Stephen Tompkinson News

The tables are turned on two twentieth century playwrights who find themselves trapped in a hybrid of their own plays.

Last year’s runaway hit A Christmas Carol announced that many of the Green Room-nominated ensemble cast will return for the 2023 season at the Comedy Theatre this festive season.

30 years since the launch of the trailblazing, smash-hit TV series, Drop The Dead Donkey, the Globelink News team are back, and now live on stage for the very first time.

Winner of five Tony Awards, the Old Vic production of A Christmas Carol was a runaway hit in its debut season at the Comedy Theatre in 2022, delighting audiences and critics alike.

With a game of cricket and two of the greatest playwrights at its heart, Original Theatre's stage premiere of Shomit Dutta's witty new play Stumped will tour in 2023 to Theatre Royal Bath (23 – 27 May), Cambridge Arts Theatre (5 – 10 June) and Hampstead Theatre (16 June – 22 July). 

Two visionary Tony Award winners — director Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical) and playwright Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) — have created a magical new interpretation of Charles Dickens' timeless story, A Christmas Carol.

Live streaming from Lord's Cricket Ground on Saturday 10 September 2022 at 7pm, Stumped will star Stephen Tompkinson (Brassed Off, Drop The Dead Donkey, DCI Banks, Wild at Heart) as Samuel Beckett and Andrew Lancel (Coronation Street, The Bill) as Harold Pinter. 

Northern Stage will produce a magical new adaptation of family favourite The Sorcerer's Apprentice this Christmas (27 November - 31 December). Set in the streets of Newcastle but not quite as we know it, audiences will be treated to live music, puppetry, magic and illusion as they follow the adventures of Hatty Rabbit and her friends after a mysterious letter arrives inviting Hatty to an interview for a sorcerer's apprentice...

Rose Theatre has announced it is reopening its doors once again on 27 June 2021. Following three national lockdowns, the Rose is reopening to the public with a series of summer shows and events, including The International Youth Arts Festival by Creative Youth from 1 July 2021 and more.

EDUCATING RITA tells the story of married hairdresser Rita, who enrols on an Open University course to expand her horizons, and her encounters with university tutor Frank. Frank is a frustrated poet, brilliant academic and dedicated drinker, who is less than enthusiastic about teaching Rita.

Storyhouse is looking forward to 2021 with a must-see programme of classic comedy, thought-provoking drama and stand-up silliness. Newly announced shows include acclaimed touring productions of stage hits Educating Rita and The Greatest Play in the History of the World, the return of Miss Julie and major names from the world of comedy.

After a curtailed tour and a sold-out run at Cornwall’s Minack Theatre, Willy Russell’s beautifully poignant Educating Rita now comes to the Rose Theatre for its first performances inside a theatre in a Covid-restricted world. A bittersweet and very funny production; it has been worth the wait.

Hurrah for the green shoots in our beleaguered industry. Lots of venues are mounting new shows and bringing back our favourites over the next few weeks and months - albeit with social distancing and safety measures in place. Here are some of the live theatrical goodies on offer.

Today, Rose Theatre has announced it will re-open for an autumn 'Return to the Rose Season' of live performances from 28th October. This news comes exactly six months on from its enforced closure.

Following the huge success of the run in August at the Minack Open Air Theatre, the acclaimed 40th anniversary production of Willy Russell's EDUCATING RITA is coming back from Wednesday 28 October.

My recent visit as a first-timer to this much-celebrated space was to see Educating Rita - a truncated version of the David Pugh production that was due to tour the country, pre-COVID.

The acclaimed 40th anniversary production of Willy Russell's EDUCATING RITA is now playing at the Minack Theatre, Cornwall, England. The production was on a UK Tour when the Government closed theatres, but is now able to open with social distancing.

The acclaimed 40th anniversary production of Willy Russella??s EDUCATING RITA will play the Minack Theatre, Cornwall, England this August. The show's official Twitter account has posted a video taking fans inside and behind the scenes of the opening performance.

It was announced that the 40th anniversary production of Willy Russell's EDUCATING RITA will play the Minack Theatre, Cornwall this August. The production was on a UK Tour when the Government closed theatres, but is now able to open at this beautiful outdoor theatre with social distancing.

The acclaimed 40th anniversary production of Willy Russell's EDUCATING RITA will play the Minack Theatre, Cornwall this August.