There is something deeply contrarian about stepping out on a very very hot summer day to watch a very very serious play - I am beginning to think summers belong to humor. Winters can allow some pondering and occasional deep-dives into the horrors of the past. Despite looking for joy, I wound up catching an early evening production of Death and the Maiden at Mumbai’s NCPA, directed by NCPA head Bruce Guthrie, starring Ira Dubey, Neil Bhoopalam and Vivek Gomber.
Stratford East announced full casting for THE HARDER THEY COME, the reggae musical adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks, returning for a new run with Natey Jones reprising his role as Ivan.
Tony Award winner Frances Ruffelle and Olivier Award winner Stephen Ashfield will star in I CAN DIE TOO, a new play with music co-written by Ruffelle, Sally George, and Alan Cumming, at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
Natey Jones and Madeline Charlemagne are set to reprise their roles in the reggae musical THE HARDER THEY COME, returning to Stratford East from 16 May to 4 July 2026, with Chanice Alexander-Burnett joining as Elsa from 8 June.
Lead casting has been announced for the return of THE HARDER THEY COME at Stratford East, running May 16 through July 4, 2026. Directed by Matthew Xia, the production features a stage adaptation by Suzan-Lori Parks, based on the 1970s Jamaican film produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone.
THE HARDER THEY COME will return to Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2026 following its 2025 run. The reggae musical is adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Matthew Xia, with performances scheduled from May 16 through July 4.
Stratford East will present the reggae musical The Harder They Come. The production is based on the cult Jamaican film produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone.
The cast and creative team have been announced who will be joining director Matthew Xia on an unforgettable journey from the sun-drenched shores of Jamaica to the cold, grey streets of 1940s London in Small Island.
There can be a tendancy to eye-roll at the prospect of a new interpretation of a classic play. However, Tanika Gupta's new take on Ibsen's Hedda Gabler at the Orange Tree is a genuinely innovative and fascinating take on the tale of the destructive nature of manipulation and the complexities of marriage.
Glamorous and mythic, the Mitford sisters often feel like untouchable figures of the past, central to the tumultuous politics of the interwar period and yet forgotten amidst the rollcall of far more significant names. They seem like the sorts of characters who would be impossible to bring to life, and yet Amy Rosenthal’s The Party Girls successfully brings these figures vividly into the sphere of the audience’s knowledge.
Stratford East has announced an extension for the critically acclaimed new production of THE HARDER THEY COME, the newly adapted reggae musical based on the cult Jamaican film of the same name.
One minute you’re in an East London street, the next you are immediately transported to early-1970s Kingston: the style, the sounds, the rhythms, the smell of ambition and frustration. The Harder They Come at Stratford East is a vivid, energetic production that honours the cult classic film while breathing new life into it.
Stratford East has released first look rehearsal images for The Harder They Come, the newly adapted reggae musical based on the cult Jamaican film of the same name. Check out the photos here!
Stratford East has announced the full cast and creative team for the UK premiere of THE HARDER THEY COME, the newly adapted reggae musical based on the cult Jamaican film of the same name.
The Royal Theatrical Support Trust (RTST) and Mercury Theatre, Colchester have announced that the 2025 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award Scheme is now open for entries.
Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, will present the world premiere of a timely and passionate new play by Amy Rosenthal: The Party Girls. This is the first touring production to be produced by the Kent Theatre.
Casting has been announced for Birmingham Rep’s new production of A Thousand Splendid Suns, Ursula Rani Sarma’s play based on Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling spiritual sequel to The Kite Runner.
In the new Sadler's Wells East venue, we are invited to observe and then enter the world of Club Groove in a pulsing, energetic, modern dance piece allowing the audience to mingle on the dance floor. The story is slight but the vibe is unmistakable. This production opens with a half-hour of powerhouse movement before becoming fully immersive. Look at me, it challenges, and you do.
Initial casting has been announced for the 2025 world premiere of ROMEO AND JULIET, an innovative new version of Shakespeare's play, originally scored with rap and R&B, opening at the Belgrade Theatre.
