Inua Ellams News

According to The Stage, Cush Jumbo will host the upcoming Stage Debut Awards this month, for the second year in a row.

Never before has there been a show filled with such exuberance, or has there been a play that fires the audience up in such a way. Before the action even starts, people are up dancing and laughing along with the 12-strong ensemble. There's so much joy happening in the centre, and the buzzing enthusiasm beams across the auditorium, being felt by everyone.

Inua Ellams's Barber Shop Chronicles returns to London after a tour around the world to play the Roundhouse in Camden for a limited six-week run. The play had an overwhelming success at the National Theatre back in 2017, and David Webber has been part of the cast since its inception. We caught up with him ahead of their new opening to hear about the tour, its reception overseas, and why the play is so successful.

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.

THE 2019 WICKED YOUNG WRITER AWARDS, presented in association with the National Literacy Trust, today (Thursday 20 June 2019) announced its winners during a ceremony involving 120 shortlisted finalists and their families and teachers at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre, home of the award-winning musical WICKED.

Director of Soho Estates Fawn James and Artistic Director Rachel Edwards together announce the opening programme for the Boulevard as the newly-reimagined venue opens its doors to the public for the first time in October 2019. The first show will be the London premiere of Dave Malloy's celebrated song cycle Ghost Quartet brought to life by the team behind the recent hit production of Sweeney Todd which won great acclaim in London and New York. Ghost Quartet will run alongside a packed roster of late-night and Sunday performances of cabaret, improv, jazz, comedy, classical music and poetry. The Boulevard Theatre's 2020 season will be announced in September.

Director of Soho Estates Fawn James and Artistic Director Rachel Edwards together announce the opening programme for the Boulevard as the newly-reimagined venue opens its doors to the public for the first time in October 2019. The first show will be the London premiere of Dave Malloy's celebrated song cycle Ghost Quartet brought to life by the team behind the recent hit production of Sweeney Todd which won great acclaim in London and New York. Ghost Quartet will run alongside a packed roster of late-night and Sunday performances of cabaret, improv, jazz, comedy, classical music and poetry. The Boulevard Theatre's 2020 season will be announced in September.

The National Theatre has announced 15 productions of new plays and fresh adaptations by leading writers.

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.

Almost four years since Good Chance built its first 'Theatre of Hope' in the Calais Jungle camp and began its ground-breaking international programme of work with artists from refugee backgrounds, the award-winning charity is delighted to announce a season of programmes and performances across summer and autumn 2019 in the UK and France. Highlights include:

Producer Farm is a joint initiative from Bristol Old Vic Ferment, Coombe Farm Studios, Dance Umbrella, Fuel and In Between Time. Now in its fourth year, the week-long residency for creative producers returns to Coombe Farm Studios in Dittisham, Devon in June 2019. The programme aims to provide time and space for producers in any field of contemporary performance to consider their current work and future potential.

The 2019 WICKED YOUNG WRITER AWARDS (www.wickedyoungwriterawards.com), created by the producers of the musical WICKED in partnership with the National Literacy Trust (www.literacytrust.org.uk) are today (Tuesday 21 May 2019) announcing the names of the 120 finalists in the running for the annual creative prizes. Championed by Patron Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall, the judges this year include two poets, Inua Ellams and Hussain Manawar in recognition of the huge growth in poetry buying and writing amongst young people. They are joined by the author and illustrator of the How to Train Your Dragon books Cressida Cowell, who returns as Head Judge for the fifth consecutive year, together with longstanding judges Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust, Michael McCabe, Executive Producer (UK) of WICKED and Nicky Cox MBE, Editor in Chief of First News (a joint sponsor of the Award prize for the 'FOR GOOD' category). The Awards Ambassador is best-selling author of the Jamie Johnson football books, Dan Freedman, who has visited schools around the country to raise awareness of the WICKED YOUNG WRITER AWARDS.

Inua Ellams' hit play Barber Shop Chronicles today marks its 250th performance by announcing new autumn dates and a special programme of work Fades, Braids & Identity which will run alongside the season at the Roundhouse in London, opening in nine weeks. The overwhelmingly successful Barber Shop Chronicles returns to London for the first time since its premiere in 2017, playing two sold out runs at the National Theatre and acclaimed performances at Leeds Playhouse. It has subsequently toured across Australia, New Zealand, the United States of America and Canada.

'It's your pub' says Winston, about the Three Kings Barber shop in London. The African barbers at the shop don't drink, so the barber shop has become the hub of the community. It's the place to watch the football, recount stories and tell jokes.

In an hour and a half of fable, poetry, and traditional storytelling, Inis Nua's Untitled beautifully presents a tale of culture, privilege and destiny.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre's outgoing Artistic Director, Roxana Silbert, today announces the theatre's Autumn and Winter 2019 season, launching a programme of familiar favourites side-by-side with new and inspiring theatre.

We risk war. This is the consequence. Battle. Shield. Spear and sword. Conflict amongst the Gods. This must be avoided.'

With SS Mendi, a co-production with Isango Ensemble, opening this week at Royal Opera House, Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Samuel Hodges, today announces the full cast for a new staging of Peter Morgan's The Audience. Samuel Hodges directs Lizzie Hopley as Margaret Thatcher and Bobo MacDonald, Paul Kemp as all other Prime Ministers, Sharon Singh as The Equerry and Fay Burwell and Maddie Farmer share the role of Young Elizabeth, joining the previously announced Faye Castelow as Queen Elizabeth II. The production opens on 30 May, with previews from 24 May, and runs until 22 June.

With Peter Morgan's The Audience opening next month, Samuel Hodges, director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres today announces the company will be commissioning a new play about local pub, The Hobbit and its legal battle with a Hollywood film company over copyright infringement which began in 2012.

With the critically acclaimed The Son currently running at Kiln Theatre, and with Inua Ellams' The Half God of Rainfall in rehearsals, Artistic Director Indhu Rubasingham today announced the full cast for Blues in the Night - Susie McKenna directs Sharon D Clarke (The Lady), Debbie Kurup (The Woman), Clive Rowe (The Man) and Gemma Sutton (The Girl) the first major London revival in 30 years. The production opens on 24 July, with previews from 18 July, and runs until 7 September.