Stephen Joseph Theatre News

A play that won its writer the title of Most Promising Playwright in last year's Off West End Awards receives its regional premiere at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre this autumn.

Tamara Harvey, Theatr Clwyd's Artistic Director and Executive Director Liam Evans-Ford, today announce Theatr Clwyd and Paperfinch Theatre's co-production of Hansel & Gretel: Fairytale Detectives, based on the Brothers Grimm tale, as an immersive Christmas adventure for families. This joins the previously announced Dick Whittington - The Purrrrrfect Rock 'N' Roll Panto, written by the award-winning Christian Patterson and directed by Zoe Waterman and Llew a'r Crydd, Theatr Clwyd and Pontio's first co-production written and directed by Emyr John.

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.

Bringing the hottest and most exciting work from Edinburgh to London, Pleasance's new Edinburgh transfer festival The Caledonian Express has arrived. The Caledonian Express crosses genre and form to stage the most innovative pieces fresh from the Fringe. From solo performances to ensemble physical theatre, from immersive installations to surreal two-handers, the Pleasance continues to programme bold work making it the place for incredible stories. Eleven shows go on sale today and more will be announced in the coming weeks.

Cleveland Play House (CPH) kicks off its 2018-2019 Season with the spine tingling tale of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black.  Hill's gothic ghost story, adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt, will star Bradley Armacost as Arthur Kipps and Adam Wesley Brown as the Actor in the show that Daily Mail called, "A nerve-shredding experience."  Director Robin Herford will recreate his original staging from the London West End.  The American premiere of the West End Production is produced by PW Productions and Pemberley Productions.  Previews begin on September 15th, with press opening on September 21st at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square. 

A new one-woman show about a young mum from Scarborough has won a prestigious award at the Edinburgh Fringe which could see it heading to Australia next year.

Through the lens of a rock documentary, Wasted is a brand new musical that gives an access-all-areas account of the struggles, heartbreaks and triumphs of the three Bronte sisters Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and their brother Branwell. Brought up in a remote, poverty-stricken town in Yorkshire, without money or opportunity, they fought ill health, unrequited love and family feuds to write some of the most celebrated literature including Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

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.

Northern Broadsides and York Theatre Royal have announced full casting for their forthcoming touring production of They Don't Pay? We Won't Pay! Deborah McAndrew's new adaptation, based on Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante's translation, of Dario Fo's political satire of civil disobedience Can't Pay? Won't Pay!

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.

Through the lens of a rock documentary, Wasted is a brand new musical that gives an access-all-areas account of the struggles, heartbreaks and triumphs of the three Bronte sisters Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and their brother Branwell.  Brought up in a remote, poverty-stricken town in Yorkshire, without money or opportunity, they fought ill health, unrequited love and family feuds to write some of the most celebrated literature including Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

Alan Ayckbourn's 82nd play Better Off Dead completes the summer season at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre, in a production directed by the author.

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.

With Holy Sh!t - the inaugural production in the newly refurbished theatre - in rehearsals, Artistic Director Indhu Rubasingham today announces the full cast for the world premiere of Stephen Sharkey's adaptation of Zadie Smith's White Teeth - Ayesha Antoine (Irie Jones), Michele Austin (Mad Mary), Philip Bird (Des/Marc Perret/Marcus Chalfen), Ayesha Dharker (Alsana Iqbal), Naomi Frederick (Ruth/Poppy/Joyce Chalfen), Tony Jayawardena (Samad Iqbal), Richard Lumsden (Archie Jones), Karl Queensborough (Anthony /Denise/Josh Chalfen), Sid Sagar (Magid Iqbal), Amanda Wilkin (Rosie Jones), Assad Zaman (Millat Iqbal), and actor-musicians Matthew Churcher, Nenda Neurer (also Clara Jones) and Zoe West. The production opens on 5 November, with previews from 26 October, and runs until 22 December.

A classic play by Alan Ayckbourn receives its 40th anniversary production at the Stephen Joseph Theatre this summer.

A classic play by Alan Ayckbourn receives its 40th anniversary production at the Stephen Joseph Theatre this summer.

After their recent acclaimed co-production of J.B. Priestley's timeless comedy When We Are Married, Northern Broadsides and York Theatre Royal will once again join forces to stage They Don't Pay? We Won't Pay!, Deborah McAndrew's new adaptation transposed to Brexit Britain of Dario Fo's political satire of civil disobedience Can't Pay? Won't Pay!

A new show about a young mum from Scarborough marks the Stephen Joseph Theatre's first ever visit to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year.