The Royal Exchange Theatre News

The Theatrical Management Association (TMA) has announced the winners of the 2013 UK Theatre Awards - the only nationwide awards to honour creative excellence and the outstanding achievement seen on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ruth Wilson (Saving Mr Banks, Anna Christie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Luther, The Lone Ranger) will star in the London premiere of The El. Train: three one-act plays by Eugene O'Neill (The Web, Before Breakfast and The Dreamy Kid). The plays, written between 1913 and 1918, are being presented together for the first time. Ruth will act in The Web and Before Breakfast, directed by Sam Yates, and will make her directorial debut with The Dreamy Kid. Combining live music with immersive design, all housed in the intimate setting of Grade II listed Hoxton Hall (built 1863, seating an audience of 125), The El. Train will run for a limited four-week season from 6 December - 30 December, with press nights on the 12 & 13 December. Design is by Richard Kent, with lighting by Neil Austin and original composition and sound design by Alex Baranowski. The El. Train is being produced by Found Productions. Further casting will be announced shortly.

SteepTheatre Company has announced that it will welcome Simon Stephens as the company's inaugural Associate Playwright. Mr. Stephens is a two-time Olivier Award-winning playwright whose work has been produced extensively throughout the U.K., Europe, Australia, and the U.S. The announcement formalizes the close relationship that has developed between the Chicago theater company and theLondon-based playwright over the last few years. The title of Associate Playwright recognizes Steep's admiration for Mr. Stephens' work, their appreciation for all he has done on their behalf, and their commitment to further collaboration.

Steep Theatre Company's 13th Season will begin in grand fashion tonight, October 3rd with the North American Premiere of Motortown by Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens. The production will be directed by Steep Artistic Associate and two-time Jeff Nominated director Robin Witt. The Stephens-Witt playwright- director tandem has proven a winner in the past at Steep, resulting in two of the more memorable shows in recent Chicago theater history: Harper Regan and Pornography. Motortown will be the first Simon Stephens production in Chicago since he received the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Play for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. The production is also Ms. Witt's first Steep offering since her 2012 hit production of Dennis Kelly's Love and Money.

Steep Theatre Company's 13th Season will begin in grand fashion on October 3rd with the North American Premiere of Motortown by Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens. The production will be directed by Steep Artistic Associate and two-time Jeff Nominated director Robin Witt. The Stephens-Witt playwright-director tandem has proven a winner in the past at Steep, resulting in two of the more memorable shows in recent Chicago theater history: Harper Regan and Pornography. Motortown will be the first Simon Stephens production in Chicago since he received the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Play for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. The production is also Ms. Witt's first Steep offering since her 2012 hit production of Dennis Kelly's Love and Money.

Talawa Theatre Company will restage Artistic Director Michael Buffong's acclaimed National Theatre production of Errol John's MOON ON A RAINBOW SHAWL for a UK Tour in 2014. The production will launch at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich on Monday 3 February 2014.

Steep Theatre Company's 13th Season will begin in grand fashion on October 3rd with the North American Premiere of Motortown by Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens. The production will be directed by Steep Artistic Associate and two-time Jeff Nominated director Robin Witt. The Stephens-Witt playwright-director tandem has proven a winner in the past at Steep, resulting in two of the more memorable shows in recent Chicago theater history: Harper Regan andPornography. Motortown will be the first Simon Stephens production in Chicago since he received the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Play for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. The production is also Ms. Witt's first Steep offering since her 2012 hit production of Dennis Kelly's Love and Money.

The cast for the World Premiere of Stephen Ward, directed by Richard Eyre, will comprise Alexander Hanson as Stephen Ward, Charlotte Spencer as Christine Keeler, Charlotte Blackledge as Mandy Rice Davies, Anthony Calfas Lord Astor, Daniel Flynn as John Profumo, Joanna Riding as Valerie Hobson, Ian Conningham as Ivanov, Chris Howell as Murray, Ricardo Coke Thomas as Lucky Gordon and Wayne Robinson as Johnny Edgecomp. Other cast members are Martin Callaghan, Kate Coyston, Jason Denton, Julian Forsyth, Amy Griffiths, Paul Kemble, Emma Kate Nelson, Carl Sanderson, Emily Squibb, John Stacey, Helen Ternent and Tim Walton.

Steep Theatre Company's 13th Season will begin in grand fashion on October 3rd with the North American Premiere of Motortown by Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens. The production will be directed by Steep Artistic Associate and two-time Jeff Nominated director Robin Witt. The Stephens-Witt playwright- director tandem has proven a winner in the past at Steep, resulting in two of the more memorable shows in recent Chicago theater history: Harper Regan and Pornography. Motortown will be the first Simon Stephens production in Chicago since he received the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Play for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. The production is also Ms. Witt's first Steep offering since her 2012 hit production of Dennis Kelly's Love and Money.

This autumn Talawa Theatre Company and the Royal Exchange Theatre will present a major revival of ALL MY SONS by Arthur Miller. The production will star two of the country's most distinguished actors - Don Warrington MBE (RISING DAMP, DEATH IN PARADISE) as Joe and Doña Croll (CASUALTY, DOCTORS) as Kate, and will run from Wednesday 25 September to Saturday 26 October 2013.

The Headlong and Almeida Theatre's five star sold-out co-production of Lucy Kirkwood's new play Chimerica will transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre tonight, 6 August for a strictly limited 11 week run with booking to 19 October 2013. Directed by Lyndsey Turner, Chimerica received its world premiere at The Almeida Theatre where it has subsequently been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. Set designs are by Es Devlin with costumes by Christina Cunningham, lighting by Tim Lutkin, sound by Carolyn Downing and video design by Finn Ross. Chimerica will be produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Bob Bartner/Norman Tulchinand Jean Doumanian.

The theatre programme for the Manchester International Festival 2013 has been announced. MIF13 commissions include: The Machine, The Old Woman, Macbeth, The Masque of Anarchy and The Rite of Spring.

The Headlong and Almeida Theatre's five star sold-out co-production of Lucy Kirkwood's new play Chimericawill transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre on 6 August for a strictly limited 11 week run with booking to 19 October 2013. Directed by Lyndsey Turner, Chimerica received its world premiere last month at the Almeida Theatre where it has subsequently been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. Set designs are by Es Devlin with costumes by Christina Cunningham, lighting by Tim Lutkin, sound by Carolyn Downing and video design by Finn Ross. Chimerica will be produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Bob Bartner/Norman Tulchinand Jean Doumanian.

A number of Manchester's most exciting young actors are in the cast for the Library Theatre Company's much-anticipated third and final site-specific production, Manchester Sound: The Massacre, written by Polly Wiseman and directed by Paul Jepson, which runs at a secret city centre venue between tonight 8 June - Today 6 July.

The forthcoming Broadway production REAR WINDOW has found its creative team in playwright Keith Reddin(Too Much Memory, Life and Limb) and director Terry Kinney (reasons to be pretty, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest). The play will be adapted from Cornell Woolrich's original short story, the iconic and haunting tale of the wheelchair-bound witness to a possible murder in his neighboring New York City apartment.

Following the recent sell out run of 20 Tiny Plays About Sheffield, four brand new short stories celebrating Northern cities take to the Studio stage from tonight 23 May - Saturday 1 June.

Don Warrington and Doña Croll lead in Arthur Miller's ALL MY SONS at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, directed by Talawa's Artistic Director Michael Buffong.

Following the recent sell out run of 20 Tiny Plays About Sheffield, four brand new short stories celebrating Northern cities take to the Studio stage from Thursday 23 May - Saturday 1 June.

The world premiere in June 2013 of Manchester Sound: The Massacre, in which the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 clashes with the city's second Summer of Love in 1989, directed by Paul Jepson and written by Polly Wiseman; a revival for autumn 2013 of Educating Rita, Willy Russell's marvellous heart-warming comedy; Wanted! Robin Hood, a new adaptation for Christmas 2013 of the classic Robin Hood story by Charles Way, directed by Amy Leach; and the first regional production of Anya Reiss's contemporary translation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull for spring 2014 are the next four productions from Manchester's Library Theatre Company, the company's final programme under the Library Theatre Company banner prior to the Library's move with Cornerhouse to HOME.

Award-winning Schmuck Theatre announces the New York premiere of BLACKBIRD. Performances begin tonight, April 16 and run through April 28, 2013, Today-Sunday at 8PM with 3PM Saturday and Sunday Matinees. All performances take place at Location One, 26 Greene Street, NYC.