New West End production of Molière’s Tartuffe announced

MOLIÈRE’S TARTUFFE ANNOUNCED FOR NEW

WEST END ADAPTATION

Theatre Royal Haymarket | 25 May – 28 July 2018

 

Inspired by current world events, a new adaptation of Molière’s classic comedy Tartuffe is set to premiere as the West End’s first dual language theatre production, performed in both English and French. Theseventeenth century comedy moves to America, where a French film tycoon finds his life uprooted by a radical American evangelist.

 

Adapted by Christopher Hampton and directed by Gerald Garutti, Tartuffe will premiere for a limited ten week West End run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from Friday 25th May 2018 

 

L.A. Present day. French media tycoon Orgon has re-located to Tinseltown with his family, his heart set on becoming Hollywood royalty. With a new studio to his name, and a palatial Beverly Hills mansion, his empire seems infallible. But all is not as it seems, as Orgon falls under the seductive spell of Tartuffe, a radical American evangelist.  So comprehensively has Tartuffe hoodwinked Orgon that he looks set to steal his fortune, drive away his son, seduce his wife and marry his daughter.   

 

Christopher Hampton says: “Statistically, Tartuffe is the most-performed French play ever. I’ve seen it in theatres ranging from the RSC to the National Theatre of Vietnam, and it never fails to seem relevant and connect with audiences, in addition, of course, to amusing them. So when Gérald Garutti and Oliver King suggested a bilingual version with an English-speaking Tartuffe, it seemed a fascinating way to approach this perennial classic and situate it in today’s bewildering world.”

 

As befitting the Theatre Royal Haymarket, which was known to the play-going world as ‘The New French Theatre’ following it’s opening in 1720, this adaptation of Tartuffe will alternate between English with French surtitles and French with English surtitles to reflect the unfolding plot.

 

Written in 1664, Tartuffe, or The Impostor became regarded as one of Molière’s most celebrated comedies, complete with some of the greatest classical theatre roles. Set present day in Donald Trump’s America, the play’s trenchant mockery of human frailties remains as relevant as ever in this darkly comic adaptation of the classic satire.

 

Adaptor Christopher Hampton is an Academy, BAFTA and Olivier award winning writer and director. His screenplay credits include the Oscar-winning Dangerous Liaisons, Atonement, Ali and Nino and A Dangerous Method. His stage credits include his Olivier Award-winning adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Sunset Boulevard, Stephen Ward, and his original plays Appomatox, The Talking Cure, White Chameleon, Treats, Savages and The Philanthropist.

 

Director Gerald Garutti is the former dramaturg of the French National Theatre (Théâtre National Populaire, 2006-11). In English, he has directed a script-in-hand performance of Dangerous Liaisons for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Notes from the Underground starring Harry Lloyd (The Print Room) and The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Vingtième Théâtre). His latest production in France was the sell out Brief Praise of Nightstarring Pierre Richard (Théâtre du Rond-Point & touring). He has written, adapted and directed texts including Badly But Quickly (National Theatre, Odéon), Correspondence For Three (Le Printemps des Poètes), The Hunters of the Absolute (France Culture), A Century of Fury (Brangues), The Sense of Desire (Odéon), Haim – In The Light Of A Violin (Salle Gaveau, national tour for four seasons) and Lorenzaccio (Théâtre National La Criée).

www.TartuffePlay.com

CREATIVES

Directed by Gerald Garutti

Adapted by Christopher Hampton

Composed by Laurent Petitgand

Designed by Tim Goodchild

Lighting design by Paul Anderson

Sound design by David Gregory

 

ADDRESS

Theatre Royal Haymarket

18 Suffolk Street

London

SW1Y 4HT

 

SEASON DATES

Friday 25 May – Saturday 28 July 2018

 

BOOKING ONLINE

www.trh.co.uk

 

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Mondays – Saturdays: 7.30pm 

Thursdays: 2.30pm

 

TICKETS

Prices from £15

TELEPHONE BOOKING

020 7930 8800

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: TartuffePlay

Twitter: @TartuffePlay

#TartuffePlay

Cast announced for The Moor

Cast announced for The Moor
Old Red Lion Theatre, 418 St John Street, London EC1V 4NJ
Tuesday 6th February – Saturday 3rd March 2018

Jill McAusland (Call the Midwife, BBC1; Pygmalion, English Speaking Theatre Frankfurt; Arms and the Man, Watford Palace Theatre), Oliver Britten (Walrus, The Vaults; Alice Adventures Underground, VAULT Festival; Back to the Future, Secret Cinema) and Jonny Magnanti (Three Winters, National Theatre; The Hound of the Baskervilles, Stables Theatre Hastings; Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mercatoria Theatre Company) will form the cast for the world premiere of Catherine Lucie’s The Moor, a tense psychological thriller set in a place where nothing is as it seems.

Bronagh has lived at the heart of the moor for as long as she can remember, but recently she has started having the same troubling dream. Are the voices trying to tell her something? When a boy vanishes, Bronagh has to tell someone what she suspects, entangling herself and her boyfriend in a murder investigation.

Haunting and touching in equal parts, The Moor pits Bronagh against her own past and present, dragging her, her baby daughter and those closest to them into something deeper than the marsh on the moor

Presenting a female character with nuance, depth and agency who is emotionally and intelligently charged, Lucie explores what people are capable of when isolated and under pressure, ensnaring and unsettling the audience.

Part domestic tale, part folk tale, the play will use inventive design to create an ever-changing landscape reflecting Bronagh’s shifting mental state and the shifting ground of the moor. Directed by Blythe Stewart (Skin a Cat), the play will also be supported by an all-female creative team, demonstrating the impact of women when they take the responsibility of representation into their own hands.

Director Blythe Stewart comments, I am delighted to be bringing Catherine Lucie’s thrilling and unnerving play to life – it’s an ambitious and bold work. At the heart of this play is a woman trying to make a difference in her life. I’m thrilled people will have the chance to see more than just a ‘strong female character’. Bronagh is nuanced: acute, reserved, ordinary, distinct, and changeable, and her fight is for herself. We are passionate about making work that gives a space for people usually on the edge of society and of our stories.

Darlington Hippodrome – Jimmy Osmond

SPEND AN EVENING WITH JIMMY OSMOND AT DARLINGTON HIPPODROME

Jimmy Osmond, who celebrated his 50th anniversary in the music business in 2016, returns to the UK with his hugely popular show – A Tribute to Andy Williams – Moon River and Me. Packed with award-winning music, nostalgic footage and Jimmy’s own personal memories of Andy Williams, the show comes to Darlington Hippodrome on Monday 12 February.

Jimmy who made his performance debut at the age of three on television on the Andy Williams Show will perform many of the romantic songs that made the legendary singer so popular including Music To Watch Girls By, Happy Heart, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Almost There, May Each Day, Days of Wine and Roses and of course the song that was to become his theme, Moon River.

The youngest member of the world-famous Osmond family is joined by The Moon River Band with special guest stars including Charlie Green and naturally, a show with an Osmond would not be complete without some of the chart-topping hits that made Jimmy and his brothers famous.

With an array of Platinum and Gold discs to his credit, Jimmy Osmond’s multi-faceted career has seen him star in the West End production of Grease, a role he recently reprised in selected dates around the UK and tours with Boogie Nights and Chicago.

Jimmy Osmond is at Darlington Hippodrome on Monday 12 February.

Tickets* are priced from £29.50. *Includes £2 restoration levy. To book contact the Box Office on 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

Lovehistory’s Trial By Jury Returns With A Brand New Case This March

LOVEHISTORY’S TRIAL BY JURY RETURNS WITH A

BRAND-NEW CASE THIS MARCH

After the success of its launch in 2017, Lovehistory are excited to announce the return of Trial By Jury which is coming back to Liverpool’s St George’s Hall this March, with a brand new case to solve.

From Thu 15 – Sat 17 March 2018, this compelling immersive theatre production will put the audience in the driving seat and give them the power to decide the fate of those on trial. Guilty or not guilty? You decide!

The show was first introduced in April last year, and following its success, returned again in August with a new case.

This year, with the shows being performed on the weekend of St. Patrick’s Day, the case, which will be kept secret until the first night, will have an Irish theme and will be based on true events from an actual case tried in Liverpool.

The exciting courtroom drama is brought to life by history specialist theatre company Lovehistory – the creative minds behind The Catacombs of Liverpool’s Darkest History Tours and Murder at St George’s Hall Series.

Set in the courts of St George’s Hall where many infamous Liverpool cases were once tried, this is the perfect evening for any amateur sleuth. Put those detective skills to the test as details of a real-life historical court case are revealed.

The evening commences with audiences being witness to a grisly historical murder. The full details of the crime will then be revealed through compelling performances, re-enactments and narrated by a very own Sherlock Holmes style detective who will piece together the full story and gather the evidence for the trial.

After all the harrowing details of the crime have been laid out, the prosecution and defense then present their arguments – it is then in the hands of the audience, who become the jury for the case; given the task of balancing all the evidence from both sides and deciding a verdict. The fate of the accused will be in their hands as they await nervously in the dock for the outcome.

Will it be the Gallows? A lifetime of hard labour? Or will it be mercy? Only the audience will have the power to make that decision, with punishments and sentencing relative to the historical period of the crime.

Once the judge has passed sentence from the jury’s verdict, see how close the outcome was to the real-life sentence which will then also be revealed.

Audiences at August’s event were responsible for deciding the fate in the trial of infamous Sea Captain Henry Rogers, and the Murder of the young British sailor, Andrew Rose in a shocking case from 1857.

 

After witnessing the tragic details unfold of the harrowing treatment and murder of Andrew at the hands of the Captain, audiences in their roles as jurors battled it out in the Jury Room to decide Captains fate.

 

During the three nights, the jurors reached a unanimous decision to send the defendant to the Gallows!

Will the defendant at this trial be subjected to the same end? Or will they have the luck of the Irish on their side in this St Patrick’s Day special and be found not guilty?

The crime and court-case planned for the upcoming event will be kept top secret until the evening of the first performance.

Judy McLean Creative Director of Lovehistory said: “We are delighted to be bringing Trial By Jury back for 2018! We were overwhelmed by the feedback and audience response we received after the last 2 events and their engagement and interaction within the performances was great to watch.

“There is such a strong Irish history in Liverpool’s culture which we are excited to explore in this new case to tie in with St Patrick’s Day. We will be keeping the details of the case secret until the first night, but I can guarantee that audiences won’t be disappointed.”

St George’s Hall Manager Alan Smith added: “We are very pleased to welcome Lovehistory back to St George’s Hall. The previous Trial By Jury events have proved to be incredibly popular with our audiences and I feel that this is a testament to the quality of the content Lovehistory present in their events. They are always entertaining and engaging for audiences, whilst never steering away from the historical accuracy of the gritty facts of the trials that they are based on.

“It is a very unique event, one which we are proud to programme for our venue. I would encourage people to book early as I imagine tickets won’t be around for long.”

 

LISTING DETAILS:

 

Trial By Jury

St George’s Hall, Heritage Centre Entrance, St John’s Lane, Liverpool.

Thursday 15 March – Saturday 17th March 2018

Times: 7:00pm (Show is approximately two hours in duration)

Tickets: £16.50 (incl. admin fee) plus £2.25 fulfilment fee per booking

 

Capacity: 120 people per performance.

 

Purchase in person at TicketQuarter, Echo Arena Liverpool, Kings Dock, Liverpool, online at www.ticketquarter.co.uk or on 0844 800 0410.

Exciting new initiative and resident companies announced at The Bunker

Exciting new initiative and resident companies
announced at The Bunker
The Bunker, 53A Southwark Street London SE1 1RU

The Bunker Theatre are delighted to announce two exciting inaugural resident theatre companies and a brand-new initiative which will give six emerging theatre companies the opportunity to showcase world-premiere work this summer.

Damsel Productions and Pint-Sized will be The Bunker’s resident companies working with the venue on its outreach, programming, and script reading work. Damsel Productions recently presented Damsel Develops and will be producing the full-length production of Izzy Tennyson’s Grotty which opens at The Bunker in May. Pint-Sized have hosted six highly successful play-nights at the venue since October 2016 where they have premiered 40 new short plays from some of the country’s most interesting emerging playwrights.

Led by Hannah Hauer-King and Kitty Wordsworth, Damsel Productions is an all-female theatre company that aims to contribute to a larger and crucial movement, addressing both the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of women in theatre. The company brings together female directors, producers, designers and all other female artists to breathe life into scripts exclusively written by women.

Damsel Productions comment, We are thrilled to join The Bunker as a resident company and look forward to continuing our commitment to creating work centred around women and building allfemale creative teams. The opportunity to fulfil and develop our company ethos at one of London’s most exciting new theatrical venues is an absolute privilege, and we hope to bring more initiatives to
the space that connect diverse groups of women in the industry.

Pint-Sized support emerging writers from across the UK and are particularly committed to voices that aren’t adequately represented in British theatre – they give feedback or support to any writer who identifies as an artist of colour, LGBTQIA*, working class, disabled or learning-disabled. Founders Nicholas Oliver and Matt Maltby take open submissions where they read over 1,500 short pieces and extracts per year and showcase the best to the industry. Mentors for the winning writers include: James Graham, Timberlake Wertenbaker, April De Angelis, Lolita Chakrabarti, Dennis Kelly and Polly Stenham.

Pint-Sized say, The Bunker stage is one of the best spaces for new-writing in the city and we couldn’t be happier to be joining a team who are really committed to supporting bold, diverse and inclusive work, and who, like us, have a genuine passion for supporting emerging artists

Alongside these two Resident Companies, Artistic Director Joshua McTaggart has also introduced an exciting new initiative called Breaking Out where The Bunker will programme a season of work created by six of the most ambitious and adventurous emerging theatre companies in the city. These companies will be chosen through an application and pitch process overseen by The Bunker’s core creative team including Damsel Productions and Pint-Sized.

Chosen companies will have a 4-week residency at The Bunker and will each receive mentoring from The Bunker team, access to free rehearsal space and bespoke PR and marketing support. Companies have until Friday 23rd February at 12pm to submit an application for Breaking Out. For more information about eligibility and the application form, visit https://www.bunkertheatre.com/get-involved/breaking-out.

The Weir Review

The Lowry, Manchester – until Saturday 27th January 2018.  Reviewed by Julie Noller 

4****

To look at the set of The Weir upon on entering the auditorium you could be forgiven for thinking you were stepping back in time, it’s as if you are looking at the snug of 1960’s Coronation Street or indeed one of the many popular 90’s TV shows following the police force and local communities of Ireland.

The Weir written by Conor McPherson when he was only 25 shows incredible maturity and understanding of human nature for someone so young. However he himself says it was written in a rush with no self awareness. The Weir depicts an Ireland outside of the outskirts of Dublin, where youth has long departed, its stereotypical Ireland with heavy drinkers, storytellers, old people.

The whole play is set in that one lonely pub, over one stormy evening. The solid fuel fire must be fed by the patrons, each throws another turf on to keep the old pub and those within warm. Jack (Sean Murray) is our first character, you wonder if he’s the owner as he enters the pub struggling to shut the door against the raging stormy winds. He moves with ease turning on lights, heading to the bar, failing to pour himself a pint this is the first of many subtle touches of humour that draw you to each character. We discover he isn’t the owner as young Brendan (Sam O’Mahony) enters from behind the bar. The talk turns to where is Jim (John O’Dowd) with his horse betting system – to the audience its painfully obvious his winnings are not so great but to the storytellers sat in the pub they are of huge importance. Jack, Jim and Brendan never have and never will leave this town, the pub; it’s their security blanket anchoring them to this spot.

Unmarried and obviously lonely you wonder about their back stories, however the purpose of The Weir is not to think too much about the characters in front of you but to enjoy a slice of life in rural Ireland and listen to the stories, only Brendan doesn’t have a story he is after all the barman and we all know a good barman is a good listener. Discussions turn to tourist season when the Germans will arrive, how the locals don’t go to the pub to escape bad singing and guitar playing until the wee hours, poor Brendan abandoned by his old friends doesn’t need to say how lonely he is surrounded by many people who do not engage him in conversation. Theres talk of Finbar (Louis Dempsey) its twinged with jealousy, he’s married and successful, obviously happy. Yet why is he bringing a woman in tonight? Old men and old gossips, is Finbar really carrying on and has two women when they have not even one? We are introduced to young Valerie (Natalie Radmall-Quirke) shes quite exotic being from Dublin. She can’t speak highly enough of Finbar; the men all take delight in winding him up and he appears to fall for it, showing a side of his personality he’d obviously tried to lose but reappears everytime he’s with his old friends. Theres no Guiness in the pumps and as such Jack has to drink bottled ale, Jim is a slightly nervous character who likes a small one as well as the lighter ale. Finbar has more refined tastes, Brendan may have a small one, thinks about joining in and of course does join in. Valarie quietly listening to the many stories along with us the audience as I noticed the gentle changes in lighting after all it must be darker for a ghost story to work, full lighting isn’t scary its reasurring. Quite often theres an almost too long pause that makes you catch your breath the atmosphere in the theatre is electric and alive as we wait for the next story, will there be a twist in all these tales? Valerie sips her wine from her half pint glass, a sure sign that not many women frequent the pub. The ladies toilets are out of order, not yet fixed as the Germans are yet to arrive. The men despite protesting against a woman entering their man cave, they sense Valerie has a story. These men enjoy a story both telling and embellishing others stories. Finbar tries to downplay those stories but is it out of concern for Valerie or his own pocket? Valeries own story is heartbreaking, you feel her pain and just want to give her a hug. And then as quickly as they entered the pub for the evening, you realise that the night is over and everyone must return home. You also know the whole scene you’ve just witness will replay tomorrow not just on stage but that some lives replay the same scenarios again and again.

There is of course no twist in this tale for this is rural Ireland not Hollywood.

I love stories, I love characters and if I leave you with one tip it’s to simply enjoy The Weir. Don’t try to work the characters out, don’t look for twists. Just sit back and be the third barman (behind Brendan and Jack) listen, it’s often a missing skill in today’s fast and ready mobile society. You won’t be disappointed.

Further casting announced for Strictly Ballroom The Musical

FURTHER CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

BAZ LUHRMANN’S SPECTACULAR

WEST END MUSICAL

ANNA FRANCOLINI to play Shirley Hastings and
GERARD HORAN to play Barry Fife

 

Joining previously announced JONNY LABEY,  ZIZI STRALLEN and WILL YOUNG

 

Previews begin 29th March 2018 at the Piccadilly Theatre

Anna Francolini and Gerard Horan will join previously announced Jonny Labey, Zizi Strallen and Will Young in the company for Baz Luhrmanns Strictly Ballroom The Musical. Based on Baz Luhrmanns classic film that inspired the world to dance, Strictly Ballroom The Musical will begin performances at the Piccadilly Theatre on Thursday 29th March 2018

 

Anna Francolini will play Shirley Hastings, the hilarious former dancer who will do whatever it takes to ensure her son Scott succeeds. Annas stage credits include wonder.land (National Theatre), That Day We Sang (Royal Exchange Theatre), Peter Pan (National Theatre) and Onassis (Novello Theatre).

 

Gerard Horan will play Barry Fife, the corrupt ruler of the ballroom-dancing world. Gerards stage credits include The Ferryman (Royal Court / Gielgud Theatre), The Vote (Donmar Warehouse), The Christmas Truce (Royal Shakespeare Company) and One Man Two Guvnors (Theatre Royal Haymarket). His film credits include Murder on the Orient Express, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and Les Miserables. His television credits include Outlander, Doctor Who and three series’ of The Detectorists.

 

The cast includes Will Young (Cabaret, Mrs Henderson Presents), Zizi Strallen (Follies, Cats, Mary Poppins), Jonny Labey (EastEnders, Dance Dance Dance), Michelle Bishop (Thoroughly Modern Milly, Sunset Boulevard)as Pam Short, Ivan De Freitas (Jesus Christ Superstar, Aladdin) as Merv, Gabriela Garcia (In The Heights, Ghost) as Vanessa Cronin, Charlotte Gooch (Top Hat, Dirty Dancing) as Tina Sparkle, Richard Grieve (Neighbours, Emmerdale and Priscilla Queen of the Desert) as Les Kendall, Liam Marcellino (CabaretMiss Saigon) as Wayne Burns, Stephen Matthews (The Lion King, The Producers) as Doug Hastings, Fernando Mira (ENO, Victorian State Opera) as Rico, Eve Polycarpou (Villa Thalia, In The Heights) as Abuela, Lauren Stroud (Top Hat, Hairspray) as Liz Holt & Gary Watson (Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be, A Chorus Line, Jersey Boys) as Ken Railings.

 

The cast also includes Chris Bennett, Chrissy Brooke, Hannah Fairclough, Selina Hamilton, Christopher D Hunt, Luke Jackson, Justin-Lee Jones, Robin Kent, Jacob Maynard, Leanne Pinder, Tinovimbanashe Sibanda & Dale White.

Strictly Ballroom is the romantic story that was embraced around the world, and went on to put the Strictly into Come Dancing! Based on the multi award-winning movie, the first instalment from Baz Luhrmanns acclaimed Red Curtain Trilogy, the musical production is a kaleidoscope of colour and fun. When rogue championship ballroom dancer Scott defies all the rules of competition to follow his heart, he teams up with left-footed partner Fran to compete in the Pan Pacific Championship his own way. Their love blossoms as their routines flourish, and together they triumph in bringing down the sequin-clad regime of the Dance Federation.

Featuring the film’s iconic music such as Love is in the AirPerhaps Perhaps Perhaps and Time After TimeStrictly Ballroom The Musical will also include electrifying songs from a host of internationally acclaimed artists.

The production originated in Australia where it was created by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine MartinDrew McOnie (whose dazzling choreography for In the Heights earned him the 2016 Olivier Award) will direct and choreograph the West End premiere, with a book by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce.

Strictly Ballroom The Musical is produced by Global Creatures the team behind Walking With Dinosaurs – The Arena Spectacular, Muriel’s Wedding The Musical and the Broadway-bound King Kong and Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

For all information about STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL, please see: www.strictlyballroomthemusical.com

 

 

STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL – LISTINGS INFORMATION

CREATIVE TEAM

Created by Baz Luhrmann

Book by Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce

Directed & Choreographed by Drew McOnie

Set Design by Soutra Gilmour

Costume Design by Catherine Martin

Lighting Design by Howard Hudson

Sound Design by Gareth Owen

Musical Supervision by David Caddick

Orchestrations by Simon Hale

ADDRESS

Piccadilly Theatre

16 Denman Street

London

W1D 7DY

 

SEASON DATES

First performance: Thursday 29th March 2018

 

PRESS NIGHT

Tuesday 24th April 2018 at 7.00pm

 

BOOKING ONLINE

www.strictlyballroomthemusical.com

 

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Monday – Saturday: 7.30pm 

Matinees: Wednesday & Saturday, 2.30pm

 

TICKETS

Prices from £15

TELEPHONE BOOKING

0844 871 7630

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: StrictlyBallroomTheMusical

Twitter: @strictlystage

Instagram: StrictlyBallroomTheMusical

London Theatre Company, Bridge Theatre

LAURA LINNEY TO MAKE LONDON THEATRE DEBUT IN

ELIZABETH STROUT’S

MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON

DIRECTED BY RICHARD EYRE

 

CLAIRE SKINNER

JOINS OPHELIA LOVIBOND, UKWELI ROACH AND

SION DANIEL YOUNG IN BARNEY NORRIS’S

NIGHTFALL

DIRECTED BY LAURIE SANSOM

 

MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON

 

Laura Linney will make her London Theatre debut in Pulitzer Prize-winning Elizabeth Strout’s My Name is Lucy Barton, directed by Richard Eyre at the Bridge Theatre.  Running from 2 – 23 June 2018 with opening night on 6 June at 7pm, this haunting dramatic monologue is adapted by Rona Munro from Strout’s 2016 New York Times best-selling short novel of the same name.  My Name is Lucy Barton will be designed by Bob Crowley.  For this strictly limited 3 week run, evening performances are Monday to Saturday at 7.45pm with Saturday matinees at 2.30pm.

Unsteady after an operation, Lucy Barton wakes to find her mother sitting at the foot of her bed. She hasn’t seen her in years, and her visit brings back to Lucy her desperate rural childhood, and her escape to New York. As she begins to find herself as a writer, she is still gripped by the urgent complexities of family life.

 

Laura Linney and Richard Eyre are reunited for this production following their previous collaborations – on stage Eyre directed Linney in a Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and on screen he directed her in his and Charles Wood’s adaptation of Bernhard Schlink’s The Other Man.

 

Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning Laura Linney will make her London stage debut as Lucy Barton. On Broadway she made her debut in Six Degrees of Separation and subsequently played Nina in The Seagull, Thea Elvsted in Hedda Gabler, Yelena Andreyevna in Uncle Vanya, Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible, La Marquise de Merteuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses and most recently alternated the roles of Regina Hubbard Giddens and Birdie Hubbard in The Little Foxes for the Manhattan Theatre Club. On film she made her screen debut in Lorenzo’s Oil and was most recently seen in The Dinner. Her extensive film credits also include The Truman Show, Kinsey, Sully, Primal Fear, Hyde Park on Hudson, You Can Count on Me and Mystic River.  Her many small screen credits include Tales of the City, The Big C which she also produced, Frasier, and most recently Ozark for Netflix with a second series set for later this year.

Elizabeth Strout’s debut novel was Amy and Isabelle which was subsequently adapted into a film for HBO.  Her further writing credits are Abide with MeOlive Kitteridge which was adapted into an Emmy award-winning mini-series also for HBO, The Burgess BoysMy Name is Lucy Barton and Anything is Possible.

 

Rona Munro has written extensively for stage, radio, film and television including the award-winning trilogy The James Plays for the National Theatre of Scotland, the National Theatre and the Edinburgh International Festival. Her other theatre writing credits include Scuttlers for the Royal Exchange Theatre, Iron and The Last Witch for the Edinburgh International Festival and Little Eagles for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

 

Richard Eyre is a multi award-winning theatre, film, opera and television Director.  Eyre was Director of the National Theatre from 1988-1997 and alongside his numerous theatrical awards was the recent recipient of the Companion of Honour.  His Bristol Old Vic production of A Long Day’s Journey into Night has recently transferred to Wyndham’s Theatre. 

N I G H T F A L L

 

Claire Skinner (Jenny) will join the previously announced Ophelia Lovibond (Lou), Ukweli Roach (Pete)and Sion Daniel Young (Ryan) in the world premiere of Barney Norris’s Nightfall.  Directed by Laurie Sansom, Nightfall will now run at the Bridge Theatre from 28 April – 26 May 2018, with press night on 8 May 2018.

On a farm outside Winchester, Ryan struggles to make a living off the land. His sister Lou has returned home after the death of their father to support Jenny, their formidable mother. Not so long ago, when a neighbour’s Labrador strayed onto the farm, their dad reached for his shotgun. Now, when Lou’s boyfriend Pete reappears, flush with money from his job at an oil refinery, Jenny fights to hold her children to the life she planned for them.

 

Claire Skinner’s theatre credits include Blurred LinesMrs Affleck, Winter’s Tale and Othello all for the National Theatre, Deathtrap at the Noel Coward Theatre and most recently Prism and Rabbit Hole, both at Hampstead Theatre. She also performed in the critically acclaimed The Father for Theatre Royal Bath which transferred to The Tricycle and on to the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End. She also garnered an Olivier Award nomination and won a Critic’s Circle Award for her performance in the Donmar Warehouse’sThe Glass Menagerie. On television, she is best known as Sue Brockman from the BBC’s Outnumbered for which she was nominated for a Best Comedy Performance and Best TV Comedy Actress at the BAFTAs and British Comedy Awards respectively. She can currently be seen on ITV’s new drama Next Of Kin. Other credits include roles in Power MonkeysInside No.9, Critical, Playhouse Presents: Mr Understood, Silk and Doctor Who.

 

Ophelia Lovibond is best known on television for playing Izzy Gould in the BBC’s W1A and was last on stage in Richard Eyre’s production of The Stepmother at Chichester Festival Theatre.  Her other theatre credits include The Libertine at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and The Effect for Sheffield Theatres.  Her other television credits include Hooten & the Lady, Elementary, Inside No 9, Mr Sloane and Nathan Barley.  Her films include Tommy’s Honor, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Man Up, Guardians of the Galaxy, A Single Shot, GozoMr Popper’s Penguins, No Strings Attached, 4.3.2.1, Chatroom, London Boulevard, Nowhere Boy, Shadows in the Sun and Oliver Twist. 

 

Ukweli Roach’s theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet and Helen, both for Shakespeare’s Globe and 5, 6, 7, 8 for the Royal Court.  His television credits include Humans, Hard Sun, Blindspot, The Royals, Grantchester and Silk.  His film credits include Streetdance 3D, One Day and Venus and the Son.

 

Sion Daniel Young’s theatre credits include Killology for the Royal Court, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and War Horse for the National Theatre, Mametz and The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning for the National Theatre Wales, The Welsh Boy for Theatre Royal, Bath, and Llwyth for the Sherman Theatre.  His television credits include Commoners, Hinterland, Our World WarCasualty and Gwaith Cartref. On film his credits include Another Me, Private Peaceful and Daisy Chain.

 

Upon graduating from university, Barney Norris founded Up In Arms Theatre Company, of which he is the co-Artistic Director. His first play Visitors ran at the Arcola Theatre before transferring to the Bush Theatre, winning him the 2014 Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright. His other full-length plays are EventideEcho’s End and While We’re Here. Norris is the author of a bestselling novel, Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain, and a book on theatre: To Bodies Gone: The Theatre of Peter Gill.  His second novel, Turning For Home, was published this month.

 

As Chief Executive/Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland Laurie Sansom directed Rona Munro’s The James Plays which were co-presented by the Edinburgh International Festival and the National Theatre of Great Britain and toured the world. Sansom was previously Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate, Northampton, where he directed the UK premiere of Tennessee Williams’ Spring Storm and Eugene O’Neill’s Beyond The Horizon and The Festival of Chaos for London 2012. He was also Alan Ayckbourn’s Associate Director at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough.

LISTINGS

 

Address:                                   Bridge Theatre, 3 Potters Fields Park, London, SE1 2SG

Box Office:                               0843 208 1846 or [email protected] (7p/minute plus standard network rate)

Tickets for My Name is Lucy Barton are priced from £15 to £55 with a limited number of premium seats available.

Tickets for Nightfall are priced from £15 to £65 with reduced prices for previews and midweek matinees. A limited number of premium seats are also available.

A special allocation of £15 seats are held for Young Bridge, a free scheme for those under 26.

Access:                                    0333 320 0051 or [email protected]

Website:                                   www.bridgetheatre.co.uk

Twitter:                                    @_bridgetheatre

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Facebook:                                facebook.com/bridgetheatrelondon

SiX the Musical Review

Arts Theatre  – 22 January.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

This pop-concert musical about Henry VIII’s wives is fantastic fierce fun, changing history into HERstory with flair and attitude.

Everybody remembers the divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived rhyme, but in SiX the wives get to step into the limelight and decide to tell their sob stories so that the audience can vote for the wife that has suffered the most to become the lead singer of the group.

Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss have created an exuberant celebration of the women in the shadow of the king, giving a sassy twist to everything we think we know about these women. Renée Lamb is a total diva as Catherine of Aragon, demanding to know what exactly she did to deserve Henry’s shoddy treatment of her in a barnstorming number, followed by Christina Modestou’s take on Anne Boleyn as a text speaking girl who just wanted to have fun in the hysterical “Don’t Lose Ur Head”. Linking the numbers is some bitchy banter between the queens that is a little hit and miss, but there are some cracking one-liners, mostly from the younger wives, Anne and Katherine Howard.

There is a sudden and complete change in tone as Jane Seymour tells her story, with Natalie Paris showing her impeccable vocal skills in her power ballad, perhaps a linking ensemble number could lessen the jarring change? The standout queen of the show is Anne of Cleves (Genesis Lynea). Let’s face it, we all know the story of the Holbein portrait, but not much about her life after divorce. SiX has a wonderfully bonkers number “Haus of Holbein” showing the selection of a wife from her “profile picture” before Anne sings about her “terrible” life as a divorcee – the gleeful “Queen of the Castle” showcases her life of wealth and privilege in Richmond with loads of swagger. Aimie Atkinson’s Katherine Howard is a brilliantly imagined teenage hedonist, with the empty repetition of her romances finally becoming clear in a moment of clarity at the end of her song. These feisty characters pale into insignificance when the survivor, Catherine Parr takes centre stage. Izuka Hoyle quietly and calmly describes her life of widowhood and lost love as she is chosen by Henry, and her number begins as a letter to her love before morphing into an angry wail against Henry and the misogyny of the Tudor age. This is where the feminist message truly leaps to the fore, making the previous girl power moments in the show seem very flimsy and vacuous, which is exactly as it should be. This was a queen who entered the marriage with eyes open, and tried to use her position to change things for the better.

The energy of the cast is phenomenal, and this carries the audience along on a huge wave of enthusiasm and joy. But there are issues with the show that need to be addressed. As much fun as the musical numbers are, a few are at least one chorus too long. In a fully staged show, with tighter choreography and more business going on, you could just about get away with the songs as they are now, maybe. But with this staging, a bit of judicious editing may be advisable. The script also relies a little too heavily on the ladies snarking at each other. Yes, this makes the big feminist message of the finale more heart-warming as they band together, but it does fall into the stereotyped bitchiness of ex-wives and girlfriends being in the same room. A little more light and shade would gel the show together.

SiX is a great night out, and after a little polish, has the potential to become a jewel in the crown of musical theatre. I hope it gets a longer run soon.

ESCAPE TO THE LAND OF SWEETS WITH A SUMPTUOUS BALLET FAVOURITE

ESCAPE TO THE LAND OF SWEETS WITH A SUMPTUOUS BALLET FAVOURITE

 

Scotland’s national dance company are bringing a traditional favourite to Newcastle Theatre Royal next week.  Enrobed in snow, ice, candy and pure enchantment, prepare to take a magical sleigh ride with Scottish Ballet’s The Nutcracker 31 January – 3 February 2018.

 

As Newcastle Theatre Royal is the only venue in England to host the critically acclaimed dance company’s beloved seasonal classic, North East audiences are in for a treat.

 

Devised by Scottish Ballet’s founder, Peter Darrell, and revived to widespread acclaim in 2014, The Nutcracker is renowned for its sumptuous costumes, striking chocolate box set and snowflakes galore.  Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score is also performed live by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra. This tour marks a return to a much more traditional Nutcracker after the company’s 2010 and 2013 visits to the Theatre Royal with Ashley Page’s darker and bolder version set in the Weimar Republic.

 

Peter Darrell’s The Nutcracker follows the magical story of a little girl, Clara, who on Christmas Eve is given an enchanted nutcracker doll.  As she drifts off to sleep, we follow her into dreamland where the nutcracker doll transforms into a Prince and comes to life.  He dances the iconic Pas de Deux with The Sugarplum Fairy and embarks upon a journey to the Land of Sweets where we meet the Snow Queen and experience tastes of the Middle East and Russia.  Clara then returns home to awaken from her beautiful slumber, but was it just a dream..?

 

Darrell’s production of The Nutcracker is also unique in that the main character, Clara, is danced by a young girl performing alongside the Company’s 40 professional dancers.  The cast will include talented young dancers from Scottish Ballet’s Associates programme, who will gain the experience of a life-time working on stage in this iconic classic. Over the past 40+ years, hundreds of children have participated in The Nutcracker’s magic, and many have since gone on to have inspiring careers including choreographer Michael Clark, actress Ruth Connell (Rowena MacLeod, Supernatural) and current Scottish Ballet Principal dancer Christopher Harrison.

 

CEO/Artistic Director, Chris Hampson said:  ‘It is always a pleasure to bring Peter Darrell’s The Nutcracker to the stage.  This production has been at the heart of Scottish Ballet since the 1970’s and has been delighting generations for decades.’

 

The Nutcracker is at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Weds 31 Jan until Sat 3 February 2018, playing evenings at 7.30pm, matinees on Thu 2pm and Sat 2.30pm. Tickets from £14.50 can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge) or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk