Marc Brenner News

The National Theatre has released rehearsal images for the upcoming revival of Dear Octopus by Dodie Smith (I Capture the Castle), playing in the Lyttelton theatre from 7 February. See all the photos here.

25 years on, Strut & Fret revive and update their backstage comedy to winning effect

New production photos have been released for MACBETH starring Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma. Check out the all new photos here!

Get a first look at a new trailer for The National Theatre will release two new National Theatre Live's Dear England.

Actor Cush Jumbo has said that audience behaviour generally has “got weirder as time has gone on”.

Join Shrek and his trusty sidekick Donkey as they set out on a quest to defeat the fearsome dragon and rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona. With a heart-warming story and a cast of unforgettable characters, this musical extravaganza is a journey you won't want to miss.

Now, we’re not here to tell you how to spend your money, so, by all means, if you want to see some people off the telly in real life, they’re discounting ticket prices left and right. However, be aware that there are better ways and better plays to invest cash on.

The pure joy of theatre is its ability to constantly renew and surprise. For me, 2023 saw a plethora of excellent musicals. Notoriously hard to get right, this year seemed to feature both clever revivals and future successes, many of which remained in my thoughts long after I left the theatre.

Some highlights of the last year and some optimism for an uncertain future

All new production photos have been released for the UK and Ireland tour of PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, currently playing at the Stockton Globe Theatre until Saturday 30 December 2023, before continuing on tour.

BroadwayWorld spoke with Luke Thallon, who plays Wiktor, a composer who falls in love with Zula, a singer. We discussed what it has been like to return to the Almeida Theatre, what it is like to be taking on a new adaptation and the importance of heritage in works of art like Cold War.

All new photos have been released for Macbeth at the Donmar Warehouse, starring David Tennant (Macbeth) and Cush Jumbo (Lady Macbeth). Check out the photos here!

It would be interesting to see the show free from all the fancy listening gear so we can bask in the thrill of seeing Tennant and Jumbo grapple with their actions without a middleman. After all, isn’t part of the beauty of theatre that the audience isn’t separated from the story by a screen of any kind? The run is sold out (as it should be!) and they’re probably already in talks for a transfer (as they should!), but one wonders if this is actually what the future of drama is: a Shakespearean ASMR experience that will be dubbed as immersive. Fair is foul, and foul is fair.

Whether you’re looking for a pantomime, Christmas concert, a musical classic or a spooky story for the festive season, there’s plenty to enjoy at theatres across Merseyside and Cheshire this Winter.

Look Behind You follows the ups, and largely downs, of a professional theatre company staging the stock panto Dick Whittington in a godforsaken seaside town.  While the ‘happy-ever-after’ panto plays onstage, we see the behind-the-scenes reality. See the first look photos here.

It raised eyebrows when it was announced: Paweł Pawlikowski’s Oscar nominated Cold War is hardly five years old, not nearly enough time for it to have fallen off the cultural radar. If a stage adaptation isn’t rejuvenating a lost classic, what does it want to achieve?

The National Theatre somewhat mutedly celebrated its 60th anniversary this year. There was ostensibly little fanfare. No public flotillas, no audiences with royal patrons or forty-one gun salutes. Instead we have been on the receiving end of presents, and a plethora of them in the form of one knockout production after another.

An all new trailer and photos have been released for the UK and Ireland tour of the Stock Aitken Waterman musical I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY. Check out the photos and video here!

Armando Iannucci’s name carries great clout; as well as comedy and Dickens, shows such as The Thick Of It and Veep have secured his status as one of our great political satirists, yet until now he has never written anything for the stage. If anyone can skewer the madness of the last few years, it is surely Iannucci. Well, it seems not.

Ahead of The Wizard of Oz opening at the Liverpool Empire for a three-week Christmas season on Wednesday 13 December, before a major UK and Ireland Tour first look rehearsal photography has been released. See all the new photos here.