Stephen Fry News

Daniel Radcliffe has read the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as part of Harry Potter At Home! J.K Rowling recently launched an online Harry Potter hub for kids, families and fans during the coronavirus lockdown. On Wizardingworld.com, exciting contributors will read through the first Harry Potter book.

Theatre Together, a new collective of over 100 artists and professionals, today announced the full programme for All the Web's a Stage an online fundraising event featuring a variety of live performances that will be streamed tomorrow, Thursday 23 April from midday to midnight.

Riverside Studios, the newly re-opened multi-arts venue in Hammersmith, is launching a series of online fundraising quizzes hosted by stars of stage and screen in order to raise funds to ensure it can continue its current artistic offering beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Understudy is a brand new radio play that will be broadcast in two parts on Wednesday 20th May and Wednesday 27th May to raise funds for the theatre industry which is facing a devastating impact from the health crisis.

2020 marks the 15th anniversary of Belarus Free Theatre (BFT), the foremost refugee-led theatre company in the UK and the only theatre in Europe banned by its government on political grounds.

According to The Stage, Philip Pullman and Stephen Fry are among those who have signed an open letter to the government, urging them to introduce a temporary income protection fund to support freelances during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following the UK Government's official guidance, Shakespeare's Globe is closed to the public until further notice, ceasing performances, education activities and tours.

The not-for-profit Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts presents comedian Rita Rudner on Saturday, March 28 at 8pm.

Barn Theatre's production of Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense stopped off at the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre in Taunton, Somerset, for two nights during its UK tour. Based on P. G. Wodehouse's book The Code of the Woosters, Andrew Ashford (Jeeves) and Matthew Cavendish (Wooster) have big shoes to fill, bringing such well-loved characters to life.

 CW Seed, The CW's free, ad-supported digital network, has acquired the second window, non-exclusive streaming rights to 14 series from BBC Studios. The pact will bring more than 200 episodes and 150 hours of scripted library content to the platform. The announcement was made today by Rick Haskins, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Digital Platforms, The CW.

Following her hugely successful debut UK tour in 2018 of Butterfly Effect and an acclaimed season at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019, Award-winning Comedian Juliette Burton will be setting out on tour in 2020 with her ground-breaking new show, Defined.

Jan Ravens and Julia Watson are cast in Talking Heads, three of the much-loved classic monologues from British playwriting royalty, Alan Bennett, directed by Watford Palace Theatre's own artistic director Brigid Larmour. Poignant, comic and full of humanity, Talking Heads invites us into the hearts and minds of three peculiarly English ladies - Muriel in her tweed skirt and pearls in Soldiering On, the public-spirited Miss Ruddock in A Lady of Letters, and Susan, the long-suffering Vicar's wife in Bed Among The Lentils.

Nearly 500 arts organisations, human rights charities, schools, colleges and universities came together in June to present events and activities across the UK; whilst international partners and individuals also flew Ai Weiwei's flag to mark the 70th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

West Side Story is officially in previews on Broadway! The new production is directed by Tony Award winner Ivo van Hove; and for the first time ever in the United States, will feature all-new choreography by the internationally acclaimed Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. West Side Story will begin previews on December 10, 2019 and open February 6th, 2020 at the Broadway Theatre.

Leicester legend Gary Lineker has been announced as the Patron of next year's NSDF (National Student Drama Festival), with the week-long event returning to his hometown 4 - 10 Apr 2020.

Magic Theatre has announced the creative team and performers for the Company's second production of the 2019-2020 season, a 6-performance limited engagement of Nassim Soleimanpoura??'s NASSIM, directed by Omar Elerian. NASSIM will perform from November 12 a?" 16, 2019 at Magic Theatre's Fort Mason location (Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd., Building D, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94123). Limited press tickets are available for the performances on Tuesday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, November 13 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets range from $20 - $75 and are on-sale now at MagicTheatre.org.

Almost six years since its first outing at the Tabernacle, Letters Live last night put on its biggest show yet: in the grandiose and historic setting of the Royal Albert Hall. As well as celebrating the joy and emotion of the written word, with the help of a stunning array of talent, the shows also seek to support charitable causes - this time it was the turn of the National Literacy Trust. Over the course of three hours, the audience was treated to a wide-ranging selection of correspondence, including everything from noisy neighbours and Albert Hall shenanigans, to a prolifically flatulent dog.

With over 560,000 festival goers enjoying 5,534 performances of 277 productions, the Pleasance Theatre Trust celebrated its 35th year on the Fringe in great company. With a trophy cabinet that once again include Fringe Firsts and both annual Edinburgh Comedy Awards, alongside a Total Theatre Award, this year's triumphant programme has welcomed the most exciting newcomers, game-changing international artists and Pleasance stalwarts who delight audiences year on year.

Jordan Brookes has been announced as the winner of Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards for Best Comedy Show and Catherine Cohen is Best Newcomer.

Fans of the Rocky Horror Show have just three weeks left to wait until they can catch the cult stage show at Storyhouse in Chester.