Peter Hall News

Billed as an Irish dance place, Out of Time, presented as a part of the Kennedy Center's Ireland 100 festival, is actually much more. Equal parts dance, modern music performance, and memoir, Colin Dunne's stunning solo performance is full of depth and intelligence.

The Drama Book Shop welcomes back author, coach, director and actress Kelly Hunter for an encore discussion and signing of her acclaimed book, Cracking Shakespeare. Ms. Hunter signed copies of the technique book in November of 2015, and returns again to popular demand. Ms. Hunter will discuss and sign the book on Thursday, May 19th at 6:00pm.

The Original Theatre Company and Salisbury Playhouse in association with Eastbourne Theatres will present the national tour of Emlyn Williams's psychological thriller, NIGHT MUST FALL, directed by Luke Sheppard and starring Gwen Taylor as Mrs Bramson.  The tour will begin at Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne on 19 August, with a National press night on Wednesday 7 September at Salisbury Playhouse.

The Shakespeare Society will hold its annual Playing Shakespeare Celebration - a festive cocktail party, fundraiser and awards ceremony on May 23, from 6 - 8 pm, at The Players, 16 Gramercy Park South.

Black Theatre Live's fourth touring show will be Britain's first all-black HAMLET. This co-production with Watford Palace Theatre and Stratford Circus Arts Centre is directed by Jeffery Kissoon and will tour from September 2016. The eight-venue consortium's previous productions include Macbeth, She Called Me Mother and The Diary of a Hounslow Girl.

The 89-year-old theatre is where Peter Hall directed the English-language premiere of Samuel Beckett's WAITING FOR GODOT.

The 2017 Olivier Awards will be held at the Royal Albert Hall.

Artistic Director Christopher Haydon today announces full casting for the world premiere of The Iphigenia Quartet which includes Agamemnon, written by Caroline Bird and directed by Christopher Haydon; Chorus, written by Chris Thorpe and directed by Elayce Ismail; Iphigenia by Suhayla El-Bushra and directed by Rebecca Hill and Clytemnestra by Lulu Raczka and directed by Jennifer Tang. In Agamemnon, Andrew French plays Agamemnon, Nigel Barratt plays Menelaus, Sharon Duncan-Brewster plays Clytemnestra and Louise McMenemy plays Messenger. The cast of Agamemnon will all play Voice in Chorus. In Iphigenia and Clytemnestra, Shannon Tarbet plays Iphigenia and Maid, Susie Trayling plays Clytemnestra and Professor, Dwane Walcott plays Achilles and Soldier and Anthony Barclay plays Agamemnon and Director. The Iphigenia Quartet opens at the Gate Theatre, on 3 May, with previews from 23 April, until 21 May. Agamemnon and Clytemnestra will play in rep with Iphigenia and Chorus as part of Nuclear: A Season about the Family.

Maggie Smith was presented with the Critics' Circle Award 2015 for Services to the Arts at a private lunch held at the National Liberal Club in London on March 31, receiving an engraved crystal rose bowl. The event hosted byJeffery Taylor, president of the Critics' Circle and Mark Shenton, chairman of the Drama section of the Critics' Circle. 

David Farrell's rarely seen publicity photos are part of 'Shakespeare in Art: Tempests, Tyrants and Tragedy' at Compton Verney.

Arion Productions Ltd has launched a new series of masterclasses to provide expert 'one day only' training in much-sought-after specialist fields with some of the country's finest theatre, film, television and radio professionals at the Diorama Arts Studios. Masterclasses include, two time Oliver Award winner, Jenny Galloway (Acting Through Song Masterclass), long standing War Horse, Citizen Squid and Goodnight Mr Tom puppeteer, Abigail Matthews (West End Puppetry Masterclass) and Olivier and Actor's Screen Guild Award nominated actress Annette Badland (Acting for Stage and Screen Masterclass) who is currently appearing in EastEnders.

JJB Productions to present MOTHER ADAM June 14th - July 2nd 2016 at The Baron's Court Theatre. Press Night: June 17th 2016, 7pm.

Following a worldwide search for the most outstanding young talents in dance, literature, theatre and visual arts, Rolex recently announced the finalists who will be introduced to the respective mentors - Ohad Naharin (dance), Mia Couto (literature), Robert Lepage (theatre) and Joan Jonas (visual arts) - in the 2016-2017 Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative.

The Farm Theater will present a special two-day presentation of Vickie Tanner's solo show, Running Into Me, directed by Padraic Lillis, on Tuesday, March 29 at 3pm and 7pm and Wednesday, March 30 at 7pm at The NuBox Theatre at the John DeSotelle Studio (300 West 43rd Street, 3rd Floor). Admission is free, but seating is limited. Please RSVP at rsvp@thefamrtheater.org. 

Stark Naked Theatre presents the classic, yet ever-relevant dark comedy Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf? by Edward Albee. 

After its phenomenal run on and off Broadway, the critically acclaimed five times Tony Award nominated play HAND TO GOD (including Best New Play and Best Director) makes its way to London's West End officially opens at the Vaudeville Theatre tonight 15 February 2016.

As part of the Bard's 400th anniversary celebrations, the gallery at Compton Verney in Warwickshire - which is just nine miles away from Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon - has joined forces with the RSC to create a new exhibition. SHAKESPEARE IN ART: TEMPESTS, TYRANTS AND TRAGEDY, opening next month, pays tribute to a playwright whose work has inspired countless artists over the centuries, from Sargent, Fuseli, Rossetti, Blake and Watts to Romney, Karl Weschke, Kate Tempest and Tom Hunter.

A rare revival of Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams will run for a limited engagement, April 23-May 14, at St. John's Lutheran Church, one of the oldest buildings in Greenwich Village. Directed by Austin Pendleton, the production features a 16-person cast lead by Irene Glezos, Thomas Beaudoin and Beth Bartley. Williams's modern version of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice opened on Broadway in 1957 and was revived in 1989 in a celebrated production directed by Sir Peter Hall and starring Vanessa Redgrave. It has rarely, if ever, been produced in New York since.

After its phenomenal run on and off Broadway, the critically acclaimed five times Tony Award nominated play HAND TO GOD (including Best New Play and Best Director) is making its way to London's West End and will open at the Vaudeville Theatre beginning tonight 5 February, with press night set for 15 February 2016.

The Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham and Hershey Felder Presents are thrilled to announce the fourth show in the Laguna Playhouse 2015-2016 season, Tony Award-winner Anthony Crivello and Vanessa Claire Stewart starring in LOUIS & KEELY: 'LIVE' AT THE SAHARA, written by Vanessa Stewart, Taylor Hackford & Jake Broder, choreography by Vernel Bagneris and directed by Taylor Hackford.  "Our subscribers and audiences are about the have the time of their lives as we transport them to 1950's Las Vegas and beyond and the incomparable song-stylings of Louis Prima and Keely Smith," says Wareham. LOUIS & KEELY: 'LIVE' AT THE SAHARA will begin previews on Wednesday, February 24; will open on Saturday, February 27 and will run through Sunday, March 27, 2016 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.