Minerva Theatre News

ACT - A Contemporary Theatre is pleased to announce the American premiere of lauded playwright Alan Ayckbourn's Sugar Daddies, directed by Ayckbourn himself, as one of the six mainstage selections in the 2013 Season. ACT Artistic Director Kurt Beattie invited Ayckbourn to direct during a meeting in 2011 in England. The opportunity to collaborate in person is the result of ACT's commitment to and success with Ayckbourn's work, which has engendered a lasting artistic relationship. Sugar Daddies is slated to be produced in September and October, 2013. The play will be staged in ACT's Allen Theatre, as productions in-the-round are Ayckbourn's specialty.

Henry Goodman plays one of the richest and most demanding roles in the contemporary dramatic canon in a new production of Bertolt Brecht's epic, savagely funny parable of the rise of Hitler.

Keith Baxter, Michael Feast, William Gaunt, Joe McGann and Lizzie McInnerny are among those confirmed to appear alongside Henry Goodman in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, during Festival 2012.

Playwright April De Angelis takes a witty, exuberant look at the plight of the first actresses to tread the boards during the Restoration era in Playhouse Creatures, the second production to be staged at the brand new pop-up space, Theatre on the Fly. The show, directed by Michael Oakley, is set for 19 July - 11 August, 2012.

Continuing Soho Theatre's commitment to nurturing new talent and providing a platform for new writers to develop and present their work, the group has announced the Soho Six for 2012: Christopher William Hill, Shappi Khorsandi, Ben Lewis, Duncan Macmillan, Olga Nikora, and Paula B. Stanic.

Henry Goodman plays one of the richest and most demanding roles in the contemporary dramatic canon in a new production of Bertolt Brecht's epic, savagely funny parable of the rise of Hitler.

Keith Baxter, Michael Feast, William Gaunt, Joe McGann and Lizzie McInnerny are among those confirmed to appear alongside Henry Goodman in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, during Festival 2012.

Sarah Hadland and Dean Lennox Kelly feature among the ensemble cast of a new comedy by award-winning playwright Michael Wynne in which three couples attempt to get away from the stresses and dilemmas of modern life on a camping trip. CANVAS, directed by Angus Jackson, plays tonight, 18 May- 16 June at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester.

As Chichester Festival Theatre celebrates 50 years of internationally renowned work, Festival 2012 looks to the future with Theatre on the Fly, a temporary new space for the next generation of theatre-makers and theatre-goers.

As previously announced for STEP 9 (OF 12), joining Blake Harrison in his West End debut as Keith will be Wendy Nottingham, Barry McCarthy and Benjamin Dilloway. The show opens at Trafalgar Studios in a new production directed by Tom Attenborough. The four-week run begins tonight, May 4, 2012 at 7.00pm.

Sarah Hadland and Dean Lennox Kelly feature among the ensemble cast of a new comedy by award-winning playwright Michael Wynne in which three couples attempt to get away from the stresses and dilemmas of modern life on a camping trip. CANVAS, directed by Angus Jackson, will play 18 May- 16 June at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester.

Full casting announced for STEP 9 (OF 12) - joining Blake Harrison in his West End debut as Keith will be Wendy Nottingham, Barry McCarthy and Benjamin Dilloway. The show opens at Trafalgar Studios in a new production directed by Tom Attenborough.

Blake Harrison will make his West End debut leading the cast of Rob Hayes's play, STEP 9 (OF 12) which is opening at Trafalgar Studios in a new production directed by Tom Attenborough. The four week run begins on 4 May 2012 with previews from 1 May 2012.

Edward Bond's 1973 play BINGO opened last night at the Young Vic. See Patrick Stewart and Shakespeare and Richard McCabe as Ben Jonson in the photographs below, as well as afterparty shots featuring Sunny Ozell.

Tim Johanson Productions and Ollie Jordan will present a Rhapsody of Words production of Port Authority, written by Conor McPherson and directed by Tom Attenborough.

After announcing this morning that he will return to the Royal Shakespeare Company this summer, Patrick Stewart has also announced that he will be returning to the Young Vic next year. He will appear as William Shakespeare in Edward Bond's 1973 play Bingo, a play he first appeared in back in April 2010 at Chichester Festival's Minerva theatre.