somewhere in England but, as the synopsis on the back of the play text quite literally warns, 'what happens next verges on the ridiculous'.
Everyday we're told to do better. Whether it is about our size, skin texture or lifestyle, society provides constant reminders that we're not good enough, and actively encourages us to try something new. Maybe it's a new pill acting as a supplement, or that drink that's become the latest trend because a celebrity has endorsed it. Sitting on the tube writing there are so many posters I'm surrounded by, which advertise the latest product that'll make me 'well.'
A first look at The Yard's production of the transformation tale A New And Better You, written by Joe Harbot and directed by Cheryl Gallacher. Leading the cast is Hannah Traylen, who is joined by Alex Austin, Saffron Coomber and child actors Ariana Williams, Lara-Ann Young and Amber Cargill. The Designer is Bethany Wells, with Lighting Design by Jess Bernberg. Photography by Helen Murray.
Children's Theatre Company is thrilled to announce single tickets for its 2018-2019 Season will go on sale Tuesday, June 26, 2018(online at midnight, phone sales at 11am). The season includes eight productions, four commissioned premieres, three musicals, and one preschool production.
Ned Bennett's production is a gruelling watch, and has contained within it many moments that shock, enlighten, provoke and surprise. Despite its transfer to the National Theatre, the production is still, as Ken Nwosu states to the audience, 'surrounded by white people.'
Described by the New York Times as 'this decade's most eloquent statement on race in America today', Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' extraordinary and provocative play An Octoroon comes to the National Theatre after a sold out run at the Orange Tree Theatre. In 1859, white Irish playwright Dion Boucicault writes a hit play about America. Today, a black American playwright attempts to do the same.
The Hub Theatre, continues its foray into new plays that highlight our common humanity with the world premiere of The Secrets of the Universe (and other songs) by playwright Marc Acito. Secrets, the final production in The Hub's 10th season, will run from July 6-29, 2018 at the John Swayze Theatre in Fairfax, Virginia and is a Co-Production with the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia. Secrets marks The Hub's third production by Marc Acito, after audience favorite Birds of a Feather (2012 Helen Hayes Outstanding New Play winner; Outstanding Ensemble nominee), and How I Paid for College (starring Broadway's Tony Nominated Alex Brightman). The show will be directed by Hub's founding Artistic Director, Helen R. Murray, and produced by incoming Artistic Director, Matt Bassett.
In many ways, the timing of the European premiere of American playwright Emily Schwend's award-winning play Utility could not be more prescient. The portrayal of a quotidian Texan family trying to live an ordinary life and having to battle to stay afloat in challenging economic circumstances is an all-too familiar story in today's financial climate.
Described by the New York Times as 'this decade's most eloquent statement on race in America today', Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' extraordinary and provocative play comes to the National Theatre after a sold out run at the Orange Tree Theatre. In 1859, white Irish playwright Dion Boucicault writes a hit play about America. Today, a black American playwright attempts to do the same.
Boundless Theatre's Confidence at Southwark Playhouse feels a bit lacking in, dare I say, confidence. The first UK revival of Judy Upton's 1998 play has plenty of 1990s nostalgia, but still feels shaky.
The Hub Theatre announced today that Matt Bassett, Hub's former Associate Artistic Director, will be stepping into the role of Artistic Director as they move into their 11th season.
This evening, the 34th Annual Helen Hayes Awards celebrated Washington's diverse and vital theatre community with a gala event at The Anthem, recognizing 258 Helen Hayes Award nominees and 48 award recipients drawn from 202 eligible productions presented at 64 theatres in 2017. GALA Hispanic Theatre's Spanish-language production of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes' In The Heights received nine awards, putting them at the top of a list of 20 theatres receiving Helen Hayes Awards this year.
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