Royal Shakespeare Company News

Due to popular demand, FREUD'S LAST SESSION, the smash hit at the Mercury Theater (3745 N. Southport, Chicago), will now run through September 2nd with an exciting new Chicago cast, including local theater legend, Mike Nussbaum (Emmy, Drama Desk Award and four-time Jeff Award winner) as "Sigmund Freud" and Coburn Goss (Vigils at the Goodman Theatre, Dead Man's Cell Phone at Steppenwolf Theatre Companyand Off Broadway When the Messenger is Hot at 59E59) as "C.S. Lewis". A current sold-out sensation in New York and winner of the 2011 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Play, the Midwest Premiere of FREUD'S LAST SESSION has received rave reviews and a Jeff Recommendation.

Live Theatre and Soho Theatre are delighted to announce the full cast for the West End transfer of A WALK ON PART including one of Britain's leading female comedians Andi Osho, who will be joined by returning cast members John Hodgkinson, Hywel Morgan and Tracey Gillman plus previously announced new cast member Joe Caffrey.

Ferdinand Kingsley will play both God and Jesus opposite Coronation Street villain Graeme Hawley, who takes on the role of the Devil, in the York Mystery Plays to be staged throughout August against the backdrop of the St Mary's Abbey, York. Kingsley and Hawley will be joined by over 2,500 people in the staging of what is believed to be the UK's biggest outdoor theatrical event of 2012. With over 1,700 local volunteers comprising the two casts of community ensemble, musicians, choir and crew, the York Mystery Plays run from 2 to 27 August.

The Summer Season at the Finborough Theatre continues with rediscoveries of EVENTS WHILE GUARDING THE BOFORS GUN and MERRIE ENGLAND. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the death of playwright John McGrath, and unseen in a professional production in London since 1966, John McGrath's Events While Guarding The Bofors Gun opens at the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre for a limited four-week season from Tuesday, 22 May 2012 directed by Robert Hastie. Merrie England plays at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine Sunday and Monday evening performances and Tuesday matinees, opening tonight, 27 May 2012.

To coincide with the 20th anniversary celebrations for the Halifax-based Northern Broadsides Theatre Company, the renowned Dean Clough Galleries has devoted its premiere exhibition space to a large-scale photography show by the highly acclaimed photographer Nobby Clark. 'Northern Broadsides - 20 years- photography by Nobby Clark' will run in Dean Clough's Crossley gallery from today, 26 May-16 September.

In a recent interview with BBC, Dame Judi Dench chatted about the importance of teaching Shakespeare in schools. Dench commented: ' I would like to be doing a Shakespeare play every single night, and I do try to say a sonnet every day... Either it gives you goosebumps or it doesn't, and I heard this morning that some schools have stopped doing Shakespeare on the school curriculum.'

Route 66 Theatre Company has announced the details of their newest world premiere collaboration, a one-of-a-kind original musical by local sensation Diana Lawrence (of Diana and the Dishes, and currently musical director of TICK, TICK, BOOM at Porchlight Music Theatre). NEXT STOP runs Monday and Tuesday nights at 7:30pm, June 18-26, at Theater Wit, 1229 West Belmont Ave, Chicago IL.

Jeremy Herrin directs the World Premiere of Matthew Dunster's Children's Children running at the Almeida now through 30 June 2012, with press night on 24 May. Designs are by Robert Innes Hopkins with lighting by Neil Austin and sound by Ian Dickinson. The cast comprises Emily Berrington (Effie), Beth Cordingly (Louisa), Darrell D'Silva (Michael), Trevor Fox (Gordon), John MacMillan (Castro) and Sally Rogers (Sally). See photos of the full cast on stage below!

In celebration of the 100th Chicago performance of the FREUD'S LAST SESSION at the Mercury Theater (3745 N. Southport), the producers will host a Sigmund Freud Look-A-Like contest.

The Summer Season at the Finborough Theatre continues with rediscoveries of EVENTS WHILE GUARDING THE BOFORS GUN and MERRIE ENGLAND. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the death of playwright John McGrath, and unseen in a professional production in London since 1966, John McGrath's Events While Guarding The Bofors Gun opens at the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre for a limited four-week season from tonight, 22 May 2012 directed by Robert Hastie. Merrie England plays at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine Sunday and Monday evening performances and Tuesday matinees, opening on Sunday, 27 May 2012.

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 tonight, May 21, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

Tickets go on sale today, Friday 18 May, for award-winning children's author Michael Morpurgo's Private Peaceful which plays for a strictly limited 16 performances only at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 18 - 29 September 2012. Directed and adapted for the stage by Simon Reade, Private Peaceful has designs by Bill Talbot and sound by Jason Barnes. Casting will be announced shortly. The National Theatre's One Man, Two Guvnors will continue its run at the Haymarket from 1 October after this two-week break.

Today, May 17 Cake Productions, one of the most cutting-edge-aware theatre companies in the country, will present the New York Premiere of Tiffany Antone's prophetic wake-up call, "IN THE COMPANY OF JANE DOE," a new play about a woman who gets herself cloned then wants a Do-Over. There are men in the play. One of them causes all the trouble.

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

The legendary stage musical CARRIE will soon be available for licensing from R&H Theatricals, and its score will be published by Imagem Music, each a division of the Imagem Music Group. Based on Stephen King's best-selling novel, CARRIE features music by Academy Award winner Michael Gore (Fame, Terms of Endearment), lyrics by Academy Award winner Dean Pitchford (Fame, Footloose), and a book by Lawrence D. Cohen (screenwriter of the classic film).

Some Like It Hot meets Twelfth Night in Ken Ludwig's delightful madcap comedy, Leading Ladies. Richard Israel directs a four-week run, June 8 through July 1, at International City Theatre in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Low-priced previews take place on Tuesday, June 5; Wednesday, June 6; and Thursday, June 7.

To coincide with the 20th anniversary celebrations for the Halifax-based Northern Broadsides Theatre Company, the renowned Dean Clough Galleries has devoted its premiere exhibition space to a large-scale photography show by the highly acclaimed photographer Nobby Clark. 'Northern Broadsides - 20 years- photography by Nobby Clark' will run in Dean Clough's Crossley gallery from 26 May-16 September.