John McCarthy News

Nora is the perfect wife and mother. She is dutiful, beautiful and everything is always in its right place. But when a secret from her past comes back to haunt her, her life rapidly unravels. Over the course of three days, Nora must fight to protect herself and her family or risk losing everything.

Nora: A Doll's House comes to the Young Vic beginning 6 February!

Blackwater Babble is a story of forty summers spent traversing the Blackwater River. Forty years of sitting in the corner of each pub, scribbling in a notebook, trying to understand the dynamics and the variables of what makes a good singsong – and what makes an epic one.

Today, Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network, in partnership with Royal & Derngate Northampton, are delighted to announce the line-up for their upcoming BEAM2020 showcase. BEAM2020 is the UK's leading showcase for new British musical theatre writing and will take place on Thursday 26th March and Friday 27th March 2020 at Royal & Derngate, Northampton.

Directors of the Abbey Theatre, Graham McLaren and Neil Murray, today announced a wide range of projects for the Abbey and Peacock Stages and on tour in 2020 presenting a diverse, challenging and engaging programme for theatre audiences.

Artistic Director of the Young Vic Kwame Kwei-Armah today announces complete casting for Nora: A Doll's House. Anna Russell-Martin (Cyrano De Bergerac, A Christmas Carol Citizens Theatre) reprises her role from the critically-acclaimed Citizens Theatre production, and is joined by Mark Arends (MotherFatherSon; Fatherland Lyric Hammersmith), Natalie Klamar (Wilderness Hampstead Theatre; Richard II Almeida), Luke Norris (Poldark; Blue/Orange, A View from the Bridge Young Vic), Amaka Okafor (The Son Kiln/West End; I'm Not Running, Macbeth National Theatre) and Zephryn Taitte (Call The Midwife; Bitter Wheat Garrick Theatre).

Celebrated singer-songwriter Mick Flannery, writer Ursula Rani Sarma, and director Annabelle Comyn have transformed Flannery's acclaimed concept album, Evening Train, into a stunning new musical and it premieres at Cork Midsummer Festival next week, Friday, June 14th, and continues until Sunday 23rd June.

Young Vic Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah has announced the Programme for 2020.

The Citizens Theatre has announced the cast and creative team for Nora: A Doll's House, a bold adaptation of Ibsen's classic text by Stef Smith.

Now in it's third week, Martin McDonagh's The Lonesome West is bringing large and appreciative audiences to the Everyman Theatre in Cork City. This blackest of black comedies, the third play in McDonagh's seminal work The Leenane Trilogy, is brilliantly realised in this production. The Everyman is maintaining its tradition of presenting top-quality theatre with this offering directed by it's Artistic Director, Julie Kelleher. It opened to huge critical acclaim in late July and continues until Saturday, 25th August.

Jimmy's Hall is based on the true story of a tin barn built on a farm in Leitrim by Jimmy Gralton in the 1920s. His vision of a haven for the local community to congregate for music, dance and lively discourse is perceived as a menace by the local establishment, including the Catholic Church, then at the height of their influence in Ireland. The church soon wield their political influence to banish the 'revolutionary' Gralton from Ireland.

Written by the Oscar nominated Martin McDonagh, The Lonesome West will be the third in-house production from The Everyman this year following on from the success of Kevin Barry's Autumn Royal and the adaptation of Louise O'Neill's Asking For It. Directed by Julie Kelleher, who is also the Artistic Director of The Everyman, The Lonesome West opens on Tuesday, 31st July and continues until Saturday, 25th August.

The Lonesome West is the brilliant blackest of black comedies by Martin McDonagh, the third play in his seminal works The Leenane Trilogy. The Everyman continues its tradition of producing top-quality theatre with McDonagh's hit comedy, directed by Julie Kelleher, opens on Tuesday, 31st July and continues until Saturday, 25th August.

Seven months ago nine young people were given the exciting news that they had been selected for the Young Playwrights Programme at Graffiti Theatre Company. A project supported by Landmark Productions, the Everyman and Cork Midsummer Festival, the programme would see their work developed for a staged reading alongside the world premiere stage adaptation of Louise O'Neill's 'Asking For It'.

For its inaugural launch in June, Mostly Modern Festival (MMF), a new summer music festival that flips the traditional programming model by devoting most of its attention to the music of our time, will present eight concerts featuring an illustrious array of guest artists and ensembles, an orchestra largely made up of Mostly Modern Festival Institute (MMFI) participants, music by esteemed resident composers … and more than 30 brand-new works in world premiere performances by 30 MMFI participating composers (see list below).

The Charles Wadsworth Piano Competition (CWPC) today announces the eight semi-finalists chosen to compete in the inaugural competition held at The Donald W. Nixon Centre for the Visual and Performing Arts in Newnan, GA: Nadia Azzi (Colburn School, CA), Hilda Huang (Yale University, CT), Aristo Sham (Harvard University, MA), Zhiheng Guo (Manhattan School of Music, NY), Dominic Cheli (Colburn School, CA), Michael Davidman (Curtis Institute of Music, PA), Angie Zhang (The Juilliard School, NY), Peng Lin (The Juilliard School, NY).

Transgender choirs, police van drama, Idi Amin's impact in Scotland, refugee stories and record collection conversations among the highlights revealed as part of 2017 Made in Scotland Showcase.

A stunningly original one-man show, A Gambler's Guide to Dying is now onstage at 59E59 Theaters through April 23rd. Written and performed by Gary McNair and directed by Gareth Nicholls, this is one to experience.

Two hit shows are heading to Manchester in May as part of HOME's programme of thought-provoking and innovative theatre in the venue's Theatre 2 space for spring/summer 2017.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) is thrilled to launch the 2017 Brits Off Broadway festival during Scotland Week with A GAMBLER'S GUIDE TO DYING, written and performed by Gary McNair and directed by Gareth Nicholls. Produced by Show And Tell, with support from Creative Scotland, Made In Scotland, and the Traverse Theatre, A GAMBLER'S GUIDE TO DYING begins performances on Tuesday, April 4 for a limited engagement through Sunday, April 23.  Press Opening is Sunday, April 9 at 3:30 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:30 PM; Friday at8:30 PM; Saturday at 2:30 PM & 8:30 PM; and Sunday at 3:30 PM. Please note there is an added performance on Sunday, April 23 at 7:30 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59thStreet, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $25 - $35 ($20 - $24.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or visit www.59e59.org.