Month: April 2021

Musicals, drag, stand-up and pizzas:
it could only be Pleasance Islington
reopening this May
Pleasance Theatre, Carpenters Mews, London N7 9EF
Monday 17th May – Wednesday 14th July 2021

Pleasance Islington will reopen its doors on Monday 17th May with a busy programme of comedy, theatre, drag and musicals. To help set theatre up to thrive once again Pleasance will also partner with VAULT Creative Arts to present Fringe Futures Festival. Taking place across May and June, this brand-new festival will present live work-in-progress shows from leading independent performance makers.

Fringe Futures Festival will provide an opportunity for early and mid-career artists to try out work at various stages of development in front of a live audience. This innovative collaboration is intended to showcase the future of the fringe. With performances on both sides of the river, the festival will take place in the newly configured, socially distanced Pleasance Downstairs at Pleasance, Islington and Pretty Vacant, a new pop-up performance space on Lower Marsh in Waterloo.

But this isn’t all the Pleasance has got in store for the reopening this May! Continuing with the socially distanced Cabaret layout trialled in December, the main house will have table service for drinks from the bar as well as pizzas from Pleasance’s neighbours The Depot. The theatre will also follow up-to-date safety regulations with enhanced cleaning and sanitising procedures to ensure audience and performer safety, comfort, and a good night out!

The theatre programme will be welcoming audiences back with some fantastic and dynamic work. Non-men all over the world have been waiting to fill the boots of Vladimir and Estragon in Waiting for Godot, yet the Beckett estate still stands by a dead man’s outdated wishes. Silent Faces Theatre are done with waiting and, with their trademark style of playful and political physical theatre, they explore permission, patriarchy and pop music in Godot is a Woman.

Meanwhile, Charles Court Opera are coming out of lockdown with a brand new, inventive production that is sure to put a huge smile on your face. Get ready to be swept away from Penzance to Titipu, from Venice to the Tower of London, from Portsmouth to Fairyland, as EXPRESS G&S: The complete works of Gilbert & Sullivan – in 75 minutes! takes on the challenge of performing the complete works of Gilbert & Sullivan – in one night! The Pleasance reopening line-up wouldn’t be complete without Pleasance’s own drag sweetheart Ginger Johnson and an all-singing, all-dancing cabaret in The Producers! (No, not that one), which will see independent producers hit the stage, in aid of the Theatre Artists Fund.

The comedy programme will be kicking things off with the Pleasance Comedy Comeback season starting with The NextUp Relaunch Party! The UK’s first post-lockdown gig will feature six different stand-up comics returning to the stage for the first time in many, many months. This raucous night of comedy from Pleasance and NextUp will banish the memory of the pandemic – expect shouting, over-excitement and not a single Zoom button in sight.

The topical news show for people who don’t like topical news shows, Laughable Live will come to The Pleasance with their very special Freedom Party to celebrate the end of lockdown in London. Jayde Adams, Red Richardson, and Garrett Millerick will be scouring the media landscape to report on the most ridiculous stories from the tabloids, the broadsheets and Piers Morgan’s wastepaper basket. Alongside their riotously funny news analysis there will be live music, special guests and cocktails. The Laughable Live Freedom Party will be the perfect way to wave goodbye to the last year and celebrate our new-found freedom.

The rest of the comedy programme will have you gagging to buy your ticket with comedians taking to the stage including Joel Dommett, Rob Beckett, Bridget Christie, Joe Thomas, Sindhu Vee, Fern Brady, Rich Hall, Sarah Keyworth, Nabil Abdulrashid, Rachel Fairburn, Catherine Bohart, Jamie D’Souza, Phil Wang, Liz Kingsman, and Sophie Duker. There will even be an afternoon comedy show for canines, and their owners, Stand Up. Sit Down. Roll Over. You’d be barking mad to miss it!

Anthony Alderson, director of the Pleasance Theatres Trust comments, We can’t wait to get back into our Islington space and welcome audiences through our doors. We exist to entertain audiences, to support the amazing artists we work with and most importantly to fuel the UK’s vibrant arts scene. With our theatre and comedy programmes combined with our amazing new festival with
VAULT Creative Arts, we think we are doing all that with our reopening season!

Birmingham Hippodrome continues partnership with
dance powerhouse, Rambert to present

Summer Livestream

Earlier this year, Birmingham Hippodrome announced a new partnership with dance powerhouse Company, Rambert. The first innovative new production in this creative partnership, Rooms, will receive its streamed World Premiere today (8 Apr) to audiences across the globe.

A premiere from Norwegian choreographer and theatre and film director Jo Strømgren, Rooms is created specifically for the camera and will be performed and broadcast live, with a cinematographer and camera crew relaying the productions in real-time from 8-10 April 2021.

In addition to Rooms, Rambert and Birmingham Hippodrome have today announced that they will partner once again for Summer Livestream,a broadcast of two dance works to audiences across the world from Thu 15 – Sat 17 July 2021.

Summer Livestream will feature two new works: an adaptation of Rouge from choreographer Marion Motin and the premiere of a new work from siblings Marne Van Opstal and Imre Van Opstal.

Marion Motin has created choreography for pop royalty including Dua Lipa (IDGAF) and Christine and the Queens (Christine, Tilted). Rouge is a result of what happened when pop’s coolest choreographer was invited to work with Rambert’s daring dancers. Now, Marion Motin is revisiting Rouge to recreate this exciting work with a new cinematographic twist for audiences at home.

Siblings Marne Van Opstal and Imre Van Opstal (company dancers NDT, Batsheva) are amongst the hottest up-and-coming new choreographers on the scene. Always looking for exciting new voices, Rambert have invited these emerging choreographers to unleash their fresh creative force on a new work created especially for Summer Livestream.

Rooms and Summer Livestream follow on from the success of Birmingham Hippodrome’s acclaimed stream of their co-production with Curve, The Color Purple – At Home and Rambert’s inaugural livestream commission of Draw From Within (Wim Vandekeybus).

Birmingham Hippodrome’s Director of Marketing and Sales, Chilina Madon said; “Today marks the exciting first performance of Birmingham Hippodrome and Rambert’s ongoing creative partnership. The world premiere of Rooms offers our audiences a brand-new cinematic opportunity to enjoy world-class dance theatre as it happens, in real time from the comfort of their own homes.

“We are delighted to now announce the next in our series of online performances with Rambert.  Summer Livestream this July features two extraordinary pieces of dance, adapted for the camera and relayed live across the world.

“Rambert are known for their engaging and ambitious work and their streamed productions are no exception. I urge our audiences to join us for these live streamed performances; they provide an unrivalled opportunity to view and experience dance in a new and exciting way.”

Rooms will stream online on 8 Apr at 12pm, 9Apr at 8pm and 10 Apr at 8pm. Summer Livestream will be broadcast on Thu 15 Jul at 3pm, Fri 16 Jul at 8pm and Sat 17 Jul at8pm. For tickets and further information visit birminghamhippodrome.com.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES IMAGES RELEASED FROM THE FILMING OF THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CRUISE. 

16 PERFORMANCES OF THIS NEW FILMED PLAY WILL BE AVAILABLE TO WATCH AT STREAM.THEATRE FROM 15 APRIL – 25 APRIL 2021 AHEAD OF THE SHOW REOPENING THE DUCHESS THEATRE IN THE WEST END FROM 18 MAY – 13 JUNE.

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY JACK HOLDEN, THIS BOLD, ONE-MAN SHOW FEATURING LIVE MUSIC WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST PLAYS TO OPEN IN THE WEST END FOLLOWING ITS CLOSURE IN MARCH 2020.

CRUISE MARKS WEST END DEBUT AS A PLAYWRIGHT FOR JACK HOLDEN AND FOR THEATRE PRODUCERS KATY LIPSON AND LAMBERT JACKSON.

Images taken during the filming of the world premiere of CRUISE  have been released today. Written and performed by Jack Holden (War Horse, West End; Ink, Almeida Theatre), CRUISE  is an urgent, moving and inspirational new play with live music and spoken word. Bringing to life 1980’s Soho, this one-man show is a celebration of queer culture; a kaleidoscopic musical and spoken word tribute to the veterans of the AIDs crisis.  The film will be available to watch from 15 April – 25 April at Stream.Theatre before the show reopens the Duchess Theatre in the West End from 18 May – 13 June.

Based on a true story Jack was told whilst volunteering for Switchboard, the LGBTQ+ Listening Service, this new play, directed by Bronagh Lagan, shines a light on a generation devastated by HIV and AIDs. The show will feature an uplifting 80s electronic soundtrack featuring classic anthems as well as original new music performed live by The Little Unsaid’s John Elliott.

~ February 29th, 1988. Soho, London. ~

CRUISE is the true story of what should have been Michael Spencer’s last night on Earth.  When Michael is diagnosed with HIV in 1984, he’s told he’ll have four years to live – at most. So, with the clock ticking, he and his partner, Dave, decide to sell their house, flog the car, spend everything they have and party like it’s the last days of Rome. When Dave dies two years later, Michael doubles down on his hedonistic ways, spending what little he has left and drowning himself in drink and drugs. 

On the last night of his four-year countdown – the 29th February, 1988 – Michael decides to go out with a bang. He puts on his favourite jacket, heads for Soho, and embarks on a long night of farewells. He says his goodbyes to friends, enemies and strangers; old haunts, dive bars, cafes, clubs and pubs; his brothers, sisters, allies and exes. He dances, sings, and says yes to everything and everyone. Then, with all his affairs taken care of, Michael promptly… survives.  Michael got lucky, and he goes on to live to a ripe old age. Michael has been given the gift of life; but what kind of life can he now live?

The full creative team for the film includes Jack Holden (writer and performer), John Elliott (Music and Sound Design), Bronagh Lagan (Director), Jack Hextall (Camera and Editor), Nik Corrall (Designer), Jai Morjaria (Lighting Designer) Sarah Golding (Movement) and Max Pappenheim (Additional Sound Design).

Initial development supported by Help Musicians Fusion Fund and Shoreditch Town Hall.

International creative team develop a brand new original musical
based on the Lennon & McCartney song catalogue

Nordic Musical Partners presents the world premiere in Denmark in March 2022 before Scandinavian tour.

Led by an acclaimed international creative team, She Loves You is a brand new musical in development based on the beloved Lennon & McCartney song catalogue.

Presented by Danish producer Mikkel Rønnow and Nordic Musical Partners, the production will have its world premiere in March 2022 at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, starring Danish singer and actress Maria Lucia (The Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music on stage and the Danish film dubbing of Disney’s Frozen) leading a cast of 24 musical performers. This production with Danish dialogue and English-language songs, will transfer to the Musikhuset in Aarhus before launching a Scandinavian tour of Sweden, Norway and Iceland, with several worldwide productions still in the pipeline.

An original book, She Loves You revolves around a modern family and their complex and contemporary journey with love: the naïve, young, infatuating love, the long-term established love compelled by children and careers and the lifelong, enduring and ultimate love, flourishing in later life.

In collaboration with Sony Music Publishing Scandinavia, the production will feature more than 40 of John Lennon & Paul McCartney’s beloved hits from The Beatles years 1963-1970 including Let It Be, She Loves You, Blackbird, A Hard Day’s Night, With a Little Help From My Friends, Help!, The Long and Winding Road and Across the Universe.

She Loves You will be directed by Multi award-winning British theatre director Thom Southerland (Titanic The Musical, Harold and Maude and Southwark Playhouse productions of Parade, Grand Hotel and Mack and Mabel). Southerland also co-wrote the book alongside Shaun McKenna (stage adaptations of Ladies in Lavender and Peter James’ novels A Perfect Murder, Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead) with adaptations by Jokum Rohde (Ivanhoe, Thor and recently The Carnival Murder).

The unmistakable catalogue of Lennon & McCartney classic hits will be underscored and orchestrated for a 16-piece orchestra by Grammy Award-winning Steve Sidwell, known for his standout collaborations with Robbie Williams and his orchestrations of Beautiful, the Carol King musical. Musical supervision will be by Mikkel Rønnow.

The acclaimed international creative team also includes award-winning set designer Morgan Large (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof  and Rock of Ages tour), internationally renowned choreographer Nick Winston (Fame, Annie, Loserville and Sondheim at 80), leading lighting designer of theatre, dance and opera Tim Mitchell (English National Ballet, Royal Opera House and Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company) and Sound designer Tim Høyer (Hunchback of Notre Dame, Lizzie).

News on further international productions will be announced in due course.

/ends.

For more information, interviews or press tickets, please contact Story House www.storyhousepr.co.uk

(e) [email protected]     (t) 07980 297 299

Listings information:

SHE LOVES YOU

Music & Lyrics: John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Book: Thom Southerland & Shaun McKenna

Adaptation and translation: Jokum Rohde

Orchestrations: Steve Sidwell

Director: Thom Southerland

Designer: Morgan Large

Choreographer: Nick Winston

Musical Supervision: Mikkel Rønnow

Lighting designer: Tim Mitchell

Sound designer: Tim Høyer

Produced by Mikkel Rønnow Musicals for Nordic Musical Partners & Sony Music Publishing Scandinavia

Performance Schedule:

World Premiere: 25th March 2022, Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark

Tivoli Run: From 25th March 2022

Musikhuset Aarhus Run: From 29th April 2022

Box Office / Campaign site:

www.shelovesyou.dk

CHILDREN’S THEATRE IS BACKAND LIVE ON STAGE THIS SUMMER!

THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA

A musical play by David Wood OBE based on the book by Judith Kerr OBE

DRAGONS AND MYTHICAL BEASTS

Written & Co-directed by Derek Bond with Puppet Designs by Max Humphries

Nicoll Entertainment, the London-based family entertainment production company, today announces two children’s theatre shows to open in the West End this summer, offering family audiences and young children the chance to enjoy the thrill of live theatre once again. The Olivier Award nominated stage production of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, a musical play adapted and directed by David Wood OBE, based on the classic tale by the late Judith Kerr OBE, returns for its seventh West End season, opening at Theatre Royal Haymarket on 12 July playing until 5 September 2021. Dragons and Mythical Beasts, a brand-new production featuring spectacular life-like puppets, written and co-directed by Derek Bond, will open at Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre in London on 13 August playing until 5 September 2021. Both productions will continue on tour throughout the UK into 2022. 

Nicoll Entertainment says:
“The mental health and social benefits live theatre brings to children and young people should not be underestimated – from inspiring a love of reading and a greater understanding of language, to developing emotional intelligence and social bonding and crucially right now, supporting healthy young minds. The pandemic put an abrupt halt to all of this, and we are overjoyed that we can finally relaunch our shows and welcome families back into theatres very soon.

”David Wood OBE says: 
“Team Tiger is thrilled to once again welcome our young audiences, with their families and teachers, to that special place – the theatre. The live theatre experience is brilliant at sparking children’s imaginations. I believe all children should be entitled to see exciting theatre; it can make them laugh, gasp, think, and feel – and, of course, entertain them. Given the chance to enjoy the story, the music, the magic, the costumes and sets, the sound, the lighting, and the audience participation, in a live performance – for real, before their very eyes – I believe children’s lives are enriched, their horizons widened, and their awareness and sensitivity heightened. Theatre, like all the arts, has the power to transform, inspire and delight. Those of us who create and deliver the work cannot wait to return to the stage. We are raring – and the Tiger is roaring – to go!”

Hailed as Britain’s best-loved picture book, Judith Kerr’s timeless classic The Tiger Who Came to Tea is now in its 53rd year, selling over 5 million copies since it was first published in 1968. Bringing the nation’s favourite tea-guzzling tiger to life on stage, this musical slice of teatime mayhem entertains with sing-a-long songs, oodles of magic and interactive fun. The show premiered in 2008 and has since toured nationally and internationally, including Christmas seasons at the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Arts Centre with sold out dates in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Bahrain. In 2012 the production was nominated for the Olivier Award for ‘Best Family Entertainment’. Tickets are on sale now.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea is adapted and directed by David Wood OBE, with designs by Susie Caulcutt, assistant director/choreographer Emma Clayton, music arranger & supervisor Peter Pontzen, magical illusions designed by former President of the Magic Circle Scott Penrose, lighting design by Tony Simpson and sound design by Shock Productions. Casting to be announced. Produced by Nicoll Entertainment Ltd.

Nicoll returns to Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre this summer with Dragons and Mythical Beasts, a brand-new production reuniting the creative team behind the international hit show, Dinosaur World Live.Dragons and Mythical Beasts enters a magical world of mythical creatures, bringing a host of magnificent beasts to life on stage: from Unicorns to Stone Trolls, take your place among legendary heroes, just don’t wake the Dragon!  Tickets on sale soon.

Dragons and Mythical Beasts is co-directed by Derek Bond and Laura Cubitt, with puppets designed by Max Humphries and lighting design by John Maddox. Casting to be announced. Produced by Nicoll Entertainment Ltd.

Tickets for The Tiger Who Came to Tea at Theatre Royal Haymarket are on sale now.

Tickets for Dragons and Mythical Beasts at Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre will be on sale soon.

Listings Information:

THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEATheatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, London SW1Y 4H
Monday 12 July – Sunday 5 September 2021
Performance Times:

Monday 11am & 1:30pm

Tuesday 11am & 1:30pm

Wednesday NO SHOWS

Thursday 11am & 1:30pm

Friday 11am & 1:30pm

Saturday 10.30am

Sunday 11am & 1:30pm(No performances Mon 12 July 11am) 
Box Office: 020 7930 8800

Website:www.tigerstealive.com | www.trh.co.uk
Tickets: from £14.50*  

*All prices include a £1 Restoration Levy. 

No booking fees. 

School Groups 10+: £10 plus 11th ticket free

Running time: 55 minutes – no interval

Suitable for ages 3+

@tigerstealive

#BackOnStage

DRAGONS AND MYTHICAL BEASTS

Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre, Inner Circle, London NW1 4NU 

Friday 13 August – Sunday 5 September 2021
Performance Times:

Monday 2:15pm

Tuesday 10.30am & 2:15pm

Wednesday 2:15pm

Thursday NO SHOWS

Fri 10:30am & 1pm

Sat 10:30am 

Sun 10:30am & 1pm
(No performances on Fri 13 Aug at 10.30am and Fri 3 September)
BSL interpreted performance: Wednesday 25 August 2.15pm

Box Office: 0333 400 3562

Website: www.dragonsandbeastslive.com | www.openairtheatre.com
Tickets: from £17**

All prices include a £1.80 bkg fee
Running time: approx 50 minutes – no interval

Suitable for ages 3+ 
@dragonsbeasts#BackOnStage

ANNOUNCEMENT AND ONSALE 10AM THURSDAY 8 APRIL 2021

THE GIRLS ARE BACK IN TOWN

…AND ON TOUR

BY LAURENCE O’KEEFE & KEVIN MURPHY

DIRECTED BY ANDY FICKMAN

RETURNS TO THE WEST END

FROM 21 JUNE 2021 FOR TWELVE WEEKS

AND

LAUNCHES ITS NEW TOURING PRODUCTION

FROM 28 JULY 2021

WINNER OF BEST NEW MUSICAL

WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS 2019

Heathers the Musical (WhatsOnStage 2019 award for Best New Musical) returns to the stage with a double announcement. The hit show will make its return to the West End’s Theatre Royal Haymarket from 21 June for a strictly limited 12 week run, while simultaneously launching its new touring production from 28 July, opening at Leeds Grand Theatre for three weeks, before spreading corn nuts throughout the UK.

Produced by Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills, this high-octane black-comedy rock musical, based on one of the greatest cult teen films of all time, starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, is back with a bang!

Westerberg High’s Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. But when she joins the beautiful and impossibly cruel Heathers, her dreams of popularity may finally come true. Mysterious teen rebel JD teaches her that it might kill to be a nobody, but it is murder being a somebody.

***

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL – WEST END

Heathers the Musical previously enjoyed two record-breaking seasons, launching at London’s The Other Palace and transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2018. It will return to the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 21 June and run for a strictly limited season until 11 September. Casting for the West End run will be announced in due course.

For Theatre Royal Haymarket, Danny Cohen, President of Access Entertainment, said: “We are keen to get the doors of the Theatre Royal Haymarket open as soon as possible. The energy of a sold-out performance in front of a live audience is like nothing else and we are delighted to be partnering with Bill Kenwright to achieve that on the very first day the government allows.”

***

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL – UK & IRELAND TOUR

The new touring production will run in parallel to the West End production. Heathers the Musical will open in Leeds and visit cities throughout the UK, including Liverpool, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Birmingham, Canterbury, Bristol, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Milton Keynes, High Wycombe, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

The 2021 touring Class of Westerberg High includes Rebecca Wickes (Veronica Sawyer), Simon Gordon (JD), Maddison Firth (Heather Chandler), Merryl Ansah (Heather Duke), Lizzy Parker (Heather McNamara), Mhairi Angus, Andy Brady, Callum Connolly, Liam Doyle, Georgina Hagen, Bayley Hart, Kurt Kansley and Daisy Twells.

The award-winning writing team, Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy’s hit musical adaptation enjoyed successful runs in Los Angeles and New York; the UK productions are directed by acclaimed its original off-Broadway director, Andy Fickman. Choreography is by Thriller Live’s Gary Lloyd, design by David Shields, lighting by Ben Cracknell and sound by Dan Samson.

LISTINGS

Bill Kenwright & Paul Taylor-Mills present

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL

Theatre Royal Haymarket

By Laurence O’Keefe & Kevin Murphy

Directed by Andy Fickman

Associate Director and Choreography by Gary Lloyd

Design by David Shields

Lighting by Ben Cracknell

Sound by Dan Samson

Running Time: Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes including interval

Calling all #CornNuts – Be the first to hear the latest Heathers the Musical gossip and further details on dates, venues and on-sales by following us on the following:

Website: www.kenwright.com

Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:

@HeathersMusical

@BKL_Productions

#HowVery

THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET

Dates: Monday 21 June – Saturday 11 September 2021

Performance Schedule:

Monday – Saturday – 7.45pm

Wednesday & Saturday – 3.00pm

Ticket Prices: From £25 (Restricted View seats available at £15)

Tickets available online only

Address: Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4HT

Theatre Website: www.trh.co.uk/whatson/heathers-the-musical

ERIKA DICKERSON-DESPENZA

WINS 2021 SUSAN SMITH BLACKBURN PRIZE

FOR CULLUD WATTAH

SPECIAL COMMENDATIONS AWARDED TO

KIMBER LEE AND IFE OLUJOBI

The 2021 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has been awarded to U.S. playwright Erika Dickerson-Despenza for her play about the Flint, Michigan water crisis, cullad wattah. Awarded annually since 1977, The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize is the largest and oldest international prize honoring Women+ playwrights. This evening a livestream of the award ceremony honored Dickerson-Despenza and the other 9 Finalists. Award-winning star of stage and screen, and one of this year’s Blackburn Prize Judges, Paapa Essiedu, announced the winning play, which comes with an award of $25,000 and a signed and numbered print by artist Willem de Kooning.

“What a play. Oh my God, what a play! When I say that this play hit me like a train. Like a ton of bricks. I don’t think I slept for about three weeks after reading this play. It did something very significant to me. … Through its passionate exploration of the black female experience in America right now I feel like this play is going to be a classic of today and of years to come,” said Paapa Essiedu on presenting the Prize.

The Judges of the 2021 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize also awarded two Special Commendations to finalists, a rare move which speaks to the strength of this year’s field of writers. Kimber Lee’s The Water Palace and Ife Olujobi’s Jordans each were awarded the $10,000 Special Commendation.

In addition to Essiedu, the international panel of judges for the 2021 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize included theatre, opera and film director Natalie Abrahami (UK); winner of multiple Olivier awards for production design, Bunny Christie (UK); Lincoln Center Resident Director Lileana Blain-Cruz (US); Broadway and television star Jason Butler Harner (US); and Theatre and Arts leader and director, Seema Sueko (US). 

Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-Winning playwright, Marsha Norman, hosted the Prize Ceremony.  Ms. Norman won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 1983 for her play ‘night Mother, and is a board member emeritus for the Prize. Jenny Jules, star of Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, former Blackburn Prize Judge and current Board Member, introduced the Judges, who spoke of the importance of each Finalist’s play.

The list of 2021 Finalists for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, chosen from over 150 plays, includes Glace Chase (Aus./U.S.) Triple X; Miranda Rose Hall (U.S.) A Play for Living in the Time of Extinction; Dawn King (U.K.), The Trials; Janice Okoh (U.K.), The Gift; Frances Poet (U.K.), Maggie May; Jihae Park (U.S.), The Aves; and Beth Steel (U.K.), The House of Shades.Each Finalist received an award of $5000.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, co-founded by Susan’s sister, Emilie Kilgore, and Susan’s husband, William Blackburn, honors an outstanding new English-language play by a woman each year. It is the first major playwriting prize for women. Since the Prize’s founding in 1978, over 470 plays have been honored as Finalists. Many have gone on to receive other top honors, including Olivier, Lilly, Evening Standard and Tony Awards for Best Play. Ten Susan Smith Blackburn Finalist plays have subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. The Prize has also fostered an interchange of plays between the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and other English-speaking countries.

Past winners of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize include Lynn Nottage‘s Sweat, Annie Baker‘s The Flick, Caryl Churchill’s Fen, Marsha Norman’s ‘night,Mother, Paula Vogel‘s How I Learned to Drive, Nell Dunn‘s Steaming, Wendy Wasserstein‘s The Heidi Chronicles, Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Fairview, Chloe Moss’s This Wide Night, Sarah Ruhl‘s The Clean House, Judith Thompson’s Palace of the End, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti‘s Behzti (Dishonour), Julia Cho’s The Language Archive, Jennifer Haley’s The Nether, Charlotte Jones‘ Humble Boy, Naomi Wallace’s One Flea Spare, and Moira Buffini‘s Silence.

Each year artistic directors and prominent professionals in the theatre throughout the English-speaking world are asked to submit plays. In addition to the U.S., the U.K. and Ireland, new plays have been submitted from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. Plays are eligible whether or not they have been produced, but any premiere production must have occurred within the preceding year.

Over 150 plays were submitted for consideration this year.  The submitting theatres for the 2021 Finalists are  Almeida Theatre (U.K.), American Conservatory Theatre (U.S.), Belgrade Theatre (U.K.), Boundless Theatre (U.K.), Curve Theatre(U.K.), Lark Theatre (U.S.), Queensland Theatre (Aus.), Seattle Rep (U.S.), Sundance Institute Theatre Program (U.S.),The Public Theater (U.S.)

BIOGRAPHY

ERIKA DICKERSON-DESPENZA is a Blk, queer feminist poet-playwright and cultural-memory worker from Chicago, Illinois. She is a 2020 Grist 50 Fixer and was a National Arts & Culture Delegate for the U.S. Water Alliance’s One Water Summit 2019. Awards: Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award (2020), Thom Thomas Award (2020), Lilly Award (2020), Barrie and Bernice Stavis Award (2020), Steinberg Playwright Award (2020), Princess Grace Playwriting Award (2019, for cullud wattah). Residencies & Fellowships: Tow Playwright-in-Residence at The Public Theater (2019-2020), New York Stage and Film Fellow-in-Residence (2019), New Harmony Project Writer-in Residence (2019), Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow (2018-2019), The Lark Van Lier New Voices Fellow (2018). Communities: BYP100 Squad Member, Ars Nova Play Group (2019-2021), Youngblood Collective (EST). Commissions: The Public Theater, Studio Theatre & Williamstown Theatre Festival. Productions: cullud wattah (2019 Kilroys List) originally slated at The Public Theater, 2020 and Victory Gardens Theater, 2021. Currently, Erika is developing a 10-play Katrina Cycle, including shadow/land and [hieroglyph] (San Francisco Playhouse, 2021; 2019 Kilroys List), focused on the effects of Hurricane Katrina and its state-sanctioned, man-made disaster rippling in & beyond New Orleans.

ABOUT cullud wattahDickerson-Despenza’s self-described “Afro-surrealist” play was set for a 2020 premiere at The Public Theater, when the pandemic shut down theatres around the world.  The play embraces three generations of Black women living through the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

“I wrote cullud wattah to explore the politics of disgust, shame and refusal by highlighting the rupture of government intervention at the intersection of capitalism and environmental racism…I wrote this play specifically for black women on the margins of the margins. Poor and working class black women, single mothers, elders and widows, black women in recovery, and queer black girls.”

– Erika Dickerson-Despenza

Full of tenderness and humor, the play paints a searing portrait of a family of Black women as they navigate their way through horrific catastrophe. As described by the Public Theater, “cullud wattahblends form and bends time, diving deep into the poisonous choices of the outside world, the contamination within, and how we make the best choices for our families’ future when there are no real, present options.”

cullud wattah was developed during the Lark Play Development Center’s 2018 Van Lier New Voices Fellowship tenure (John Clinton Eisner, Artistic Director) and received its first staged reading in October 2018 at Jackalope Theatre in Chicago (Gus Menary, Artistic Director; Nora Leahy, Managing Director). cullud wattah received a Public Studio workshop production March 7 – 10, 2019 at The Public Theater, where it was scheduled to have its world premiere in July 2020 (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director) but is indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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Free online from 5 April – book via https://www.arrowsandtraps.com/talkinggods

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Arrows & Traps’ online festival of reimagined Greek myths premieres this week, with the gods and nymphs inhabiting the modern world as they play out the familiar stories. Writer and director Ross McGregor weaves wonderfully emotive but funny tales about very modern, very human, heroes – the tone is set by the tongue in cheek introductions and, as usual, the music choices are inspired.

Persephone

4****

Zeus is on trial, and Hestia, goddess of home and hearth is called to give evidence. After introducing herself, as she’s sure that nobody remembers her, she is asked why she chose to leave Olympus, and Hestia and her sister Demeter tell their story. Freed from captivity inside their father only to be controlled and abused by their rescuer and brother Zeus, the sisters leave so that Demeter can raise her child in safety.

Demeter, goddess of the harvest is a dedicated campaigner trying to save the planet, even though nobody is listening, but her love for the planet doesn’t always extend to the humans destroying it, as she relates with glee the gruesome revenge she inflicted on a property developer who chopped down her sacred trees. Hestia, meanwhile, is gentle and conciliatory, setting up a bespoke central heating company to support the family and their home. The unexpected and fierce love that Demeter feels for her daughter sets them at loggerheads as Cora grows up, embarrassed by and uninterested in her mother’s campaign, and the harder Demeter fights to hold on to Cora and keep her safe from harm, the further away she pushes her, until, after realising that her first boyfriend Apollo is a complete dick, Cora meets Hades and disappears, leaving Demeter frantic and bereft.

Nicolle Smartt plays Hestia, Demeter, and her daughter Cora, with a stylish change of lighting and costume to mark the characters – warm glows of red for Hestia, green and leather for Demeter and purple for Cora and her phone. Smartt’s performance doesn’t really need any visual help as she portrays the three different characters expertly, capturing the fierceness of Demeter, Hestia’s warmth, and Cora’s distracted restlessness effortlessly and convincingly.

The heart of McGregor’s story is the love between the women, forged in the darkness of their imprisonment, and the effects of the gods’ twisted family dynamics on Demeter’s maternal love and Hestia’s quiet, unwavering love and support for Demeter as her grief brings winter to the world. McGregor excels at writing multi-layered female characters, and these three are fascinating. There are many references to capitalism, ecology, climate change and social media, but the messaging is relevant and necessary and never overdone, and the troubles the goddesses have on earth are all relatable. Smartt is devastating in the brilliantly written scenes focussing on Demeter’s and Hestia’s torment and worry when Cora leaves, and the darker, more sober tone remains until the end of the film.

McGregor’s intelligent and sensitive writing and Nicole Smartt’s incredible performance breathe new life into the ancient myth – fantastic storytelling and an impressive start to this series.

Orpheus

4****

Beginning at the end of the story, we first see Eurydice and Orpheus on their journey out of the underworld – on a train to London. Orpheus writes on his hand, showing no sign of dooming his wife to remaining in the underworld by turning to look at her, and Eurydice turns to the camera to explain how this all came about.

Meeting at a student union theme night, Eurydice (Charlie Ryall) and O (Christopher Neels) begin a relationship. Eurydice is a nymph heading for a double first in agriculture, and O is studying medicine, but his passion is music. After a hilarious night of clueless seduction and Mars ice creams, the two begin a relationship that is heading for disaster. O’s music has magical effects on humans and animals, and he insists Eurydice is his muse and drops out, spending all his time on his song writing while she supports them both. She is slowly and irreversibly isolated from everyone else in her life as her man child husband begins to find success. The gaslighting becomes more obvious as they argue more often, with O always able to shift the blame onto her, never taking responsibility or facing consequences for any of his actions. Eurydice fatalistically admits to the camera that she wanted the magic but didn’t want to know the trick as she realises what her life has become while the camera work and editing get jumpier as Eurydice’s mental health declines. After O finds phenomenal success using every intimate detail of Eurydice’s life in his songs, and she discovers what he’s been up to on tour, Eurydice kills herself and finally finds peace in the underworld. Until Orpheus turns up.

McGregor’s script is sharp and witty, veering from laugh out loud lines to jaw-dropping despair in a heartbeat as the story of Eurydice’s escape from this toxic relationship unfolds. Charlie Ryall is wonderful as Eurydice – vulnerable but whip smart (oh that final shot!) – while Christopher Neels is utterly slappable as Orpheus. The story is punctuated by a brilliantly eclectic mix of musical numbers, with stunning vocals from Sam Morgan-Grahame as Orpheus that mark the progress of their relationship and sprinkling a little more magic into this already fascinating film.

Pygmalion

4****

In Greek myth, Pygmalion fell in love with a marble statue he’d created, in Arrows & Traps’ new version, Pygmalion is a game designer and Galatea is a rogue algorithm.

Pygmalion (Edward Spence) lives a life of isolation – screening calls from his mother and following the same routine every day with only Ratbag – a virtual assistant and therapy app – for company as he works on his games.

Summoned by Aphrodite (Benjamin Garrison), Pygmalion is given the job of designing a game as the goddess’s wedding gift to her son – one where she can enjoy watching him beat up heroes. As he starts work, Galatea introduces herself. After realising that he cannot delete her, Pygmalion reluctantly agrees to complete a quest in the game with Galatea, as only completing the final scene will switch off her program – and he begins to wonder if this is Aphrodite’s punishment for disrespecting her.

Pygmalion’s journey from animosity to love with Galatea is a joy to watch as he slowly lowers his defences seeing his computer world though fresh eyes as Galatea delights in each new experience – with lots of unnecessary stabbings and chicken kicking thrown in. Edward Spence does wonders as Pygmalion – filmed mostly in closeup and full of nuance in between meltdowns, while Gabrielle Nellis-Pain and Richard Baker are entertaining as Galatea and Ratbag. Writer and director McGregor

doesn’t rush things, allowing quiet moments in between the comedy questing that contrast the vitality that Pygmalion has online with him IRL. The reasons for Pygmalion’s isolation are unclear, with videos of him and his ex in happier days hinting at loss. It’s only after a heart to heart with Terry the Minotaur that we understand why Pygmalion retreated from the world, and it is Terry’s advice, including an excruciatingly detailed account of his insane conception, that gives Pygmalion the courage to acknowledge his feelings. The ending is surprisingly emotional, and the film resonates as we all find our way blinking into the light of the pub garden and learn to socialise offscreen again. Touching and surprisingly hopeful, Pygmalion is another impressive piece in the Talking Gods series.

Premiering nightly at 7.30, then on demand: https://www.arrowsandtraps.com/talkinggods

Persephone – Monday 5th April

Orpheus – Tuesday 6th April

Pygmalion – Wednesday 7th April

Aphrodite – Thursday 8th April

Icarus – Friday 9th April

IRIS THEATRE ANNOUNCE FIRST PLATFORM EVENTS FOR 2021 –

REOPENING LIVE PERFORMANCE AT THE ACTORS’ CHURCH

Iris Theatre today announce their upcoming PLATFORM events, a monthly showcase night, championing early career artists, from a variety of disciplines. The line-up includes singer/songwriter, Dylan Wynford on 21 May and spoken word artist, TstarNay on 4 June,with further artists to be announced.

This marks a return to live PLATFORM events at the Actors’ Church, which were unable to continue due to the pandemic. During the pandemic the company continued its support for early career artists, presenting PLATFORM IN THE GARDENS, a series of showcases performed outdoors to a socially distanced audience in Summer 2020, with recordings of these performances also released online during the latest national lockdown.

Paul-Ryan Carberry, Artistic Director of Iris Theatre said today, “We’re really pleased to be moving ahead with our PLATFORM scheme after a year of postponements and delays. Iris will continue to forge opportunities for early-career artists to share their work and now, more than ever, these artists need to be championed. We can’t wait to share the work of both TstarNay and Dylan Wynford…our audiences can expect exceptional talent and a banging gig!”

Dylan Wynford, PLATFORM artist, also commented today, “I’m delighted to be a part of Iris Theatre’s PLATFORM programme and to be their first live event back in the Church for over a year. It’s an absolute joy to be performing again for a live audience and to share an evening celebrating and reconnecting through music.”

PLATFORM artist, TstarNay added, “This gig is really supporting my growth as an artist. Spoken word is the next best thing in the industry and I’m thrilled that Iris Theatre is championing it.”

All tickets being sold for in-person events have social distancing in place and masks must be worn unless proof of exemption is provided. For more information on how events will be taking place, please visit www.iristheatre.com/whatson

Applications to become a PLATFORM artist, and showcase work is open year-round. For information on becoming a PLATFORM artist, please visit www.iristheatre.com/platform.

PLATFORM: Dylan Wynford

Friday 21 May 2021 at 7.30pm

A night of punk rock tunes and original musical theatre led by the multi-talented writer and musician, Dylan Wynford. This cross-genre music gig is hosted by Iris Theatre at their home in the world famous Actors’ Church in Covent Garden.

Wynford will be accompanied by a live band featuring Albert Graver (bass), Evan McCabe (piano), Tom Miles (guitar) and Olivia Wormald (violin).

Dylan Wynford is a punk-rock reject from Shropshire, and a musical theatre composer and performer. Wynford’s performing credits include Parade (Frogmore Papermill in Apsley), Just So (The Barn Theatre) and My Land’s Shore (Theatre Soar) and Now and Then (Above the Stag). As a composer his credits include Bright Young Things (The Other Palace) and The Lost Ones (Bush Theatre). In 2018, Wynford formed his four-piece band, Dylan Wynford and His Yesteryears. The band released their first single ‘Fall With Me’ in 2018, followed by ‘Romcoms’ in 2019. In 2020, Wynford released two E.Ps, ‘Songs For Losers’ and ‘I Don’t Know What I’m Doing’ – both are available to stream on all major streaming services. 

PLATFORM: TstarNay

Friday 4 June 2021 at 7.30pm

A conscious spoken word artist, rapper and trumpeter by night and teacher by day; TstarNay fuses grime and hip-hop with their soul-reaching lyrical content. 

TstarNay, one of the legendary Flo Poets headed up by The Floacist of the world-renowned Floetry,has sharpened their pen over the years, from intimate silent venues to big musical venues. Their first single release, Coffee by the Sidewalks received over 8000 organic streams in the first month. TstarNay has 7 upcoming releases with EMI PM.

PLATFORM 

LISTINGS

St Pauls Covent Garden, Actors’ Church, Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9ED

PLATFORM:

DYLAN WYNFORD – 21 May 2021 at 7.30pm

TSTARNAY – 4 June 2021 at 7.30pm

Box Office: https://iristheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows

SEASON AT A GLANCE

PLATFORM: DYLAN WYNFORD
Actors’ Church

21 May, 7.30pm
Ticket prices: £15 individual, £30 bubble (seats two)

MEDIAEVAL BAEBES
Actors’ Church

27 – 29 May 2021
27 & 28 May: 7.30pm & 29 May: 5pm & 8pm

Ticket prices: £25 individual (limited availability), £50 bubble (seats two)

PLATFORM: TSTARNAY
Actors’ Church

4 June, 7.30pm
Ticket prices: £15 individual, £30 bubble (seats two)

ST ANNE COMES HOME
Actors’ Church

27 September – 3 October 2021
Times: 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinees
Age Guidance: 12+ (includes themes of alcoholism)
Ticket prices: £20 individual (limited availability), £40 bubble (seats two)

One Half Of Two – By Phoebe Noble

On Demand at The Cockpit Theatre From 1st – 8th of May

One Half of Two is a powerful and timely new play, written, produced, performed by Phoebe Noble and directed by Holly McConville. 

It explores the aftermath of three relationships from the female perspective and follows the women through grief, fertility and eventually joy.

‘The biggest thing to take away is the complexity of finding self -love and how accomplished you feel when you get there. There is a story in the play that everyone can relate to, relationships are so much more than romantic and that really struck home with me. I couldn’t think of a better show for my debut as a director.’ – Holly McConville

This is a monologue play, with duologues and trios influenced by spoken word poetry and has been devised by a team of female drama students at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. One Half of Two is feminist, heart-warming and all about women coming together. After a year of missed performance opportunities and disrupted education, the creative team have been inspired to share their own work in digital format. 

‘Phoebe’s writing lifts off the page with ease. A witty, heartfelt and honest piece that I loved performing.’ – Emma Ralston from Corona Days Play Group

Phoebe Noble and Holly McConville will be accompanied onstage by Alex Hill and Emily Rayner. 

The production has been captured on stage at The Cockpit Theatre and will be streamed from Saturday 1st – 8th May on- demand via The Cockpit Theatre Online.

Tickets are available from The Cockpit box office on 0207 257 2925 or via the website: www.cockpittheatre.org.uk