Inua Ellams News

British Council INTERSECT Programme drives cultural diversity in the arts

The National Theatre has announced its upcoming lineup for the first half of 2019.

As the overwhelmingly successful North American tour of Inua Ellams' much celebrated play Barber Shop Chronicles draws to a close, it is today announced that the production will return to London, two years after opening at the National Theatre. Back by popular demand, the production, spanning six cities over the course of one day, will be remounted specifically for the Roundhouse, London's most iconic in-the-round performance space.

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Sam Hodges today announces the full cast for his production of Howard Brenton's The Shadow Factory which returns to celebrate NST City's first anniversary after opening the space with a sell-out run last year. The cast includes Denise Black (Lady Cooper/Ma Dimmock), Bethan Cullinane (Jackie Dimmock), Joe Tracini (Len Gooch) and Michael Fenton Stevens (Lord Beaverbrook) joining returning cast members David Birrell (Fred Dimmock/Hugh Downing), Catherine Cusack (Lil Dimmock/Sylvia Meinster) and Shala Nyx (Polly Stride). The production opens on 1 February, with previews from 30 January, and runs until 2 March.

Fuel Director, Kate McGrath today confirmed the programme of work for 2019. She said: "Understanding the world we live in seems more complex than ever. Imagining a positive future requires new levels of optimism. Coming together in a theatre is a way to do these things, and have a good night out. Brilliant artists create a space for a temporary community to come together and seek to understand and to imagine. Fuel's job is to identify those living artists and bring their urgent and brave work to life for people to experience. As we approach our 15th birthday, we reflect on what has changed in the world since 2004, where we find ourselves today, and what 2034 might hold for us all. Our 2019 season celebrates our common humanity: how we all connect to the earth and to each other.

BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES takes you on a cultural exchange trip across the continent of Africa, with a side journey to the UK, to meet and listen in on communities of men who go to the barber shop for much more than a shave and a haircut. Focusing on the relationships of men with fathers, children, friends, and lovers, playwright Inua Ellams provides an intimate view of a time-honored tradition. An ensemble of twelve populates the stage with 30 characters who give a lively, colorful performance.

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 delighted to announce that the poet, playwright and performer Inua Ellams (Barber Shop Chronicles) and the international poet and mental health campaigner Hussain Manawer are both joining this year's judging panel. The author, award-winning journalist and former Labour MP Ed Balls returns to the judging panel for a third year, alongside Editor-in-Chief of First News, Nicky Cox MBE. Author and illustrator of the How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizard of Once books, Cressida Cowell, returns as Head Judge for the fifth consecutive year, together with long-standing judges Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust and Michael McCabe, Executive Producer (UK) of WICKED.

After a divisive election, and with a government shutdown looming next week, it's hard to think about what unites us. That is why Barber Shop Chronicles at the Kennedy Center could not be timelier.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Producer Diane Borger, announces the cast and creative team for Barber Shop Chronicles. The Fuel, National Theatre, and West Yorkshire Playhouse co-production begins preview performances on Wednesday, December 5, 2018; opens Friday, December 7; and closes Saturday, January 5, 2019 at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, MA.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Georgetown University's Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics (The Lab) present Lab PerForum, a series of public discussions and workshops with artists from the Kennedy Center's WORLD STAGES series. The Lab PerForumcollaboration begins with discussions provoked by the Fuel, Royal National Theater, and West Yorkshire Playhouse co-production of Barber Shop Chronicles by Inua Ellams.

Contact will present the third part of Contact In The City, as work continues to transform its iconic building on Oxford Road. The season, which runs from January to June, promises to delve into urgent intercultural questions of politics, protest and community.

Following two sold out runs at the National Theatre, acclaimed performances at Leeds Playhouse, and a majorly successful tour of Australia and New Zealand, BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES makes its only Canadian stop on the North American tour at the Grand Theatre from November 15-24. The Title Sponsor for BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES is McCormick Canada.

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Samuel Hodges, today announces the company's Spring and Summer 2019 season.

Following two sold out runs at the National Theatre, acclaimed performances at Leeds Playhouse, and a majorly successful tour of Australia and New Zealand, BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES makes its only Canadian stop on the North American tour at the Grand Theatre from November 15-24. The Title Sponsor for BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES is McCormick Canada.

Bristol Old Vic today went on sale with its Winter/Spring 2019 programme, launching a new season of inspiring, cutting-edge and award-winning theatre, set to take Bristol by storm following its ground-breaking Year of Change.

The runaway success of Inua Ellams' highly acclaimed play Barber Shop Chronicles continues as today Kate McGrath, Director of Fuel, is delighted to confirm that Barber Shop Chronicles will tour the UK from March 2019. Working closely with a national partnership of venues (including Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep, Bristol Old Vic and Royal Exchange Manchester with Contact) Fuel is thrilled that the UK tour of Barber Shop Chronicles will be supported by a grant from Arts Council England. This support will help the production to attract new, young and diverse audiences with a minimum of 10% of all available tickets across the entire tour will be made available for free via local engagement initiatives aimed at young people who traditionally wouldn't attend theatre performances.

The National Theatre has today announced its new season

Tonight We Fly provides the people of Leeds with an opportunity to meet, talk and share their ideas and fears about society with artists who will present their own work and invite conversation and response in the hope that a better sense of community will emerge.

UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA) presents the West Coast premiere of Nigerian-born, UK-based poet, playwright and performer Inua Ellams' celebrated play Barber Shop Chronicles, a co-production of Fuel, National Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse, from Thursday, Oct. 18 to Saturday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. at the Freud Playhouse, UCLA.

Inis Nua Theatre Company is proud to celebrate its 15th anniversary with the announcement of the 2018-2019 season. Music, laughter and mystery will fill the stage as Inis Nua presents the American Premieres of Inua Ellams' untitled and Monsay Whitney's Box Clever, plus the Philadelphia Premiere of David Greig's The Monster in the Hall. With the new season, Inis Nua will continue to be the only America theatre exploring exciting contemporary plays from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. All three works from across the pond will continue to bring Philadelphia audiences provocative, shocking and jubilant work by some of the best playwrights of today. Performances will be held at Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake, 302 South Hicks Street. Subscriptions for the season are currently available and single tickets are on sale now. For tickets and more information, visit www.inisnuatheatre.org or call (215) 454-9776.