Salisbury Playhouse News

The Queen's Theatre Hornchurch is bringing Mike Leigh's cult classic, Abigail's Party home to its Essex roots this autumn. Set in 'theoretical Romford', this delicious 70s comedy notorious for its references to cheesy-pineapple and Demis Roussos is co-produced with Derby Theatre, Wiltshire Creative and international partner Les Theatres de la Ville de Luxembourg.

Award-winning Darwin drama The Wider Earth has announced its cast which features War Horse actors, Ian Houghton, Andrew Bridgmont and Matt Tait. Written and directed by Dead Puppet Society's Creative Director David Morton, The Wider Earth was initially conceived in 2013 in Cape Town during a mentorship with Handspring Puppet Company, the creative team behind War Horse. This visually spectacular production features 30 extraordinary puppets representing the tropical wildlife Darwin encountered on his voyage. The production will have its European premiere in the first performance theatre ever to be built at the Natural History Museum.

Ryan McBryde directs Nick Perry's lively and rambunctious new play Moll Flanders loosely (in all senses) based on the novel by Daniel Defoe, in a mashup of 18th Century bawdiness and 21st Century humour.

Troupe today announces the full cast for the World Premiere of Joy Wilkinson's The Sweet Science of Bruising. Kirsty Patrick Ward directs Bruce Alexander (Professor Charlie Sharp), James Baxter (Paul Stokes), Sophie Bleasdale (Violet Hunter), Joe Coen (Gabriel Lamb), Ashley Cook (Doctor James Bell), Caroline Harker (Aunt George), Kemi-Bo Jacobs (Anna Lamb), Alice Kerrigan (Emily), Jessica Regan (Matilda 'Matty' Blackwell) and Fiona Skinner (Polly Stokes). The production opens at Southwark Playhouse on 5 October, with previews from 3 October, and runs until 27 October.

Southern California audiences will be able to get lost in Jane Austen's elegant, Regency era romantic classic, Sense and Sensibility, next month. The production opens South Coast Repertory's 55th season. British playwright Jessica Swale adapted Austen's story and the show is directed by Casey Stangl on the Segerstrom Stage, Sept. 1-29.

Production images are today released for the 50th anniversary production of Arthur Miller's riveting drama The Price at Theatre Royal Bath's Main House where it runs until Saturday 25 August, with opening night for press on Wednesday 15 August. Jonathan Church, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Bath's Summer Season, directs the production starring one of Britain's most celebrated actors, David Suchet, as furniture dealer Gregory Solomon with Olivier Award winning actor Brendan Coyle playing Victor Franz, and television stars Adrian Lukisas Walter Franz and Sara Stewart as Victor's wife, Esther Franz.

The Mercury Theatre Colchester today announces the world premiere of Nick Perry's Moll Flanders, adapted from the novel by Daniel Defoe. The production, directed by Ryan McBryde opens on 28 September at the Mercury, and runs until 13 October.

Zach Wyatt will star as Anthony alongside previously announced Maisie Williams as Caroline in the UK premiere of Lauren Gunderson's I and You, which will be directed by Artistic Director Edward Hall on the Main Stage. Richard Molloy's Every Day I Make Greatness Happen, winner of the Nick Darke Award in 2017, will receive its world premiere Downstairs in September, and will star Sofia Barclay, Moe Bar-El, Jon Foster, Susan Stanley and Josh Zare.

English Touring Theatre today announces the full cast for the upcoming revival of Richard Twyman's critically acclaimed production of Othello, a co-production with Oxford Playhouse and Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory. Richard Twyman directs Kitty Archer (Desdemona), Philip Correia (Cassio), Naby Dakhli (Montano), James Ellis (Duke), James Godden (Soldier/Senator), Paul McEwan (Iago) Victor Oshin (Othello) and Kelly Price (Emilia) joining returning cast members Chris Bianchi (Brabantio), Hayat Kamille (Bianca), Brian Lonsdale (Roderigo) and John Sandeman (Lodovico).

Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres Robert Hastie today announces the full cast for the world premiere of Chris Bush's Steel, and his major new revival of William Shakespeare's classic A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Runner-up of the inaugural Mercury Theatre playwriting prize with her play Hidden, Nicola Werenowska is soon to debut her latest work at the Mercury before it embarks on a UK tour.

Salisbury Playhouse marks the centenary of women being given the right to vote with the regional premiere of Her Naked Skin by Rebecca Lenkiewicz this autumn.

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST), Samuel Hodges, today announces full casting for the world premiere of Women in Power. NST Associate Director Blanche McIntyre directs Lydia Bewley, best known for The Inbetweeners, Plebs and E4's comedy Drifters, Elizabeth Boag, Anna Fordham, Lisa Kerr, Anne Odeke and Alicia Mckenzie. The production, in association with Oxford Playhouse, sees some of the UK's most influential female voices, Wendy Cope, Jenny Eclair, Suhayla El-Bushra, Natalie Haynes, Shappi Khorsandi, Jess Phillips MP and Brona C Titley, come together to write this musical comedy based on the Greek classic, The Assemblywomen. The production opens on 13 September at NST City, with previews from 6 September and runs until 29 September. It will then run at Oxford Playhouse from 3 - 6 October.

Full casting has been announced for Rain Man, the inaugural production of Bill Kenwright's Classic Screen to Stage Theatre Company. Joining the previously announced Gavin and Stacey's Mathew Horne (Raymond) and Downtown Abbey's Ed Speleers (Charlie) is: Mairi Barclay (Pippin), Hannah Barker, Elizabeth Carter (Dreamboats and Petticoats), Adam Lilley (The 39 Steps), Neil Roberts (Mamma Mia!) and Joe Sellman Leava (Monster).

Subsequently adapted into an Oscar-nominated film, Sweet Charity is a modern Broadway classic following the trials and tribulations of Charity Hope Valentine (played by Trehearn).

It's been over forty years since Mike Leigh's gauche hostess Beverly slow-danced her way into theatrical history, but what happened to Abigail? The Queen's Theatre Hornchurch and Derby Theatre have joined forces to commission Abi, a contemporary response to the classic comedy Abigail's Party.

Having charmed audiences around the world with their award-winning Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore and The Mikado, Regan De Wynter Williams returns with one of Britain's best-loved and sunniest musicals with TV and West End star Wendi Peters (Coronation Street, ITV; Hetty Feather, BBC; White Christmas, Dominion Theatre).

The Queen's Theatre Hornchurch is bringing Mike Leigh's cult classic, Abigail's Party home to its Essex roots this autumn. Set in 'theoretical Romford', this delicious 70s comedy notorious for its references to cheesy-pineapple and Demis Roussos is co-produced with Derby Theatre, Wiltshire Creative and international partner Les Theatres de la Ville de Luxembourg.

Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, Robert Hastie, today announces the full cast for Paul Foster's major revival of Kiss Me, Kate. Foster directs Delroy Atkinson (Gangster 1), Edward Baker-Duly (Fred), Cindy Belliot (Hattie), John Conroy (Baptista), Dafydd Emyr (Harrison Howell), Dex Lee (Bill), Rebecca Lock (Lilli), Ross McLaren (Gremio), Joel Montague (Gangster 2), Adam Rhys-Charles (Hortensio), Amy Ellen Richardson (Lois), Matthew Whennell-Clark (Ralph) and Layton Williams (Paul), with Jessica Buckby, Ronan Burns, Louis Gaunt, Ruby Greenwood, Tash Holway (also Assistant Choreographer and Dance Captain), Jennifer Louise Jones, Bobbie Little, Emmanuele N'Zuzi, Simon Oskarsson and Clancy Ryan. The production opens on 12 December, with previews from 7 December, and runs until 12 January 2019.

Eva Pope, Martin Marquez, Mark Armstrong, Ruth Ollman, Micah Balfour and Anna Andresen will join the previously announced Sharon Small in Christine Mary Dunford's newly adapted version of Lisa Genova's best-selling novel, STILL ALICE, directed by David Grindley.