Wanamaker News

A year ago, theatres across the country closed their doors due to the pandemic. Today, survey results collected by Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre from across the theatre sector paint a picture of an industry that has struggled to survive the past 12 months and faced huge financial strain - but remains resilient and adaptable.

The Globe is preparing to open again. Provided the conditions are met for Step 2 of the Government's roadmap for cultural reopening the Globe's guided tour of the theatre will return from 13 April and include welcoming schools back onsite with tours and workshops.

The cast has been announced for Talking Gods, a digital season of five reimagined Greek myths by Arrows & Traps.  Nicolle Smartt (Good Omens and Doctor Who, BBC; Upon the Edge, DeCantillon) will star in tale of sisterhood Persephone, the first play in the Talking Gods series. 

Isolation and loneliness are certainly aspects of the human experience that more of us have felt of late. Terence Rattigan’s one-woman play, All On Her Own, has been revived in a new digital production by Jack Maple & Brian Zeilinger-Goode for MZG Theatre Productions, starring Janie Dee as Rosemary.

Today, baritone Will Liverman has released Dreams of a New Day: Songs by Black Composers with pianist Paul Sánchez on Cedille Records. Liverman says, “Right now, it is more important than ever to celebrate the contributions of Black composers, and I’m honored to give voice to the art songs on this album.'

On Friday, February 12, 2021, baritone Will Liverman releases Dreams of a New Day: Songs by Black Composers with pianist Paul Sánchez on Cedille Records.

It's not clear as of this writing quite when live theatre will return in force, so in the interest of casting as wide a net as possible, what follows are five performances to whet the appetite, culled from offerings both online and, in due course, inside an actual playhouse.

A brand new digital production of Terence Rattigan's one-woman play, All On Her Own will be presented, starring award-winning actress Janie Dee and directed by Alastair Knights, with Jack McCann as assistant director and original music by Lindsey Miller.

Los Angeles Opera opens its Digital Shorts Series with Gabriela Lena Frank’s  commissioned revision of The Five Moons of Lorca, (Las Cinco Lunas de Lorca). This collaborative piece involves the work of librettist Nilo Cruz, choreographer Irene Rodríguez, and filmmaker Matthew Diamond. Musicians include countertenor Jacob Ingbar, pianist Nicholas Roehler, and members of the LA Opera Chorus. The Five Moons of Lorca, will be streamed through December 25, 2020.

David Mamet’s provocative drama Oleanna, directed by Lucy Bailey stars Rosie Sheehy and Jonathan Slinger and is running at Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio from 3 December to 22 December and again from 4 January to 16 January 2021. Reduced capacity at the Ustinov Studio will allow for an audience of 60 persons per performance.

Small Truth Theatre's DIGITAL CARAVAN THEATRE has announced their new micro festive show for 2020! Bringing the best new writing to our digital micro theatre with a big heart. They are back for a Winter special - a cheeky retelling of 'The Emperor's New Clothes' by Olivia Mace.

National Theatre in London has launched its own official streaming service, National Theatre at Home.

This December, Sandi Toksvig will be bringing laughter, carols and the joy of Christmas from the Globe Theatre in an online film premiere of Christmas at the (Snow) Globe from Monday 21 December.

Casting has been announced for David Mamet's Oleanna, the final play in Theatre Royal Bath's Welcome Back Season this Autumn. The provocative drama will play in the theatre's main house from Wednesday 25 November to Saturday 12 December with press night on Wednesday 2 December 2020.

We start at the L A Opera website with a ”Living Room Recital.” Michael J. Hawk, baritone, sings a program entitled “Shakespeare in France and on Broadway.” He performs “Mab! la reine des mensonges” (“Mab, Queen of Lies”) from Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod and three arias from Ambroise Thomas’s Hamlet.

Elm Shakespeare Company announced its free, online event series, Building a Brave New Theater: Exploring Shakespeare & Race in 2020. Five evenings of performances and moderated conversation with BIPOC artists and scholars will bring the New Haven community (and beyond) together to celebrate and interrogate the 400-year old white playwright's work.

Today we rewind to 2015 for the Encores! revival of Zorba!, which opened on May 6 and ran for seven performances.

The current production of The Last Five Years now playing at Southwark Playhouse until 14 November confirms it has been filmed and will be released worldwide over 5 days via new platform stream.theatre.

Filmed in the candle-lit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, 'Shakespeare and Fear' is the second digital festival streaming online from 31 October to 9 November.

Now, as New York City struggles to get back on its feet after long COVID-19 shutdowns, and theaters are still months from being able to reopen, St. Ann's Warehouse, which turned 40 this year, has found a range of meaningful ways to program for New Yorkers and more far-flung audiences.