Rufus Norris News

The National Theatre's Hex faced cancelations due to Covid-19, and is scheduled to run until January 22, 2022. To give the show the chance to have a full run, the National Theatre will be remounting Hex in November 2022. 

Though hardly an ideal start to the new theatrical year, we want to applaud all of the incredible casts, creatives, backstage and front-of-house staff who are working so hard to keep shows on. If you can support productions, please do – whether revisiting an amazing long-running show or checking out something new. And speaking of which: here are some of the most intriguing London additions for this month. Keep checking back for our reviews, interviews and features!

The National Theatre has just announced that Lisa Burger, Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive, has been awarded a CBE for services to the arts as part of the 2022 New Year's Honours.  

BroadwayWorld has just learned that Hex, which was set to be broadcast to cinemas as a National Theatre Live from 17 March, will no longer be filmed due to cancelations because of  Covid-19.

The National Theatre confirmed today that due to company illness in both Hex and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time further performances will now sadly have to be cancelled.

The National Theatre has postponed the opening night of its new musical Hex due to COVID-19 among the show’s company. According to National Theatre director Rufus Norris, one of the leads was among those impacted.

The National Theatre has today released a first look at Hex, a new musical based on Sleeping Beauty which is currently open for previews in the Olivier theatre.

Right before Hex started its previews this past weekend, we sat down with cast members Kat Ronney and Michael Elcock to talk about the National Theatre's new original musical. Directed by Rufus Norris, with music by Jim Fortune, book by Tanya Ronder and lyrics by Norris himself, the show is a retelling of the popular fairy tale Sleeping Beauty.

The National Theatre has today announced that Kate Varah has been appointed as Executive Director. Currently Executive Director of The Old Vic, a role she has held since 2015, Kate will join Director and Chief Executive Rufus Norris to lead the National Theatre, from Spring 2022 succeeding Lisa Burger.

The National Theatre today announces the return of National Theatre Live with a new programme of four productions to be broadcast to audiences worldwide in cinemas, starting in the UK and Ireland in January, and with tickets now on sale.

The National Theatre today announces a new public installation, The Tree, designed by winning designer Rose Revitt, to be created and displayed in the foyer of the NT from January 2022.  

The National Theatre has today released studio recordings of three songs and confirmed the full cast for its upcoming new musical Hex, a vividly original retelling of Sleeping Beauty that will open in the Olivier theatre for previews on 4 December.

The National Theatre has partnered with the Sir Peter Shaffer Charitable Foundation in committing to supporting playwrights with an initial two-year collaboration. Celebrating the life and career of Sir Peter Shaffer, this partnership will continue his desire to support playwrights as they create larger scale plays.

The National Theatre today announces the on-sale dates of upcoming productions Trouble in Mind, Wuthering Heights and Small Island, as well as the return of daytime opening for visitors.

Building on the success of the National Theatre Collection, with 71% of UK state secondary schools now signed up to access this digital resource, an additional 10 theatre productions have been added to the platform for schools, colleges and the education sector worldwide in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing and ProQuest.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Everyman Theatre Productions have announced the full tour dates for Ronald Harwood's highly acclaimed drama The Dresser starring the much loved UK entertainer Julian Clary as 'Norman' and Olivier Award winner Matthew Kelly as 'Sir'. 

In the 35th anniversary of Jim Cartwright's joyous and anarchic masterpiece, the residents of Road are relocated to the North East in the first show Artistic Director Natalie Ibu will direct for Northern Stage.

As theatre comes roaring back, this autumn and winter see plenty of exciting new productions, including big West End musicals and intriguing plays. Here are the shows that we’re most looking forward to seeing.

Directed by Olivier Award-winning Terry Johnson, The Dresser will run at Theatre Royal Bath from 9 September 2021, before dates at Cheltenham Everyman Theatre, Theatre Royal Brighton, Norwich Theatre Royal, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Richmond Theatre, Malvern Festival Theatre, Oxford Playhouse, Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury and newly announced– the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford and the King's Theatre in Edinburgh where the tour finishes in February 2022.

The film stars Josh O’Connor (The Crown, God’s Own Country) as Romeo and Jessie Buckley (Chernobyl, Judy) as Juliet, and will be available to screen across the UK and Ireland.