Minerva Theatre News

English Touring Theatre and Theatre Royal Stratford East today announce the full cast for Ned Bennett's bold new production of Peter Shaffer's critically-acclaimed classic, psychological thriller Equus. Bennett directs Robert Finch (Frank Strang/Horse), Keith Gilmore (Harry Dalton/Nurse/Horse), Ethan Kai (Alan Strang), Syreeta Kumar (Dora Strang/Horse), Norah Lopez Holden (Jill Mason/Horse), Ruth Lass (Hester Salomon/Horse), Ira Mandela Siobhan (Young Horseman/Nugget) and Zubin Varla (Martin Dysart) completes the cast. The production opens at Theatre Royal Stratford East on 21 February, with previews from 15 February and runs until 23 March prior to embarking on a UK tour to Cambridge Arts Theatre, Theatre Royal Bath, Bristol Old Vic, The Lowry, Northern Stage and Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

First performed at the Royal Court in 2009, Mike Bartlett's play Cock has been revived as part of the Chichester Festival season at the Minerva Theatre, following on from Michael Frayn's Copenhagen. Despite being written almost a decade ago, the themes of this play are arguably more relevant now than they ever have been, so this revival could not have been timed much better.

Following a sellout success at Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, Long Lane Theatre Company are pleased to announce their UK Autumn tour of The Giant Killers, a true story of class, sport and the survival of the underdog. The re-cast and reimagined production kicks off on Friday 12th October, 7.30pm at The Heron Theatre, Cumbria and ends with a week long run at Upstairs at The Gatehouse London, Sunday 4th November.

The full company has been announced for Laura Wade's new play THE WATSONS, adapted from Jane Austen's unfinished novel, which receives its world premiere at the Minerva Theatre from 3 November - 1 December, with a press night on 8 November. Directed by Samuel West, the cast is: Sam Alexander, Sally Bankes, Joe Bannister, Jane Booker, Elaine Claxton, Tim Delap, Leonardo Dickens, Sophie Duval, Archie Elliot, Louise Ford, John Wilson Goddard, Grace Molony, Elander Moore, Katherine Rose Morley, Paksie Vernon, Cat White and Laurence Ubong Williams.

With Spamilton: An American Parody currently running at the theatre, the Menier Chocolate Factory today announces full casting for their major revival of Hugh Whitemore's Pack of Lies. Hannah Chissick directs Jasper Britton as (Stewart), Sia Dauda (Sally), Alasdair Harvey (Peter Kroger), Chris Larkin (Bob Jackson), Macy Nyman (Julie Jackson), Tracy-Ann Oberman (Helen Kroger), Natalie Walter (Thelma) and Finty Williams (Barbara Jackson). The production opens on 1 October, with previews from 20 September, and runs until 17 November.

With Spamilton: An American Parody currently running at the theatre, the Menier Chocolate Factory today announces full casting for their major revival of Hugh Whitemore's Pack of Lies. Hannah Chissick directs Jasper Britton as (Stewart), Sia Dauda (Sally), Alasdair Harvey (Peter Kroger), Chris Larkin (Bob Jackson), Macy Nyman (Julie Jackson), Tracy-Ann Oberman (Helen Kroger), Natalie Walter (Thelma) and Finty Williams (Barbara Jackson). The production opens on 1 October, with previews from 20 September, and runs until 17 November.

Three of the UK's most exciting young actors - Luke Thallon, Matthew Needham and Isabella Laughland - will appear in Kate Hewitt's new production of Mike Bartlett's COCK, which will play in the round at Chichester's Minerva Theatre from 28 September - 27 October. They will be joined by Simon Chandler, whose most recent Chichester appearance was in Festival 2017's The Stepmother. This will be the first revival of Bartlett's Olivier Award-winning play since its 2009 premiere at the Royal Court.

Further casting is announced today for Festival 2018 at Chichester Festival Theatre. Clive Rowe joins Matt Lucas, Caroline Quentin and Alex Young to lead the cast of the musical ME AND MY GIRL, which Daniel Evans directs at the Festival Theatre from 2 July - 25 August. Clive will play Sir John Tremayne, returning to Chichester following his appearance in Kiss Me Kate in 2012 which later transferred to The Old Vic.

Next up at the RSC's Swan Theatre is an oft-forgotten Restoration comedy by Mary Pix; originally titled The Beau Defeated, Jo Davies' production shifts the focus onto the widowed protagonist with the new title The Fantastic Follies of Mrs Rich. It comes in the same year as two new productions of another Restoration Comedy, The Country Wife, are unveiled at Southwark Playhouse and Chichester's Minerva Theatre - and plays alongside The Duchess of Malfi and Macbeth (in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre).

According to Baz Bamigboye of The Daily Mail an exciting new production of Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori's Caroline, Or Change is headed for a West End run, beginning November 16 at ATG's Playhouse Theatre, where it will play through April 21. Visit carolineorchange.co.uk for more information. 

Looks like the West End will be getting to know Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe. According to a report by the Daily Mail, Lincoln Center Theater's production of THE KING AND I 'has its eye on the London Palladium for a limited season next year.'

Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) will host Druid, Ireland's most celebrated theatre company, and their critically acclaimed production of Waiting for Godot. Directed by Tony Award-winner Garry Hynes, Druid's production of Samuel Beckett's absurd, anarchic masterpiece will make its regional premiere at the Lansburgh Theatre (450 7th Street, NW) from April 17 through May 20, 2018 before it travels on to Chicago.

Daniel Evans and Rachel Tackley said: 'We're enormously grateful for the warm welcome extended to us by our local community and those visiting from further afield during our first season, which welcomed Chichester's largest-ever Festival audience.

Sonia Friedman Productions and Neal Street Productions will transfer Jez Butterworth's The Ferryman, directed by Sam Mendes, to Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 W. 45th Street, New York) in October 2018.

ATG Productions, Chichester Festival Theatre, Gavin Kalin Productions and Glass Half Full Productions are delighted to announce a major West End transfer for Chichester Festival Theatre's critically-acclaimed production of Shakespeare's King Lear, which will run at the Duke of York's Theatre in London for 100 performances only from 11th July to 3rd November 2018.

Chilling, sinister, thought-provoking and wickedly funny. Antaeus Theatre Companypresents a fully partner-cast production of Harold Pinter's seldom seen dark comedy, The Hothouse. Directed by Nike Doukas, The Hothouse opens on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 (one opening for each cast), running through March 11 at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale. Low-priced previews begin on Jan. 18.

English Touring Theatre today announces additional tour dates of their production of Conor McPherson's Olivier Award-winning play The Weir, co-produced with Mercury Theatre Colchester.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica and Bated Breath present the U.S. Premiere of Shakespeare his wife and the dog by Philip Whitchurch, featuring its originating cast: Whitchurch as Shakespeare and Sally Edwards as Anne Hathaway, and directed as it was in the U.K. by Julia St John, for twelve performances only, January 18 through 28 with a press opening on January 19.

The premiere play at the Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts, One Man, Two Guvnors, tells the story of Frances Henshall, an out - of - work skiffle player who becomes separately employed by two gangsters - Roscoe Crabbe and Stanley Stubber s. Watch Frances juggle jobs and fall in love, but ultimately hope for just one bite to eat. WHEN: January 30, 2018 to March 4, 2018

Chilling, sinister, thought-provoking and wickedly funny.Antaeus Theatre Company presents a fully partner-cast production of Harold Pinter's seldom seen dark comedy, The Hothouse. Directed by Nike Doukas, The Hothouse opens on Jan. 25and Jan. 26 (one opening for each cast), running through March 11 at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale. Low-priced previews begin on Jan. 18.