Manuel Harlan News

Stranger Things: The First Shadow, has opened at the Phoenix Theatre. Read the reviews!

During its original run, real life happenings threatened to overshadow the fictional: Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett - whose presence and music is felt throughout Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll - sadly died in Cambridge where he was born and where this epochal play of cultural and political revolution is set over several decades. 

It’s very much the time of year for seasonal silliness, and whilst run-of-the-mill pantomimes are a safe choice, they are also a predictable one. Theatre company Told by an Idiot’s Get Happy is anything but that.

The Roald Dahl Story Company, Leeds Playhouse and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre have revealed joyous new production ‘snaps’ of their marvellously moreish musical extravaganza, The Enormous Crocodile. Check out photos of teh cast in action here!

Matthew Dunster’s production of The Homecoming promises a “refocusing” of Pinter’s 1965 classic. I’m not sure what that is supposed to mean, but in reality it translates to a plastic production defanged of its guttural animal instincts and brutal bite. If you squint, you can make out Pinter’s genius, it’s sabre sliced cross-section of gendered power dynamics is just about detectable through the smoky haze.

Michael Dylan, Dave Hearn, and Amy Revelle share the comic timing of long-time friends. Strategically precise physical languages and a penchant for a quick, perfectly calibrated comeback make Steven Canny and John Nicholson’s a good-natured, lighthearted comedy. There are a few lulls in the first act, but these are rightfully outnumbered by energetically random bits that will have the crowd howling. Just what the doctor ordered these days.

Matthew White’s latest creation is stunning and Sondheim’s score remains beautiful. White doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to condemning the actions depicted, though at the very end his vision seems to suddenly shift all the violence into the necessary evil that kick-started Japan’s technological advancement. Questionable, but interesting.

The Royal Shakespeare Company has released new photos from the record-breaking production of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro, which began previews at the Barbican on the 21 November and runs until Saturday 23 March 2024.

The first look production photos for Stranger Things: The First Shadow, currently in previews at the Phoenix Theatre, have been released. See all-new the photos below.

Taking your family to a production of Charles’ Dickens A Christmas Carol is almost as expected as taking them to your local pantomime with at least three major productions running this year alone. No stranger to reinterpreting classic works, Mark Gattis’ (Sherlock, Dracula, Dr Who) 2021 production returns to haunt the Alexandra Palace this festive season.

Production images have been released for Harold Pinter’s powerful masterpiece The Homecoming starring Jared Harris, Joe Cole, Lisa Diveney, Robert Emms, David Angland and Nicolas Tennant. See the first look photos here.

Recently, we had the chance to speak with Ami Okumura Jones, who returns to the role of Satsuki, Mei’s older sister. We discussed what it has been like to be part of both the original and current production of the show, how it feels to be part of an adaptation of a classic Studio Ghibli film, and even her first reaction to seeing the puppets!

Recently, we had the chance to speak with Joaquin Pedro Valdes, who is taking on the role of John Manjiro in Pacific Overtures. We discussed how he first got started in musical theatre, what it has been like to be a part of such a unique Sonhdime work, and even how the themes of the show can be compared to sushi!

Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the eagerly-awaited stage adaptation of the hit Netflix series, is set to open on 16 December at the Phoenix Theatre. The show is set in Hawkins, Indiana in 1959, following characters like Jim Hopper, Bob Newby and Joyce Maldonado “before the world turned upside down.” 

I'm sure there will be more than a few sighs of relief down the corridors of the National Theatre at the deservedly raptuous reception for The Witches, the latest attempt to bring a hit show to the stage at this lucrative time of year. 'We're not women, we're hell' is not a line you would expect at a family show, but Lyndsey Turner's production combines exuberant fun, quick-witted comedy and a positive attitude towards death to produce an entralling, clever and incredibly funny production.

The Old Vic has established Matthew Warchus' version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol as one of London's must-see festive shows. Since 2017 audiences have been welcomed with mince pies and satsumas and showered with snow and parachuting sprouts.

Netflix has revealed the first official look at Stranger Things: The First Shadow, along with the first act title: “Chapter One: The Girl From Nowhere.” Stranger Things: The First Shadow by Kate Trefry is an original stage play that brings the world of Stranger Things to life in a new way – live on stage. Check out the photo now!

They did Frank Loesser and Damon Runyon proud with this one.

burbThe Royal Court was the first stage for Lucy Wade’s biting satire Posh, which focused on the lack of consequences of the poor and entitled behaviour of certain members of the upper classes. That was back in 2010 and it can be argued that amount of material to work with on the subject is even greater that ever. Unfortunately, Rory Mullarkey’s new play wastes every opportunity to say anything novel.

The Menier Chocolate Factory has released all new rehearsal photos for their co-production with the Umeda Arts Theater of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Pacific Overtures.