Royal Shakespeare Company News

Ballybeg today announced its debut production, EMPANADA FOR A DREAM, the story of a boy growing up on the Lower East Side, written and performed by Juan Francisco Villa*. Alex Levy will direct six performances to be held at the TBG Studio Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor (between Eighth and Ninth Avenues) from April 21-29, 2012. *Member, Actors' Equity Association. AEA Showcase.

THE ASTORIA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (APAC) will reunite the creative team behind their The Human Comedy and Children of Eden with THE SECRET GARDEN, musical staging by Christine O'Grady, musical directed by Jeffrey Campos and directed by APAC Artistic Director Tom Wojtunik.

As part of Shattered Globe Theatre's 20th Anniversary Season, the Stage 773 resident company will present the Midwest premiere of HER NAKED SKIN by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, directed by Artistic Director Roger Smart, playing May 1 - June 3, 2012 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Tickets for HER NAKED SKIN are currently available online at www.stage773.com or www.shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 327-5252. The press opening is Friday, May 4 at 8 pm.

The Repertory Theater of Iowa will present Moliere's TARTUFFE, or THE IMPOSTER translated by Christopher Hampton April 13th through the 29th at the Kirkwood Theater, home of the Des Moines Social Club, 400 Walnut Street in downtown Des Moines.

The Royal Shakespeare Company's world premiere production of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical offers more tickets go on sale offering access to performances through until Sunday 17 February 2013.

Jeremy Herrin will direct the World Premiere of Matthew Dunster's Children's Children running at the Almeida from 17 May - 30 June 2012. Designs are by Robert Innes Hopkins with lighting by Neil Austin and sound by Ian Dickinson.

Continuing its 25th Anniversary Season, the Shakespeare Theatre Company is set to present Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Strange Interlude.

The cast of the American premiere of the Royal Court Theatre's Olivier Award-winning new production, COCK will star Jason Butler Harner as M, Amanda Quaid as W, Cory Michael Smith as John and Cotter Smith as F. Written by Mike Bartlett and directed by James Macdonald, COCK will open Off-Broadway at The Duke on 42nd Street, a NEW 42nd STREET project, 229 West 42nd Street, on Thursday, May 17 and previews will begin Thursday, May 1.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses is written by Christopher Hampton and directed by Julian Toy-Cronin. The show will play 15 to 24 March 2012 at 8pm.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announced today casting for its 25th Anniversary Season finale, William Shakespeare's rarely produced Timon of Athens, directed by CST Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and featuring Tony Award winner Ian McDiarmid in the title role. Performed in CST's Courtyard Theater from April 24 to June 10, 2012, Gaines' production also features Sean Fortunato as Flavius, James Newcomb as Apemantus and Danforth Comins as Alcibiades.

Three Europeans are isolated on the construction site of a western company in the heart of Africa, surrounded by barbed wire fences. High up on the watchtowers above, African security guards call out in the night to one another in throat songs to keep awake. As evening falls, a mysterious man, Alboury, penetrates the camp. When it emerges that he has come to demand the body of his brother who died that day in unknown circumstances, the ensuing action leads to a disturbing twist of events.

Royal Shakespeare Company's Chief Associate Director, Gregory Doran, is to succeed Michael Boyd as Artistic Director, taking up the role in September.

The Rose Theatre Kingston's new season includes many great productions!

Sir Patrick Stewart, Peabody Award-winning star of stage and screen, Shakespeare plays and science-fiction blockbusters, will be the host of the 71st Annual George Foster Peabody Awards ceremony on Monday, May 21, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

AQUILA THEATRE (Peter Meineck, Artistic Director) today announced the complete cast for the New York Premiere of their production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, designed and directed by Desiree Sanchez: Rachael Barrington (Lady Macduff / Rosse / Servant), James Hogg (Banquo / Captain / Porter / Messenger / Murderer 2 / Doctor), James Lavender (Macduff / Duncan / Murderer 1), Guy Oliver-Watts (Macbeth), and Rebecca Reaney (Lady Macbeth / Boy). Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Joining Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths as the ageing vaudevillian team Willie Clark and Al Lewis in Neil Simon's award-winning comedy The Sunshine Boys are Rebecca Blackstone (Miss MacKintosh), Nick Blakeley (Eddie), Peter Cadden (Voice of TV Director), Johnnie Fiori (Registered Nurse), Adam Levy (Ben Silverman) and William Maxwell (Patient).

Cassie Hodges for Bloomsday in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre presents The first London production in 80 years of Autumn Fire.

The Broadway premiere of End of the Rainbow, a new play with music, begins previews tonight at the Belasco Theatre.Opening night is set for Monday, April 2. Michael Cumpsty, Tom Pelphrey and Jay Russell join two-time Oliver Award-winner Tracie Bennett in Peter Quilter's acclaimed play about the legendary Judy Garland, directed by the Tony® Award winning Terry Johnson.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is developing a musical about the Stephen Ward, the man who introduced call girl Christine Keeler to war secretary John Profumo. The resulting Profumo Affair scandal began the end of Harold MacMillan's government in 1960s Britain. According to a post by Michael Riedel on nypost.com, SUNSET BOULEVARD scriptwriter Christopher Hampton may be asked to write the script for Lloyd Webber's new project.

Michael Attenborough will direct Eduardo de Filippo's Filumena in a new English version by Tanya Ronder running at the Almeida from 15 March - 12 May 2012, with press night on 22 March at 7pm. Designs are by Robert Jones, with lighting by Tim Mitchell and sound by John Leonard. Filumena is sponsored by Pinsent Masons.