John Haynes News

The 60th anniversary production of Beckett's masterwork Happy Days, newly opened at west London's Riverside Studios, is indistinguishable from the keen eye of its director, Trevor Nunn, who across more than six decades has contributed many of the most significant (not to mention quite a few of the best) productions in my experience. We look back at a seismic career and select five productions for the ages.

This weekend sees a free one-day Arts festival being streamed online, created and produced by the West Midlands Culture Response Unit (WMCRU). The Midsummer Festival will mark the Summer Solstice and celebrate the popular Arts culture in the West Midlands. We had the opportunity to talk to the Director of Culture Central, Erica Love, about the exciting upcoming event.

In many ways, the choice of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet is a smart one from Shakespeare's Globe; it is a familiar-enough story to draw in a new audience, while satisfying those who have watched it numerous times. It does, therefore, seem a pity that the Globe has chosen this 2009 version of the world's most famous love story, as it fails to ignite very much passion in either the cast or the audience.

The theatre landscape has changed dramatically since the 1977 premier of Abigail's Party but Leigh remains as real, raw and relevant as ever before. At 77 the writer / director shows no signs of slowing down. After venturing into period pieces with Topsy-Turvey and Mr Turner, Leigh's most recent picture Peterloo is his most ambitious yet. We've put together a list of Leigh's top ten works.

Robert Barry Fleming will join Actors Theatre of Louisville as Artistic Director. The appointment was announced Monday by Mac Thompson, President of the Board of Directors, and Managing Director Kevin E. Moore. Fleming comes to Louisville by way of Cleveland where he serves as Associate Artistic Director of Cleveland Play House; previously, he was the Director of Artistic Programming at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. His tenure at Actors Theatre begins June 1, 2019.

In a series of nine new and captivating works that expand the notion of mortality and tackle the taboos of peoples inevitable demise, Arts House invite audiences to dig deep into death, dying, grief and celebration in playful and surprising ways.

It seems Max Stafford-Clark, who stepped down from Out of Joint earlier this autumn, did not do so just 'to focus on his international freelance career,' as previously reported. According to The Guardian, the former artistic director of the Royal Court Theatre was forced to leave after reports of 'inappropriate behavior' by a colleague.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: AN ACT OF GOD opens on the Great White Way, York opens CAGNEY, Deaf West's SPRING AWAKENING returns to LA and more!

Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy are currently reprising their critically acclaimed West End performances in the hit London production of David Hare's Skylight at the John GoldenTheatre, directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Stephen Daldry. SKYLIGHT, which also features Matthew Beard, opens tonight, April 2, at the John Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...

Mulligan and Bill Night reprise their critically acclaimed West End performances in the hit London production of David Hare's Skylight at the John Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street), directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Stephen Daldry. Skylight played to sold-out houses when it opened in the West End in June; it recently received the 2014 Evening Standard Award for Revival of the year. Check out a first look at the cast on stage below!

The New York Post writes that David Hare's SKYLIGHT, starring Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan, is 'laying the groundwork for a transfer' to Broadway following its rave-review opening last week at Wyndham's Theatre in the West End. No word on official dates or a theater, but BWW will keep you updated as we know more!

Stephen Daldry directs Matthew Beard (Edward Sergeant), Carey Mulligan (Kyra Hollis) and Bill Nighy (Tom Sergeant) in a major West End revival of David Hare's Olivier award-winning Skylight. Opening at the Wyndham's Theatre on 18 June, the show's strictly limited run plays until 23 August 2014. Designs are by Bob Crowley with lighting by Natasha Katz, sound by Paul Arditti and music by Paul Englishby. Check out a first look below!

Ron Cordes, a Unitarian Universalist in Bedford, MA, has created a six-DVD series tracing UU history from early Christianity through the present day. Newcomers and lifelong UUs will learn something from this wonderful resource, described in UU World as one of the most important video resources for teaching and learning UU history.

This read is a compelling true story about a fascinating character named Fred. It consists of seven true short stories which depict one man's road to social delinquency and illustrates an extraordinary character which is shockingly audacious, yet entertaining at the same time. John Haynes wishes for his readers to capture the essence of 'Fred' in a unique and amusing way, trusting them to appreciate the humor in an otherwise tragic story.

Casting controversies, the role of reviewers and another Broadway great turning 80 were among the stories that fired up theatre chat boards and fueled cocktail conversations at Sardi's during the past twelve months. Here are ten of the big issues theatre lovers talked about in 2011.

Max Stafford-Clark's new production of Caryl Churchill's Top Girls will end its scheduled run at the Trafalgar Studios on 29 October 2011.

Caroline Loncq (Margaret Hyman), Brian Protheroe (Stanton Case), Suzan Sylvester (Harriet) and Stanley Townsend (Dr Harry Hyman) join previously announced Antony Sher (Phillip Gellburg) and Tara Fitzgerald (Sylvia Gellburg) to complete the cast for Arthur Miller's Olivier Award winning Broken Glass.

Max Stafford-Clark's new production of Caryl Churchill's Top Girls transfers to the Trafalgar Studios following a sell-out run at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester.

Shakespeare's Globe London Cinema Series continues with the London Globe Theatre's critically acclaimed production of Henry IV Part 1 starring Roger Allam, who won the Best Actor Olivier Award for his definitive performance as Falstaff in this production. Henry IV Part 1 will be shown in select movie theaters across the U.S. at 6:30 p.m. local time on Monday, August 1. Shakespeare's Globe London Cinema Series, a stage-to-cinema presentation by NCM Fathom, Globe Theatre and Arts Alliance Media, is an exclusive four-part in-theater series of the most classic of Shakespeare titles in U.S. movie theaters nationwide this summer and fall.

The Tricycle Theatre is to perform its production The Great Game: Afghanistan for The Pentagon at the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Sidney Harman Hall, for two performances only. The two trilogy days - presented by the Tricycle Theatre, The Bob Woodruff Foundation, British Council and Shakespeare Theatre Company - will be performed to audiences of policy and decision makers, military and government officials, service members, veterans and their families.