Maria Aberg News

Tim Sheader has been appoint as the new Artistic Director and joint Chief Executive of the Donmar Warehouse, alongside Executive Director Henny Finch.

In sync with the off-Broadway revival currently playing in New York until 2024 comes to the Opéra Comique the first legitimate Paris revival of the 1986 French adaptation of The Little Shop of Horrors by the late Alain Marcel, which first opened at the Théâtre Dejazet in June and then transferred to the Théâtre la Porte St-Martin. A previous French revival, also at the Dejazet in 2001, starring Hervé Lewandowski as Seymour and Franck Vincent as the plant, was cut short because the rights didn't allow for the vegetal monster to be played by a human! Of course, this has now changed. As in the excellent Maria Aberg production at Regent's Park Open Air in 2018, the plant appeared in the human form of American drag queen Vicky Vox! In this new production, the plant made bigger and sensibly more frightening, is a giant puppet manipulated by Daniel Njo Lobé whose powerful voice gives the vegetal its identity.

The trustees of HighTide announced that they have appointed Clare Slater, currently Head of New Work at the Donmar Warehouse as the next Artistic Director of HighTide. She will lead the company alongside Executive Director Rowan Rutter as joint Chief Executives. Clare takes over from Suba Das, former Artistic Director and Chief Executive of HighTide.

PROJEKT EUROPA and Mercury Theatre have announced plans to commission works from migrant theatre makers Ailin Conant, Sacha Plaige and Andreea Tudose as part of PROJEKT ELEVATE.

Today, Jermyn Street Theatre has announced the winners of two major initiatives promoting underrepresented theatremakers: the Woven Voices Prize for Playwriting in collaboration with Woven Voices, and the 2022 cohort of Creative Associates. The winner of the first Woven Voices Prize, dedicated to celebrating and platforming migrant playwrights, is Kazakhstan-born  Karina Wiedman (video here) with her play The Anarchist.

The Marlowe in Canterbury has announced that Maria Aberg's PROJEKT EUROPA will become a Resident Company at the theatre, creating and premiering work in the heart of Kent.

Following the latest government advice, Northern Stage will postpone its autumn season productions Red Ellen, The Invisible Man and Gatsby, and Christmas shows The Sorcerer's Apprentice and The Hey Diddle Diddle Christmas Spectacular from Kitchen Zoo.

Nottingham Playhouse has released the first three episodes of a new podcast series that will explore the careers, processes and lockdown experiences of nationally and internationally renowned artists.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director, Sean Foley, alongside Executive Director, Rachael Thomas, and Deputy Artistic Director, Amit Sharma today announced their first full season of work for the theatre.

This year begins with the UK première of Kate Attwell's Testmatch, a co-production with Theatre Royal Bath exploring power, history, colonialism, gender and sexuality a?" all through the lens of women's cricket. The creative team, today announced, includes Nicole Charles (Director), Camilla Clarke (Design), Jess Bernberg (Lighting Design), Max Pappenheim (Sound Design), Chris Whittaker (Movement Director), Amy Ball (Casting Director) and Aysha Kala (Assistant Director). Charles directs Komal Amin, Subika Anwar-Khan, Bessie Carter, Sally Messham, Lotte Rice and Tripti Tripuraneni.

The RSC visit the Canterbury venue with As You Like It, The Taming Of The Shrew and Measure For Measure between Wednesday 29 January and Saturday 8 February. It is the first time the RSC has performed three plays in repertoire at the theatre.

Bristol Old Vic today launched its 2020 programme of work, Year of Artists a?" shining a spotlight on the role of artists in a changing world, and celebrating creativity in us all. Work from some of the most incredible talent in British theatre today (from Emma Rice, Sally Cookson, Joel Horwood and Maria Aberg) sits alongside dazzling new writers and artists (such as Ross Willis and Miranda Cromwell) and opportunities for everyone from across the region, regardless of age, experience or background, to get creatively involved.

Alice Birch's [BLANK] comprises 100 scenes, any number of which can be selected and performed in any order a?" it's all in the hands of the creative team. For Maria Aberg's production at the Donmar Warehouse, an all-female company has been cast and 22 of the scenes have been pulled together. The common thread between all of the scenes is the experience of women in the criminal justice system, whether they work for it, are in prison themselves, or are victims of crime.

Alice Birch's heartbreaking new play reaches across society to explore the impact of the criminal justice system on women and their families.

London is never short of temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From Annie Baker's latest to Ealing comedy and a royal reunion, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews, interviews and features!

The Donmar Warehouse today announces that Susan Wokoma, fresh from her acclaimed performance as Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Open Air Theatre and Channel 4's Year of the Rabbit, joins the cast of Teenage Dick in the role of Elizabeth York.

The Donmar Warehouse and Clean Break today announce full casting for the world premiere of [BLANK] a new play by Alice Birch. Directed by Maria Aberg, full casting includes Ayesha Antoine, Shona Babayemi, Sophia Brown, Jackie Clune, Grace Doherty, Lucy Edkins, Zaris-Angel Hator, Zainab Hasan, Joanna Horton, Thusitha Jayasundera, Petra Letang, Leah Mondesir-Simmonds, Kate O'Flynn, Ashna Rabheru, Jemima Rooper and Taya Tower.

Jenny Hicks and Jacqueline Holborough were both serving sentences in HMP Askham Grange when they decided that prison needed theatre. Hence, Clean Break was born. From a collective of ex-prisoners, the company grew to be one of Britain's most progressive, life-changing, and groundbreaking organisations.

Later this year, the three Shakespeare productions from the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC) Summer 2019 Stratford season transfer to the Barbican from 26 October 2019. The Company features 27 actors, who each appear across two of the three productions:

Clean Break continues its 40th anniversary year following the success of its Spring season, which opened with the sold-out run of Inside Bitch at the Royal Court Theatre.