Month: September 2020

London locations – until 11 October 2020

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Set adrift in the ocean of indifference and ineptitude of government guidelines, theatres and producers are finding creative solutions to stage shows, and this socially-distanced production is a wonderful way to experience an intriguing and uplifting play.

Meeting at various locations around London, the audience are guided patiently through the use of the show’s app on their phones (easy enough even for technophobes like me) and, headphones in place, wait for the action to begin. The random thoughts of a passer-by appear in your headphones, and we follow the actor as Sarah complains of neck and chest pains, and tries to remember the next line in the song that’s stuck in her head. A man approaches her and what at first appears to be a creepy pickup attempt turns into a beautifully cathartic intervention by her guardian angel, Raphael. As Raphael gently guides Sarah through her past and she is forced to confront the grief and loss behind her shrinking from emotional and physical contact, Sarah’s movements become larger and more free, resulting in lots of double takes from people walking along the river bank. The sight of a group of people staring intently at a silent couple must be very strange – the characters are voiced by Aoife Kennan and Richard Heap, so the actors have the tricky job of conveying the story visually as we listen. At the Monument show, Laura White and Max Gold did this effortlessly.

After a successful run in France, the story resonates strongly with the strange mood of the “new normal”. Sarah’s self-imposed isolation and her tentative steps towards making and enjoying emotional contact are portrayed with sensitivity and hope. Created and directed by Samuel Senè, and adapted into English by Quentin Bruno, the play is short, but packs an emotional punch. I was at a 7.30 performance, and as the sun set, the lights on the Thames and the stunning backdrop of Tower Bridge, London Bridge and the Shard added an extra layer of wonder to this gem of a play

Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @UncleVanyaPlay 

www.unclevanyaplay.com  

 A Sonia Friedman Productions/Angelica Films co-production 

In association with BBC

UNCLE VANYA 
By Anton Chekhov 

In a new adaptation by Conor McPherson 

Directed by Ian Rickson 

SONIA FRIEDMAN PRODUCTIONS’ CELEBRATED UNCLE VANYA, DIRECTED BY OLIVIER-NOMINATED IAN RICKSON, HAS BEEN FILMED ON STAGE AT THE HAROLD PINTER THEATRE FOR A THEATRICAL RELEASE IN CINEMAS AHEAD OF BROADCAST ON THE BBC

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ALMOST ALL THE ORIGINAL CAST RETURN WITH ROGER ALLAM REPLACING CIARÁN HINDS IN THE ROLE OF PROFESSOR SEREBRYAKOV

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​THE CAST, CREATIVE TEAM AND FILM CREW HAVE COMBINED TO CREATE A RAVISHING NEW FILM VERSION OF THE PRODUCTION

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THE FIRST UK STAGE PRODUCTION CLOSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC TO HAVE BEEN FILMED AND PRODUCED FOR SCREEN

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TRANSMISSION DATE FOR THE BBC ALONG WITH FURTHER DISTRIBUTION DETAILS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON

When the country went into lockdown in March and theatres were forced to close, Ian Rickson’s acclaimed production of Uncle Vanya was in the final weeks of its scheduled, sold-out run. The production had received Olivier nominations for Toby Jones (Best Actor Award), Ian Rickson (Best Director Award), Bruno Poet (Best Lighting Design Award) and Rae Smith (Best Set Design Award). Despite the entire team’s best efforts and wishes, the live production will not be able to return. However…

Sonia Friedman Productions today is delighted to announce that Ian Rickson’s highly acclaimed production of Conor McPherson’s new adaptation of Uncle Vanya has been filmed on stage at the Harold Pinter Theatre in partnership with Angelica Films. The new film version of the production will be shown in cinemas ahead of broadcast on the BBC (date tbc) with further distribution details to be announced soon. This makes it the first UK stage production closed by the Coronavirus pandemic to have been filmed and produced for the screen.

Sonia Friedman Productions and the BBC have partnered with Angelica Films to create a sumptuous re-interpretation of Ian Rickson’s stage production. Marrying the intimacy of film with the electricity of live performance, the team has made this far more than simply a film of the play.

Directed for screen by Ross MacGibbon, the film reunites nearly all of the original cast of the production that was in its final weeks when the country went into lockdown in March and theatres were forced to close. Only Ciarán Hinds was unavailable and his role has now been taken by Roger Allam (A Number, Endeavour, The Moderate Soprano, The Thick of It).

“Sonia Friedman (SFP) and Sally Angel (Angelica Films) said: “Collaborating on filming Ian Rickson’s extraordinary production of Uncle Vanya has been a wonderful and inspiring experience. Despite all the challenges involved in filming this production (with no social distancing on screen), the results are testament to a brilliant and dedicated cast and crew led by Ian himself alongside Ross MacGibbon. It is such a privilege that we are able to bring this beautiful production to a wider audience after its run was cut so brutally short by the Covid-19 pandemic in March. We would also like to thank SFP’s loyal coproducers who have so generously allowed us to pursue this vision for the filmed production and enabled it to become a reality”.

The filming took place under strict Covid-19 secure, independently drawn up protocols, with the cast self-isolating and undergoing regular tests and the crew in masks, PPE and socially distancing throughout the process.

As live performances are unable to resume, if you are a current ticket holder, you do not need to do anything as your point of purchase will be in contact to arrange a credit note or refund, but we encourage you to sign up to hear when Uncle Vanya will be shown in cinemas and broadcast on the BBC.

Toby Jones (The Detectorists, The Birthday Party, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Richard Armitage (The Hobbit, The Stranger), Rosalind Eleazar (The Personal History of David Copperfield, Deep Water, The Starry Messenger), Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education, Downstate), Anna Calder-Marshall (LOVE, Evening at the Talk House, Male of the Species), Dearbhla Molloy (The Ferryman, Dancing at Lughnasa, Juno and the Paycock), Peter Wight (The Birthday Party, Hamlet, The Red Lion) and Roger Allam (A Number, Endeavour, The Moderate Soprano, The Thick of It), all star in McPherson’s witty and timely adaptation of Chekhov’s classic.

 The production ran at the Harold Pinter Theatre from 14th January 2020 with an Opening Night on Thursday 23rd January 2020.  

In the heat of summer, Sonya (Aimee Lou Wood) and her Uncle Vanya (Toby Jones) while away their days on a crumbling estate deep in the countryside, visited occasionally only by the local doctor Astrov (Richard Armitage). 

However, when Sonya’s father Professor Serebryakov (Roger Allam) suddenly returns with his restless, alluring, new wife Yelena (Rosalind Eleazar) declaring his intention to sell the house, the polite facades crumble and long repressed feelings start to emerge with devastating consequences. 

Olivier Award-winner Conor McPherson’s stunning new adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece, Uncle Vanya, is a portrayal of life at the turn of the 20th century, full of tumultuous frustration, dark humour and hidden passions. 

Uncle Vanya is the eleventh collaboration between Ian Rickson and Sonia Friedman Productions, with previous productions including Rosmersholm, Jerusalem, The River, Betrayal and The Children’s Hour.  

The stage production of Uncle Vanya was designed by Rae Smith, with lighting by Bruno Poet, music by Stephen Warbeck, sound by Ian Dickinson and casting by Amy Ball CDG.  

The original production was presented by Sonia Friedman Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions, Rupert Gavin, Patrick Gracey/Scott M. Delman, 1001 Nights Productions, Tulchin Bartner Productions in association with Len Blavatnik, Eilene Davidson Productions, Louise & Brad Edgerton.

Transmission date and further distribution details will be announced soon.

LAMBERT JACKSON ANNOUNCES LIVE PERFORMANCES OF JASON ROBERT BROWN’S SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM

Lambert Jackson Productions today announces live performances of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs For A New World at The London Palladium on 11 October. Séimí Campbell directs David Hunter (Waitress), Rachel John (Hamilton), Cedric Neal (Motown) and Rachel Tucker (Come From Away) for two performances only in a return for musical theatre to West End.

“It’s about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice… or take a stand… or turn around and go back.”

Written by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown and sitting between musical and song cycle, this moving collection of powerful songs examines life, love, and the choices that we make as it transports audiences through time and space.

Lambert Jackson Productions staged a virtual performance of Songs For a New World during lockdown, in association with The Other Palace, as part of a commitment to provide work paid work for performers during the pandemic. They also staged a successful virtual concert series – Leave a Light On, as well as several one-off concerts.

Jamie Lambert and Eliza Jackson said today, “It’s a total joy to announce a return to live performance with the first musical to return to the West End – Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World for just two performances. To be able to share in the power of collective experience with these incredible performers and an audience together again for the first time in over six months reminds us why our industry is so vital.”

As The London Palladium welcomes back its first audiences since closure in March 2020, and in line with current Government guidance, this event will be hosted under social distancing, with venue-wide safety mitigations, including the wearing of face coverings. Full information about safety measures and requirements will be sent to ticket holders ahead of the event.

Jason Robert Brown is a three-time Tony Award winning composer and lyricist. His theatre credits include 13, The Bridges of Madison County, The Last Five Years – which was also adapted into a film in 2015 starring Anna Kendrick, Parade – which won a Tony Award for Best Score, Honeymoon in Vegas and Urban Cowboy – which he co-wrote with Jeff Blumenkrantz.

David Hunter plays Man 2. He appeared in Lambert Jackson’s Leave a Light On, and in concert with Lucie Jones during lockdown. His theatre credits include Waitress, Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre), Once (Phoenix Theatre), One Man, Two Guvnors (National Theatre, Adelphi Theatre and UK tour), Tommy (Prince Edward Theatre), Seussical (Arts Theatre), The Hired Man (Curve Leicester and Mercury Theatre Colchester) and Pub and Spinach (Royal Exchange Theatre). For television, he was a participant in ITV’s Superstar – the search to find the lead for the revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. For film, he appeared in Nativity 3.

Rachel John plays Woman 1.Her theatre credits include Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre), The Color Purple – In Concert (Cadogan Hall), The Bodyguard (Dominion Theatre/UK tour), Memphis (Shaftesbury Theatre), Rent (UK tour), We Will Rock You, Sister Act (London Palladium) and The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre/international tour).

Cedric Neal plays Man 1. His theatre credits include Back To The Future (Manchester Opera House), The View Upstairs (Soho Theatre), Stagger Lee, Death of a Salesman (Dallas Theater Center), Porgy and Bess (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), and Dreamgirls (Signature Theatre). His credits for television include Friday Night Lights and The Good Guys.

Rachel Tucker plays Woman 2. Her theatre credits include Come From Away (Phoenix Theatre), Wicked (Apollo Victoria/The Gershwin Theater), Communicating Doors (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Last Ship (Neil Simon Theatre), Farragut North (Southwark Playhouse), We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre), Dusty (Leicester Square Theatre), The Wizard of Oz, To Be Sure, Merry Christmas Betty Ford (Belfast Lyric Theatre), Tonight’s The Night, Tommy and The Full Monty (UK tour).

Séimí Campbell directs. His previous credits include My Son Pinocchio (Southwark Playhouse). As an assistant director his credits include Come From Away (Phoenix Theatre) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); and as resident director credits include Amour (Charing Cross Theatre), Cereal Café (The Other Palace) and Sweeney Todd (Shoreditch Town Hall).

Twitter: @LJProds

Instagram: @lambertjacksonproductions

Facebook: Lambert Jackson Productions

ABOUT LAMBERT JACKSON PRODUCTIONS

Lambert Jackson Productions is a production company dedicated to producing musical theatre shows and stunning performances. Founded by Jamie Lambert (CEO) and Eliza Jackson (Creative Director), the company made its debut at Cadogan Hall in August 2018 with There’s Nothin’ Like a Dame – 100 Years of Women in Musical Theatre, and has since received two Broadway World Award nominations. Their various productions have received critical acclaim, including Main Men of Musicals, West End Women, Love at the Musicals, multiple Favourites series at The Other Palace, The Throwaways, Ramin Karimloo and The Broadgrass Band, and Doctor Zhivago. They are currently planning their hotly-anticipated production The Secret Garden plus a concert series at The Adelphi Theatre including superstars John Owen-Jones and Samantha Barks.  Over the last six months, Lambert Jackson created the UK’s biggest online concert series, Leave a Light On, designed to provide income for actors during the Covid-19 lockdown, as well as leading the way with their virtual productions of musicals The Last Five Years and Songs For A New World.

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD 

The London Palladium

8 Argyll St, Soho, London W1F 7TF

www.lwtheatres.co.uk

For access bookings, please contact: [email protected]

Tickets: £28 – £42

THEATRE ROYAL BATH CELEBRATES ITS REOPENING THIS AUTUMN WITH ‘THE WELCOME BACK SEASON’ OF PLAYS

BETRAYAL BY HAROLD PINTER WILL BE DIRECTED BY JONATHAN CHURCH AND PLAY FROM 14 OCTOBER TO 31 OCTOBER.

COPENHAGEN BY MICHAEL FRAYN WILL BE DIRECTED BY POLLY FINDLAY AND PLAY FROM 4 NOVEMBER TO 21 NOVEMBER.

OLEANNA BY DAVID MAMET WILL BE DIRECTED BY NICOLE CHARLES AND PLAY FROM 25 NOVEMBER TO 12 DECEMBER.

WITH REDUCED CAPACITY TO ALLOW FOR A SOCIALLY DISTANCED AUDIENCE, TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE FOR PRIORITY BOOKINGS FROM 10AM ON FRIDAY 4 SEPTEMBER AND FOR GENERAL BOOKINGS FROM 10AM ON FRIDAY 11 SEPTEMBER VIA THEATREROYAL.ORG.UK.

FURTHER COVID-SECURE MEASURES WILL INCLUDE MANDATORY FACE COVERINGS, HAND SANTITISER UNITS, THERMAL TEMPERATURE CHECKS, STAGGERED ARRIVALS AND DEDICATED ENTRY POINTS.

Theatre Royal Bath is delighted to announce that the main house will be reopening this Autumn with a collection of three modern classics.

The Welcome Back Season of plays will open with Harold Pinter’s masterpiece Betrayal directed by Jonathan Church from 14 October to 31 October, followed by Michael Frayn’s award-winning Copenhagen, directed by Polly Findlay from 4 November to 21 November, and lastly include David Mamet’s provocative drama Oleanna directed by Nicole Charles which will run from 25 November to 12 December.

Following all government guidance and in consultation with health and safety advisors RB Health and Safety Solutions the capacity of the theatre has been reduced by more than half from 888 to 375, to allow for socially distanced seating. Further covid-secure measures will include mandatory face coverings (unless exempt), hand sanitiser units, thermal temperature checks, dedicated entry points, staggered arrivals and audience flow, fresh air circulation and enhanced cleaning.

Tickets for The Welcome Back Season will go on sale at 10am on Friday 4 September 2020 for priority bookers and from 10am on Friday 11 September for general bookings via www.theatreroyal.org.uk or 01225 448844.

Casting has yet to be confirmed for the season.

BETRAYAL
By Harold Pinter
Directed by Jonathan Church

Pinter’s peerless masterpiece about adultery amongst the literary classes, opens as Emma and Jerry meet for a drink, two years after their seven-year affair has ended. Emma has recently discovered that her husband, and Jerry’s best friend, Robert, has been betraying her for years and has retaliated by spilling the beans on their own affair.

As secrets and lies unravel, time spools backwards scene by scene to the party where the first sparks of passion are ignited, placing the audience in the tantalising position of knowing more about what is happening than the protagonists do.

Tender, moving and widely considered to be Pinter’s most accessible work, this devastating dissection of a love triangle, presents a compelling portrait of both the relationship between the lovers and the competitiveness of male friendships.

Harold Pinter was one of Britain’s most influential dramatists, with a career that spanned 50 years. His plays include The Birthday Party, The Caretaker and The Homecoming.

Jonathan Church is Artistic Director of the Theatre Royal Bath Summer Season where his directing credits include In Praise of Love, The Price (which transferred to the West End), An Ideal Husband, Racing Demon and The Lady in the Van. He was previously Artistic Director for the Salisbury Playhouse (1995-99), Birmingham Rep (2001-05) and Chichester Festival Theatre (2006-16). His directing credits also include West End productions of Singin’ in the Rain, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, and Taken at Midnight. He received a CBE for Services to Theatre in 2015.

COPENHAGEN
By Michael Frayn
Directed by Polly Findley

Michael Frayn’s multi award-winning masterwork is a dazzling exploration of two brilliant minds and their motives.

In Nazi-occupied Copenhagen, in 1941, a clandestine encounter is known to have taken place between two Nobel Prize winning physicists, Dane Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, a German. The men were old friends and long-term colleagues, but now found themselves on opposite sides of the divide.

Under the watchful eye of Bohr’s wife, Margrethe, Frayn speculates on the debates which might have taken place; an exchange of transformative ideas which had huge implications for both the Nazis and the Allies, and for our world today.

This totally absorbing historical detective story, conjured from a smattering of scientific facts, is a daring, fascinating and stimulating drama that enjoyed a hugely acclaimed run at the National Theatre before transferring to the West End and Broadway and winning the 2000 Tony Award for Best Play.

Michael Frayn is a journalist and writer, whose diverse range of plays includes Noises Off, Donkey’s Years and Benefactors.

Polly Findley was the winner of the Kitchin Trust’s Young Theatre Director award in 2007. Credits include Beginning (National Theatre and West End), The Merchant of Venice (Royal Shakespeare Company and Oscar and Jim (HighTide Festival).

OLEANNA
By David Mamet
Directed by Nicole Charles

When David Mamet’s Oleanna opened nearly thirty years ago, it caused uproar amongst audiences from New York to London. Set on an American campus, a seemingly innocuous conversation between a college professor and his female student warps into a nightmare which threatens to destroy them both, when she files a claim of sexual harassment against him. With its take on the corrosive excesses of political correctness and exploration of the use and abuse of language, this is the ultimate drama of pupil power and student revenge.

Addressing issues which are strikingly current, this will be a fascinating opportunity to see this landmark play from the perspective of our #MeToo era.

David Mamet is one of the most distinctive voices in stage and film writing today. His multi award-winning plays include Glengarry Glen Ross, Speed-the-Plow and American Buffalo.

Nicole Charles’ work has been staged at the Young Vic, The Bush Theatre, National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre, and Theatre Royal Haymarket. Recent credits include acclaimed productions of Emilia, Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads, and The Merry Wives of Windsor which was broadcast live to cinemas from Shakespeare’s Globe. She was a finalist in the Young Vic’s Genesis Future Director Awards 2018.

The Vaults Opens Its Doors Again with a BRAND NEW COVID FRIENDLY SHOW

The doors have been dusted off and sanitised again and again, ready for the filth and scourge of London to descend into the depths of Hell aka The Vaults, in this covid-safe brand-new show: Dante’s In Furlough from the 15th October.

Amidst the doom and gloom of a pandemic, can our spirits sink any lower? Well yes, right down to the pits of Hell itself, as The Devil invites you to attend his wedding in the underworld (other times known as The Vaults). It’s set to be the most action you’ve had in 6 months. As with most things, the deeper you go, the more enjoyment you get.

For you to progress further, you’re going to have to lie, betray and cheat to beat the Devil at his own game, making your way through each circle of Hell; becoming his worst men, maids and all round rascals, in earning your seat at his wedding table.

Through each of these circles you’ll face all your vices, be they lust, gluttony, greed or something altogether more sinister. Your demonic guide will keep you in check and in trouble, along with your quarantine dearest or social bubble. Should you appear all too moral for their liking, then face being banished to the plains of Earth, missing out on all the hedonism Hell hath to offer.

Inspired by Shel Silverstein’s epic poem ‘Billy Markham and the Devil’ written for PlayBoy in 1977, fans of Shel’s can find themselves in a similar scenario to the poem’s protagonist – you’ll be gambling with your soul.

Hell on earth: The Vaults with its maze of winding tunnels married with its speciality in immersive theatrical productions, makes for a safer covid performance without compromise. Patrons will be permitted entry on certain time slots, staggering audiences, thus keeping the chaos organised and safe for all.
For all your debauched devilish fun be sure to book your tickets online and we’ll see you in Hell in October.
Suitable for ages 18+ 

BLACKEYED THEATRE
ANNOUNCE THEIR ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL & MR HYDE
WILL BE PERFORMED AND STREAMED LIVE THIS MONTH

Blackeyed Theatre’s production of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde will be performed LIVE in front of a socially-distanced audience on Friday 18 September 2020.

The production will be streamed LIVE to audiences at home and will be available on demand.

Blackeyed Theatre make their filmed archive performances of Teechers, Jekyll & Hyde and Oh What A Lovely War available to schools.

Blackeyed Theatre have today announced that their highly acclaimed production of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella by Nick Lane, will be performed to a socially-distanced audience at the Wilde Theatre in Bracknell, Berkshire, on Friday 18 September and be available to watch LIVE online and on demand. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde will be the first performance in the Wilde Theatre since March, when they officially closed their doors due to COVID-19.

The roles of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde will be played by Blake Kubena (Vikings, History Channel; Othello, Alabama Shakespeare Festival; All’s Well that Ends Well, Minack Theatre). Joining Blake and reprising their roles from Blackeyed Theatre’s 2017 production are Zach Lee (Bouncers, Glass Menagerie, Hull Truck; The Derby McQueen Affair, York Theatre Royal; Treasure Island, Harrogate Theatre) as Gabriel Utterson, Paige Round (Hurling Rubble at the Moon, Park Theatre; Nobody, Hanyong Theatre/National Theatre Company of Korea) as Eleanor Lanyon and Ashley Sean-Cook (Frankenstein, Blackeyed Theatre;
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Children’s Touring Partnership; Might Never Happen, King’s Head) as Hastings Lanyon.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is adapted and directed by Nick Lane, who was Associate Director and Literary Manager at Hull Truck from 2006 to 2014, with original music composed by Tristan Parkes. Completing the artistic team are Enric Ortuño (Movement and Intimacy Director), Victoria Spearing (Set Design), Naomi Gibbs (Costume Design) and Claire Childs (Lighting Design).

Doctor Henry Jekyll is a good man. Successful within his field and respected by his peers, he’s close to a neurological discovery that will change the face of medical science forever. However, his methods are less than ethical, and when a close friend and colleague threatens to expose and destroy his work, Jekyll is forced to experiment on himself, whereupon something goes very wrong…or very right. And suddenly Jekyll has a new friend, the brutal Edward Hyde.

A thrilling adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s dark psychological fantasy, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde immerses you in the myth and mystery of 19th century London’s fog-bound streets where love, betrayal and murder lurk at every chilling twist and turn.

This gripping production takes inspiration from Nick Lane’s own personal journey. Injured by a car accident at the age of 26 that permanently damaged his neck and back, Lane imagines Jekyll as a physically weakened man who discovers a cure for his ailments, a cure that also unearths the darkest corners of his psyche. Lane says, If someone offered me a potion that was guaranteed to make me feel the way I did before the accident, but with the side effect that I’d become ruthless and horrible – would I drink it?

Nick Lane said:
“In this chaotic period in our history, the arts serve as an oasis of peace and I’m absolutely delighted to be working with Blackeyed again to bring autumn chills down the spines of any audience member with Jekyll and Hyde. It’s a timeless story that we’ve put into historical context, adding detail that will intrigue people who know the novel and those coming to it fresh”.

Blackeyed Theatre will also be making the recording of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde available to schools, along with accompanying video resources designed to support students of Drama, Performing Arts and English Literature. This is in addition to their recordings of Teechers by John Godber and Oh What A Lovely War by Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop, which are available exclusively to schools to license for the entire 2020/2021 academic year. These resources, including the full shows and interviews with
cast and creatives, are designed to address the specific challenges teachers and students face in the coming academic year.

Adrian McDougall, Artistic Director of Blackeyed Theatre said:
“We’ve been working towards getting Jekyll & Hyde back on stage for many months now, and there have been times when it’s been touch and go. But I’m really pleased we can finally get back into the rehearsal room and create some great theatre for a live audience. As well as producing something new and exciting for a public online audience, it means we can add Jekyll & Hyde to our online library of syllabus-related work, and we’ll be creating lots of educational content to accompany the show for our schools audience. In the meantime, we continue to plan to welcome live audiences to the live tour later in the year”.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is produced by Blackeyed Theatre in association with South Hill Park Arts Centre.

Total Insight provides mental health support
and creative platforms for young people
My Mind Matters submissions due Wednesday 16th September 2020
In It Together Wednesday 16th September – Wednesday 25th November 2020

Total Insight Theatre is continuing its incredible work providing theatre and support for young people with two new projects that provide platforms for young voices and support their mental health and wellbeing. My Mind Matters will allow young people to explore their creativity through filmmaking and to reflect on and share their experiences of the pandemic. In It Together is a free support scheme launching in September, providing digital workshops for young people in Hackney, focusing on creativity, mental health and wellbeing.

According to a survey by Young Minds, 80% of respondents agreed that the Covid-19 pandemic has made their mental health worse, and 87% respondents agreed that they had felt lonely or isolated during lockdown. My Mind Matters will be a platform for young people affected by the pandemic, providing a creative outlet for their stories and experiences. Total Insight are holding an open call for young people to submit their stories about lockdown and mental health, through a wide variety of creative outlets including videos, audio, text and images. A selection of young voices and stories will be included in the film My Mind Matters, alongside short clips that bust mental health myths and provide practical tips for mental wellbeing.

Virtual hub In It Together aims to help young people aged 14-16 in Hackney stay connected and creative during these difficult times. The creative workshops, held once a week over Skype for two months this autumn, will explore a wide range of art forms for participants to express themselves and learn more about the arts. These will include writing, spoken word, music, improvisation and theatre. The wellbeing workshops will help to assess and better understand their own mental wellbeing, as well as provide resources and contacts to help them navigate their way through the Covid-19 crisis and its aftermath.

Chief Executive and Artistic Director Adam Tulloch says, We are delighted to be able to continue to support children and young people during these difficult times and to provide opportunities that highlight and process the impact the pandemic has had on young people.

My Mind Matters is funded by City Bridge Trust. In It Together is generously supported by The Fishmongers’ Company’s Charitable Trust.

NEW DATES ANNOUNCED FOR THE WEST END TRANSFER OF
THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE,
A NEW PLAY BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING NOVEL BY NEIL GAIMAN

PERFORMANCES WILL NOW BEGIN 23 OCTOBER 2021

Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which was scheduled to begin performances this autumn, has been postponed. The acclaimed production will now open at the Duke of York’s Theatre in 2021, with previews beginning from 23 October 2021.

Whilst government recently made the welcome announcement that performances can resume indoors, they can do so only with social distancing. Performances of The Ocean at the End of the Lane from 31 October 2020 – 6 February 2021 have been cancelled. All existing ticket holders will be contacted by their original point of sale regarding their booking. 

Tickets for the newly announced 2021 performance dates will go on sale to the public at 12pm on Friday 2 October 2020. 

The National Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, based on the best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Coraline, Stardust and the Sandman series), adapted by Joel Horwood and directed by Katy Rudd, transfers following its sold-out world premiere at the Dorfman Theatre in 2019.

The set designer is Fly Davis, with costume and puppet design by Samuel Wyer, movement direction by Steven Hoggett, composition by Jherek Bischoff, lighting design by Paule Constable (Olivier Award Nominee), sound design by Ian Dickinson, magic and illusions direction and design by Jamie Harrison and puppetry direction by Finn Caldwell.  Casting to be confirmed.

Suitable for ages 12+.

Public information

Dates:                         Booking Until 12 February 2022
                                    Press Night Thursday 4 November 2021, 7pm

Address:                     Duke of York’s Theatre

St Martin’s Lane, Charing Cross, London WC2N 4BG

Performances:            Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7.30pm
                                   Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm

                                    Captioned performance: 18 January 2022 at 7.30pm

Box Office:                  National Theatre Box Office
                                    Online at www.nationaltheatre.org.uk (No online booking fee)

                                    Duke of York’s Box Office
                                    Online from atgtickets.com (a £3.65 transaction fee applies)
                                    Telephone 0844 871 7623*
                                    *Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge.

For group bookings call 020 7206 1174

Website:                      oceanwestend.com

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ENGLISH TOURING THEATRE ANNOUNCES BRAND NEW PLAYWRIGHT DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

NATIONWIDE VOICES

ETT (English Touring Theatre)today announces the inaugural Nationwide Voices; a year-long development programme for six playwrights across the UK. Year one of Nationwide Voices is led by ETT in collaboration with Kiln Theatre, Leeds Playhouse, Rifco Theatre Company, Sheffield Theatres, and Theatr Clwyd, with each venue or company offering a year-long attachment for each chosen playwright. This year the playwrights are Adam Hughes (Leeds Playhouse), Matilda Ibini (ETT), Sonia Jalaly (Kiln Theatre), Asif Khan (Rifco Theatre Company), John Rwothomack (Sheffield Theatres) and Emily White (Theatr Clwyd).

Nationwide Voices aims to connect writers with mid-scale theatres and support them through the crucial career transition onto main stages, while also enabling theatres nationwide to platform fresh and imaginative voices with a connection to their local area. These six talented writers will broaden and develop their craft through regular workshop sessions led by the award-winning playwright and Sheffield Theatres Associate Artist Chris Bush and featuring several guest speakers. They will also receive an initial seed commission, and the work they create during Nationwide Voices will be shared at a festival of staged readings in spring 2021, with ETT and partners working towards further commissioning, co-producing and touring of the plays in the future.

Nationwide Voices is made possible thanks to the John Ellerman Foundation, who have generously funded ETT to run this programme for the next three years.

Artistic Director of ETT, Richard Twyman today said “When we first conceived of Nationwide Voices the world was a very different place, and so we’ve had to adapt it to a changing landscape. But its core aim is more important than ever: to support talented, brave and imaginative writers to have their work produced on the nation’s main stages. Nationwide Voices is about forging connections between writers, venues, audiences and the touring sector to create work of national reach and relevance: celebrating remarkable voices, the diversity of our nation’s communities and the vitality of our theatres.

We don’t know what the theatre landscape is going to look like going forward but we do know that more than ever we need to look to writers and the stories they tell to help reshape our world.

We are deeply grateful to the John Ellerman Foundation for making this programme possible.”

Chris Bush added, “A lot of writers seem to spend years (if not decades) in a state of perpetual emergence. What makes this scheme so important is its specific aim to get newer writers creating work for bigger auditoriums and wider audiences. At the moment, everyone in our industry is understandably preoccupied with how to survive the current crisis. However, in the long term the theatre will only thrive by investing in talent and commissioning “riskier” work from artists who aren’t yet established names. If we keep looking to the same few ‘safe pairs of hands’ we doom ourselves to ever-dwindling audiences and diminishing artistic returns. Instead, our ambition must be to create work that is truly representative of our nation, by championing voices that haven’t yet been given a large national platform. Nationwide Voiceshas selected six of the most exciting writers from across the country, and I can’t wait to start working with them.”

Adam Hughes’ theatre credits include Joy (Leeds Playhouse), Where Do We Go Next (Bunker Theatre), West End Girls (Live Theatre), James Graham’s Sketching (Wilton’s Music Hall), Beeston (Finborough Theatre) and Marching On Together (Old Red Lion Theatre).

Matilda Ibini is a bionic playwright and screenwriter. Her theatre credits include Little Miss Burden (Bunker Theatre), Choice and Control (The Old Vic), Muscovado (UK tour); and for TV her credits include Unprecedented (Headlong/Century Films/BBC4).

Sonia Jalaly’s credits include The Boy Who Grew a Twisty Tale (The Herd Theatre), Butter (Vaults Festival), Happy Birthday Without You (Tricycle Theatre) and Women of Tackley (John Thaw Studio).

Asif Khan’scredits as a playwright includeCombustion (UK tour) and Imaan Imraan(Bradford Literary Festival). As an actor his credits include Tartuffe (RSC/Birmingham Repertory Theatre), A Kind of People (Royal Court Theatre), A Passage To India (Royal & Derngate/Park Theatre), Handbagged (UK tour/Tricycle Theatre) and Twelfth Night (National Theatre).

John Rwothomack’s credits as a playwright include Far Gone (Sheffield Theatres/Kampala International Theatre Festival). His credits as assistant director includes The Last King of Scotland (Sheffield Theatres).

Emily White’s credits include Pavilion (Theatr Clwyd). She has an MA in Theatre Writing from York University. In 2018 she won a place on Channel 4’s 4Screenwriting Course and she was selected to be part of the BBC Wales Writersroom group in 2019. 

Chris Bush is a playwright, lyricist and theatre-maker. Her credits include Faustus: That Damned Woman (Lyric Hammersmith), The Last Noël (Old Fire Station), Standing At The Sky’s Edge, Steel, What We Wished For, A Dream, The Sheffield Mysteries (Sheffield Theatres), Pericles (National Theatre), The Changing Room (NT Connections 2018), The Assassination of Katie Hopkins (Theatre Clwyd – Best Musical UK Theatre Awards), A Declaration from the People (National Theatre), Larksong (New Vic Theatre), Cards on the Table (Royal Exchange Manchester), ODD (Royal & Derngate concert performance), Sleight & Hand (Summerhall and BBC Arts), TONY! The Blair Musical (York Theatre Royal and UK tour) and Poking the Bear (Theatre503).

RSC OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES EXTENDED

Socially distanced ‘pop-up’ performances to run throughout September in the Dell Gardens

Riverside Cafe and Rocket takeaway service extended throughout September

The Royal Shakespeare Company has today announced the extension of its popular pop-up programme of outdoor performances to run throughout September in the Dell Gardens, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Running until the end of September and sponsored by Darwin Escapes, RSC Snapshots will take place from Friday to Sunday for 45 minutes at 1pm and 3pm each day.

These free, high-energy, no-frills performances will be different each week, taking inspiration from both well-known Shakespearean texts and the works of some of the most promising new writers of today.

The performances will be delivered by actors from the RSC’s postponed productions of The Winter’s Tale and The Comedy of Errors and will be directed and curated by a different company member each week. Audiences will be asked to make a donation, if they can, to support the Keep Your RSC campaign.

Featuring a mixture of socially-distanced speeches and scenes from Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, plus a selection of exciting new works and contemporary pieces, the performances are the perfect re-introduction to live theatre and are suitable for theatre enthusiasts, newcomers and Stratford day-trippers too.

Performances will be first come, first served, with space for up to eight household groups (maximum 6 people each), plus some standing spaces.

Friday 7 to Sunday 9 September – RSC Deputy Artistic Director, Erica Whyman (who was due to direct the RSC’s postponed production of The Winter’s Tale this Autumn) will join forces with Assistant Director Aaron Parsons to curate ‘The Truth and Nothing but the Truth; an epic yet intimate celebration of truth and self-hood combining well-loved extracts from Shakespeare with excerpts from a selection of new works produced by the RSC including Can Dundar’s #wearearrested, Anders Lustgarten’s The Seven Acts of Mercy and Alice Birch’s implosive Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again among others.

Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September – This will be followed by a celebration of music, poetry, songs and sketches from 11 to 13 September as members of the RSC acting company gather for an open-mic afternoon with a difference.

Friday 18 – Sunday 20 September – Hal Chambers – Assistant Director of the RSC’s postponed production of The Comedy of Errors – invites audiences to revel in the royal history of Kings and Queens past.

Friday 25 – Sunday 27 September – RSC actors Kemi Bo-Jacobs and Assad Zaman will curate a celebration of new writing produced under lockdown to wrap up RSC Snapshots.

RSC Artistic Director, Gregory Doran, said: “Despite our theatres being closed for full productions until 2021, our acting company continue to work on events and activity, including our programme of outdoor Shakespeare in Stratford, which has proved incredibly popular with audiences throughout August. Whilst we continue to do everything we can to bring our buildings back to life as soon as possible, we are pleased to announce the continuation of our outdoor performance throughout September.

“This month’s programme will see extracts from Shakespeare’s plays feature alongside a selection of exciting new works by the playwrights of today. I am delighted to see Stratford audiences embracing this unique programme of socially-distanced, outdoor theatre and look forward to a time when we can welcome them back to our buildings to share the experience of live theatre with them.”

The RSC has also announced that visitors can continue to take advantage of a daily takeaway service from the Riverside Cafe throughout September, which is open from 10am to 4pm daily. Customers are asked that they observe social distancing throughout their visit, using the markings on the pavement and payment is by contactless card only.