We are watching you…
Photos by Harry Elletson have today been released of HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex’s attendance at Reading Rep’s Corporate Partnership Scheme Launch this Monday. The event, which was held at the theatre, saw businesses across Reading and the Thames Valley connect and network with fellow organisations. HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex was this week announced as the Royal Patron for the multi-award-winning professional theatre
NEW UNDER 30’S OFFER ANNOUNCED
FOR THE CRITICALLY LAUDED PRODUCTION OF
ROBERT ICKE’S
THE DOCTOR
WRITTEN BY ROBERT ICKE
VERY FREELY ADAPTED FROM PROFESSOR BERNHARDI BY ARTHUR SCHNITZLER
RUNNING AT THE DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE UNTIL 11 DECEMBER 2022
★★★★★
The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, The Daily Mail, Financial Times, The Sunday Times,
★★★★
Evening Standard, The Observer, Independent, The Stage, Metro
For those aged 30 and under, there will be exclusive £20 and £30 tickets in the stalls and dress circle available for every Sunday matinee as part of The Doctor’s commitment to audience development. This is a brilliant chance for younger audiences to see the critically acclaimed production – described as the “play of the decade” (The Times) – in the West End for a reduced cost.
These tickets can be booked via https://thedoctorwestend.co.uk/under30srate/
We also continue to have £25 tickets available across the run exclusively for NHS employees and blue light workers (which includes emergency services, those who work in the social care sector and the armed forces). These tickets are available via the official box office ATG Tickets (just click on any £57.50 or £67.50 seat, select the ‘NHS/Blue Light’ £25 option and present one ID per transaction when you arrive).
Robert Icke, Director and Adaptor of The Doctor, said, “it’s so important to try to welcome young audiences to theatre. And nothing is more key to achieving that than the price of a ticket. I’m delighted that, for the second half of our run in the West End, we’re able to offer our production to young audiences at a bargain price.”
The Doctor, by Robert Icke (Animal Farm, The Wild Duck, Hamlet, Mary Stuart, Oresteia, 1984), very freely adapted from Professor Bernhardi by Arthur Schnitzler, has been critically lauded since it opened at the Almeida in August 2019 before headlining the Adelaide Festival in 2020. The play has since gone on to tour in Brighton, Bath and Richmond in September 2022, ahead of its current West End run, at the Duke of York’s Theatre until 11 December.
In a divisive time, in a divided nation, a society takes sides.
The smash-hit by “Britain’s best director” (Telegraph) is a “provocative, wonderfully upsetting” (Independent) whirlwind of gender, race and questions about identity, “one of the peaks of the theatrical year” (Guardian) and a “devastating play for today” (Financial Times).
The full cast are Christopher Osikanlu Colquhoun, Doña Croll, Juliet Garricks, Preeya Kalidas, Hannah Ledwidge, Mariah Louca, John Mackay, Daniel Rabin, Juliet Stevenson, Matilda Tucker,Naomi Wirthner and Sabrina Wu.
The production has designs by Hildegard Bechtler, lighting by Natasha Chivers, sound and composition by Tom Gibbons and casting by Julia Horan CDG.
The Doctor is produced by The Ambassador Theatre Group & Almeida Theatre, Gavin Kalin Productions, Caiola Productions, Wessex Grove, Dawn Smalberg & Richard Winkler.
LISTINGS
THE DOCTOR
VERY FREELY ADAPTED BY ROBERT ICKE, FROM PROFESSOR BERNHARDI BY ARTHUR SCHNITZLER
DIRECTED BY ROBERT ICKE
PRODUCED BY THE AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP & ALMEIDA THEATRE, GAVIN KALIN PRODUCTIONS, WESSEX GROVE, DAWN SMALBERG & RICHARD WINKLER
Performance schedule:
Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday at 2.30pm
Ticket Prices: From £15
Under 30’s Offer: You can now book exclusive £20 and £30 tickets in the stalls and dress circle for every Sunday matinee. Valid ID will be required upon arrival, so please only purchase these seats if you are eligible.
The website link for this offer is: https://thedoctorwestend.co.uk/under30srate/
NHS/Blue Light Workers Offer: £25 tickets available across the run exclusively for NHS employees and blue light workers. These tickets are available via the official box office ATG Tickets (just select the ‘NHS/Blue Light’ option whilst booking any seat ordinarily priced at £57.50 or £67.50, and present one ID per transaction when you arrive).
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours 45 minutes including a 20-minute interval
Age Recommendation: The Doctor includes the discussion of suicide and the description of suicide methods. We recommend an age recommendation of 14+
Address: Duke Of York’s Theatre, St. Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4BG
Box Office: 08448717623*
Group Bookings: 02072061174*
Access Booking Line: 08009126971
*Calls are charged at 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge
Website:
Facebook @TheDoctorWestEnd
Instagram @doctorwestend
Twitter @DoctorWestEnd
FOLLOWING A DISASTROUS RUN AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL, MIND MANGLER ANNOUNCES A UK TOUR
Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle
Starring Henry Lewis & Jonathan Sayer
UK TOUR: 7 Jan – 22 Apr 2023
Olivier award-winning comedy favourites, Mischief, today announce the very first UK tour of Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the writing (and performing) trio best known for The Play That Goes Wrong and BBC TV’s The Goes Wrong Show. In response to sold out performances at the Edinburgh Fringe, Mind Mangler has now been developed into a two-act show for a major UK tour. Starring Henry Lewis as the ‘Mind Mangler’ and Jonathan Sayer as his ‘Stooge’, the show will open at Wyvern Theatre, Swindon on 7 January 2023, visiting Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Cheltenham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Brighton, Nottingham, Newcastle, Wimbledon, Salford and Southampton, to name a few. The tour will culminate with a week at Theatre Royal Bath, from 18 to 22 April 2023. Tickets are on sale today (at most venues).
Mind Mangler is based on a character originally created in Magic Goes Wrong by Penn Jillette, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields & Teller. Directed by Hannah Sharkey.
Join the ‘Mind Mangler’ as he returns to the stage following a disappointing two-night run at the Luton Holiday Inn conference centre, suite 2b. His new solo spectacular is predicted to spiral into chaos as he attempts to read your mind…
The ‘Mind Mangler’ persuaded the following producers to back this production – Kenny Wax, Stage Presence and Kevin McCollum. (They regret it).
Mischief’s other stage successes include The Play That Goes Wrong (West End, Broadway and on tour across the UK and internationally with productions staged on every continent – with the exception of Antarctica), Magic Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, A Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Mischief Movie Night. Their ‘Royal Television Society’ award-winning BBC One series The Goes Wrong Show aired in December 2019 with a Christmas special, with further episodes in early 2020, and a hit Nativity special last Christmas. The second series aired in September 2021 on BBC One and iPlayer.
Listings Information:
MIND MANGLER
Member of the Tragic Circle
UK TOUR 2023
Sat 7 – Sun 8 Jan
SWINDON Wyvern Theatre
Theatre Square, Swindon SN1 1QN
BOX OFFICE 0343 310 0040
ON SALE SOON
Tue 10 – Wed 11 Jan
CARDIFF New Theatre
Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3LN
BOX OFFICE 029 2087 8889
ON SALE SOON
Fri 13 Jan
HIGH WYCOMBE Swan Theatre
St Mary Street, High Wycombe HP11 2XE
BOX OFFICE 0343 310 0060
ON SALE SOON
Sat 14 Jan
MILTON KEYNES Theatre
500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 3NZ
BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615
Wed 18 Jan
BIRMINGHAM The Alexandra
Suffolk Street, Queensway, Birmingham B5 4DS
BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615
Thu 19 – Sat 21 Jan
CHELTENHAM Everyman Theatre
Regent Street, Cheltenham GL50 1HQ
BOX OFFICE 01242 572 573
Tue 24 Jan
GLASGOW Theatre Royal
282 Hope St, Glasgow G2 3QA
BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615
Fri 27 Jan
EDINBURGH Festival Theatre
13-29 Nicolson St, Edinburgh EH8 9FT
BOX OFFICE 0131 529 6000
ON SALE SOON
Mon 30 Jan – Wed 1 Feb
EXETER Northcott Theatre
Stocker Rd, Exeter EX4 4QB
BOX OFFICE 01932 72 63 63
ON SALE SOON
Fri 3 Feb
LIVERPOOL Empire Theatre
Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 1JE
BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615
Tue 7 – Thu 9 Feb
LEICESTER Curve Studio
Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB
BOX OFFICE 0116 242 3595
ON SALE SOON
Sat 11 Feb
BRIGHTON Theatre Royal
New Road, Brighton BN1 1SD
BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615
Sun 12 Feb
NOTTINGHAM Theatre Royal
Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND
BOX OFFICE 0115 989 5555
Thu 16 – Sat 18 Feb
NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal
100 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6BR
BOX OFFICE 08448 112121
Mon 27 Feb
WOKING New Victoria Theatre
The Ambassadors, The Peacocks Centre, Woking GU21 6GQ
BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615
Tue 28 Feb
WIMBLEDON New Wimbledon Theatre
93 The Broadway, London SW19 1QG
BOX OFFICE 0844 871 7615
Thu 2 Mar
SOUTHEND Cliffs Pavilion
Station Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7RA
BOX OFFICE 0343 310 0030
ON SALE SOON
Mon 6 Mar
BROMLEY Churchill Theatre
High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA
BOX OFFICE 0343 310 0020
ON SALE SOON
Tue 14 & Wed 15 Mar
SALISBURY Playhouse
Malthouse Lane, Salisbury SP2 7RA
BOX OFFICE 01722 320 333
ON SALE SOON
Fri 24 – Sat 25 Mar
SALFORD The Lowry
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ
BOX OFFICE 0343 208 6000
ON SALE SOON
Tue 28 & Wed 29 Mar
SOUTHAMPTON MAST
142, 144 Above Bar St, Southampton SO14 7DU
BOX OFFICE 02380 711833
ON SALE SOON
Thu 30 & Fri 31 Mar
GUILDFORD Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX
BOX OFFICE 01483 44 00 00
Tue 18 – Sat 22 Apr
BATH Theatre Royal
Sawclose Bath, BA1 1ET
BOX OFFICE 01225 448844
ON SALE SOON
Further tour dates to be announced.
Hampstead Theatre, London – until 26th November 2022
Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith
3***
Mary is the sixth instalment in The James Plays, Rona Munro’s women centred cycle of plays about the mediaeval monarchs of Scotland. It’s 1567, and we are witnessing three characters as they argue for and against Mary, the troubled Queen of Scots as she is set to marry the frankly detestable Earl of Bothwell. Agnes (Rona Morrison) is a maid who is firmly Protestant and condemns the Queen, and Thompson (Brian Vernel) is a servant who we first meet in a bloodied pile on the floor but who quickly rises through the ranks in opposition to Mary thanks to the Lords who want to de-throne her. Finally, we meet Sir James Melville (Douglas Henshall), a loyal courtier, skilled diplomat, and a morally decent man who is shaken to the core by things he has witnessed at court.
The argument has a contemporary resonance. Whether someone has been raped, whether they should be believed, and whether once the truth is known, anything is done with that information. Mary’s destructive relationship with the Earl of Bothwell is examined from every angle, and the character’s positions shift while the actual and apparent truth collide. Women are seldom given a fair shout in history, especially when it comes to the monarchy. As Munro says herself, “Women’s narratives have often been twisted to serve other interests and destroy their own experience”.
The cast work well together under the direction of Roxana Silbert. Morison, Henshall, and Vernel do well with the heavy dialogue and minimal physical action, but there are moments of humour and rage which provide some change in what is quite an evenly paced play. Ashley Martin-Davis’s set is beautiful and simple, and provides a clean and clever backdrop for the main action. The set and the lighting design by Matt Haskins are expressive, using shadow and light to change the scene and add suspense. Mist hangs ominously in the air over the stage as the characters argue and debate.
Mary is an ambitious balance of the personal, the political and the religious. It asks questions about accountability and political persuasion, and uses the historical context to make some very contemporary statements which feel very 2022.
THE LOWRY, SALFORD, MANCHESTER – UNTIL SATURDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2022
REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN
4****
It has been more than 30 years since its first publication, as a novella and more than 25 years since I went to the cinema to watch The Shawshank Redemption on the big screen. So, when the opportunity came to see the play, I jumped at the chance and ventured along to the premiere performance at The Lowry. This freshly rewritten stage adaptation by Dave Johns and Owen O’Neill is from Stephen King’s original story rather than the iconic 1994 film.
Taking on King’s cult classic is a mammoth task, I had very high expectations and it did not disappoint. Right from the opening act, the audience can hear Frank Sinatra’s cheerful and optimistic ‘Beyond the Sea’ playing and in contrast see the grim and grey rows of prison cells. Three naked men are standing in individual spotlights, their modesty covered by the prison clothes they are holding. Above them, dark figures are looking down on them, giving the audience a sense of what a brutal and bleak place ‘The Shank’ is for the inmates.
The story follows Andy Dufresne, a successful banker, who is found guilty of murdering his wife and her lover, despite his insistent claims of innocence. He is sentenced to life in the notorious Shawshank State Penitentiary and over the years he befriends the fixer, Ellis ‘Red’ Redding, who can get his hands on ‘things’ for his fellow inmates, for a price.
Ben Onwukwe as Red, considering he had to fill Morgan Freeman’s shoes, was marvellous and a commanding presence on stage, his narration drove the play with amazing characterisation.
Joe Absolom impressed in the lead role of Andy Dufresne. He gave an astute performance, transforming his character from a withdrawn prison newcomer to the top dog.
The whole 12-man ensemble gave excellent performances, which resulted in a standing ovation. Special mentions must go to Jules Brown, his humorous portrayal of Rico was thoroughly enjoyable and outstanding. Also, Kenneth Jay as Brooksie, had the audience almost shedding tears because the prison system had beaten him.
It would be a criminal offence to miss out on seeing this thrilling stage adaptation, don’t get caught out.
STRICTLY COME DANCING
THE PROFESSIONALS
UK TOUR 2023
Tickets on sale Friday 4 November at 10am from
StrictlyTheProfessionals.com
A spectacular line-up of some of the world’s best professional dancers will be hitting the road next year for the 2023 official Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals UK Tour.
This breathtaking show, featuring a 10-strong ensemble of dancers from the smash hit BBC One TV show Strictly Come Dancing, will open at Hull’s Bonus Arena on 2 May and then waltz its way around the UK before culminating at Liverpool’s M&S Arena on 30 May. Tickets will go on-sale on 4 November from StrictlyTheProfessionals.com.
Audiences across the country will enjoy an evening of world-class dance, stunning choreography and glamorous costumes, live and up close from 10 talented Strictly Professionals: Australian Open Champion and 2018 finalist Dianne Buswell; new Strictly dancer and 11-time Italian Latin American Champion Vito Coppola; Chinese National Dance Champion Carlos Gu (who is also new to Strictly this year), Professional World Mambo Champion and 2020 Strictly finalist Karen Hauer; undefeated four-time British National Champion Neil Jones; six-time Italian Latin & Ballroom Champion Nikita Kuzmin; 2017 & 2020 Strictly finalist Gorka Marquez; four-time Italian Dance Championship winner Luba Mushtuk; Polish Open Latin Champion Jowita Przystal; and World Latin Dance Championships Under 21 finalist Nancy Xu.
The 31-date tour, directed by Strictly’s Creative Director Jason Gilkison, will showcase the exceptional talent of TV’s hugely popular professional dancers, set within the wonderful world of the BBC show, with its stunning costumes and sparkling sets.
Jason said: “It is fantastic to unveil this stellar line-up of much-loved Strictly professional dancers for next year’s tour. We will be dazzling audiences across the country with the dance and choreography at the highest possible standard. To see these dancers coming together to perform on this scale is a joy for me as a director and Strictly fans are in for a real treat!”
Strictly Come Dancing – The Professionals 2023 UK Tour Dates
2 May Hull: Bonus Arena 7.30pm
3 May Sheffield: Utilita Arena 7.30pm
4 May Newcastle: Utilita Arena 7.30pm
5 May Aberdeen: P&J Live Arena 7.30pm
6 May Glasgow: Armadillo 7.30pm
7 May Edinburgh: Playhouse 2.30pm & 7.30pm
9 May Salford: The Lowry 7.30pm
10 May Salford: The Lowry 2.30pm & 7.30pm
11 May Blackpool: Opera House 7.30pm
12 May York: The Barbican 7.30pm
13 May Birmingham: Hippodrome 2.30pm & 7.30pm
14 May Birmingham: Hippodrome 2.30pm
16 May Oxford: New Theatre 7.30pm
17 May Cardiff: Motorpoint Arena 7.30pm
18 May Nottingham: Royal Centre 7.30pm
19 May London: Palladium 7.30pm
20 May London: Palladium 2.30pm & 7.30pm
21 May London: Palladium 2.30pm
23 May Bournemouth: BIC 7.30pm
24 May Plymouth: Pavillions 7.30pm
25 May Plymouth: Pavillions 2.30pm & 7.30pm
26 May Portsmouth: Guildhall 7.30pm
27 May Brighton: Brighton Centre 2.30pm & 7.30pm
28 May Brighton: Brighton Centre 2.30pm
30 May Liverpool: M&S Bank Arena 7.30pm
Listings information:
Website: strictlytheprofessionals.com
Twitter: @SCD_Live_Tour
Instagram: @strictlycomedancinglive
Facebook: @strictlylive
Hull New Theatre Hull – until 5th November 2022
Reviewed by Dawn Bennett
5*****
Roddy Doyle’s The Commitments (presented by Phil McIntyre Live) and directed by Andrew Linnie burst onto the Hull Theatre stage and kept the audience very entertained from beginning to end.
Adapted from his own novel Roddy Doyle tells the story of group of working-class amateur musicians and friends from Dublin who get together to form a ten-piece band that Jimmy Rabitte (James Killeen) describes as “the hardest working band in the world”.
Jimmy (James Killeen) loves soul music from the sixties and wants to put together a band, he knows a couple of musicians and advertises for some more and gets all sorts of different people turning up to his house to audition.
We follow the group from rehearsing in a garage to playing church halls instead of the bingo, we follow the fights, the arguments, the romances and the lives of this band of musicians and singers.
The soundtrack to this musical is amazing from Proud Mary to (I can’t get no) Satisfaction to many others. This is not a Juke Box Musical the songs are total classics and the lead singer Ian McIntosh who plays Deco has the most fabulous voice.
Its really difficult to single out one person in this fabulous show, the set designer (Tim Blazdell) produced a set that went from Rabitte family flat to a rehearsal room to night clubs which was so clever. And costume designer and supervisor (Alice Lessing) costumes took me right back to the 80’s, particularly the Ra Ra skirts. How they went from normal kids in jeans etc at the beginning to the slick suits and dresses of their last performance was brilliant.
All the singers, actors and the musicians, both on and off stage, were all so talented. This a real feel-good show that will leave you wanting more and had the New Theatre audience on its feet.
If you go and watch, and I would really recommend you do, try and watch everyone on the stage not just the person singing or acting there is something going on everywhere!
This is one of the best musicals I’ve seen in a long while…miss it at your peril!!!
DONMAR WAREHOUSE ANNOUNCES FULL CASTING FOR LILLIAN HELLMAN’S WATCH ON THE RHINE
9 December 2022 – 4 February 2023
Artistic Director Michael Longhurst and Executive Director Henny Finch today announce the full casting for Lillian Hellman’s masterpiece political thriller Watch on the Rhine. Joining the previously announced Kate Duchêne (Anise), Caitlin FitzGerald (Sara Muller) and Patricia Hodge (Fanny Farrelly)are John Light (Teck de Brancovis), Carlyss Peer (Marthe de Brancovis), Geoffrey Streatfeild (David Farrelly), Mark Waschke (Kurt Muller) and David Webber (Joseph).
They are joined by Finley Glasgow (Joshua Muller), Tamar Laniado and Chloe Raphael (Babette Muller), Bertie Caplan and Henry Hunt (Bodo Muller).
Part of the Donmar’s 30th anniversary season, the first major London revival of Watch on the Rhine in over 40 years, directed by Ellen McDougall, opens on 15 December, with previews from 9 December, and runs until 4 February 2023. It is the first production to provide £10 tickets for audiences aged under 30 to mark the special milestone of the Donmar’s 30th birthday with support from Associate Sponsor Barclays.
The production is designed by Basia Bińkowska, with lighting design by Azusa Ono, sound design by Tingying Dong, fight direction by Cristian Cardenas, musical direction by Josh Middleton, video design by Sarah Readman, casting director Anna Cooper CDG, dramaturgy by Emma Jude Harris and Zoe Svendsen, voice and dialect coaching by Nia Lynn. Anti-racism consultancy for the production is provided by mezze eade.
WATCH ON THE RHINE
by Lillian Hellman
Director – Ellen McDougall; Designer – Basia Bińkowska; Lighting Designer – Azusa Ono;
Sound Designer – Tingying Dong; Fight Director – Cristian Cardenas;
Musical Director – Josh Middleton; Video Design – Sarah Readman;
Casting Director – Anna Cooper CDG; Dramaturg – Emma Jude Harris and Zoe Svendsen
Anti-racism Consultant – mezze eade; Voice and Dialect Coach – Nia Lynn
9 December 2022 – 4 February 2023
“It’s an indulgence to sit in a room and discuss your beliefs as if they were a juicy piece of gossip.”
Summer 1941. On a peaceful morning in a Washington D.C. living room, widow Fanny Farrelly anxiously awaits the return of her daughter and her German husband, fleeing Europe with their children.
As night falls, dark secrets emerge, and this American sanctuary becomes even more dangerous than what they left behind.
Known for her success on Broadway (The Little Foxes, The Children’s Hour) Lillian Hellman was also a brilliant activist, ahead of her time. Watch on The Rhine is her masterpiece political thriller, given a timely revival by director Ellen McDougall.
Bertie Caplan makes hisprofessional stage debut as Bodo Muller. His television includes Doc Martin; Carnival Row; Tulipop. Film includes: The Magic Flute; Wonka.
Kate Duchêne returns to the Donmar toplay Anise, having recently appeared in Henry V. Her other theatre credits include: Suzy Storck (Gate Theatre); Hedda Gabler, Everyman, Hansel and Gretel, A Woman Killed with Kindness, Beauty and the Beast, Attempts on Her Life, Women of Troy, Iphigenia at Aulis (National Theatre/Dublin Abbey Theatre); Waves (National Theatre/UK tour); The Forbidden Zone (Barbican/Amsterdam); Ten Billion (Royal Court Theatre/Avignon Festival); The Trial of Ubu (Hampstead Theatre); Henry VIII (Shakespeare’s Globe); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (City of London Sinfonia); The Sugar Syndrome (Royal Court); and The Herbal Bed, The Cherry Orchard, The Country Wife and Richard III (RSC). Her television credits include Cursed; Doctor Who; Foyle’s War; Afterlife; Family Life; and Kiss Me Kate; and for film, Roxane, All Good Children and An Education.
Caitlin FitzGerald plays Sara Muller. She can currently be seen in Patrick Somerville’s HBO Max limited series Station Eleven for director Hiro Murai, and Shonda Rhimes’s hit Netflix limited series Inventing Anna. Previously she starred in Aaron Sorkin’s feature film The Trial of the Chicago 7, the HBO series Succession, the Starz series Sweetbitter, Sophia Takal’s independent feature Always Shine, and the third season of Emmy-nominated series Unreal. Caitlin is also known for her work in the Showtime series Masters of Sex, and had a season-long arc on the finale season of SundanceTV’s Rectify. Additional credits include Adult Beginners; Nancy Meyers’ It’s Complicated; Whit Stillman’s Damsels in Distressed; and Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock.
Finley Glasgow returns to the Donmar to play Joshua Muller following his appearance in Love and Other Acts of Violence. His televisionwork includes Andor. Concerts include The Secret Garden.
Patricia Hodge’s theatre credits include Private Lives (Theatre Royal Bath/UK tour); A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Trafalgar Studios); Copenhagen; Travels With My Aunt; As You Like It (Chichester Festival Theatre); Relative Values (Harold Pinter Theatre/Theatre Royal Bath); Dandy Dick (Theatre Royal Brighton/UK tour); Calendar Girls (Chichester Festival Theatre/UK tour/Noel Coward Theatre); The Clean House (Sheffield Crucible/Royal and Derngate, Northampton/UK tour); The Country Wife (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Boeing Boeing (Comedy Theatre); His Dark Materials; Noises Off; Summerfolk; Money (Olivier Award Best Supporting Actress); A Little Night Music (National Theatre); Heartbreak House (Almeida); The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Strand Theatre/UK tour); Separate Tables (Albery Theatre/UK tour); Shades (Albery Theatre); Nymph Errant (Adlephi Theatre/Theatre Royal Drury Lane); Noel and Gertie (Warehouse Theatre/Comedy Theatre, Olivier Award Best Actress in a Musical nomination); Benefactors (Michael Codron); The Mitford Girls (Chichester Festival Theatre/Globe Theatre, Olivier Award Best Actress in a Musical nomination); Then and Now (Hampstead Theatre); Happy Yellow (Bush Theatre); Pal Joey Look Back in Anger; The Beggar’s Opera (Nottingham Playhouse); Hair (Queen’s Theatre); Maudie (Thorndike Theatre); Pippin (Her Majesty’s Theatre); The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Phoenix Theatre); Popkiss (Globe Theatre); All My Sons; Say Who You Are; The Birthday Party; The Anniversary (Traverse Theatre). Television includes: Murder in Provence; All Creatures Great and Small; Roadkill; A Very English Scandal; Downton Abbey Christmas Special; Miranda; Poirot; Maxwell; Hustle; Miss Marple; Sweet Medicine; Waking the Dead; The Falklands Play; The People’s Passion; The Moonstone; The Legacy of Reggie Perrin; The Cloning of Joanna May; Rich Tea and Sympathy; The Secret Life of Ian Fleming; The Shell Seekers; The Heat of the Day; Inspector Morse; Let’s Face the Music of…; Exclusive Yarns; The Life and Loves of a She-Devil; Time for Murder, The Return of Sherlock Holmes; Oss; Robin of Sherwood; Hotel Du Lac (BAFTA Best Actress nomination); Behind Enemy Lines; The Death of the Heart; Dust to Dust; Hay Fever; Jemima Shore Investigates; Holding the Fort; Nanny; The Professionals; The Other ‘Arf; Edward and Mrs Simpson; Target; Rumpole of the Bailey; The One and Only Mrs Phyllis Dixey; Disraeli: Portrait of a Romantic; Softy Softly; The Naked Civil Servant; Quiller; The Girls of Slender Means; Menace. Films include: The Laureate; Before You Go; Prague Duet; Jilting Joe; The Leading Man; Sunset; Just Ask for Diamond; Thieves in the Night; Vilde, The Wild One; Betrayal; Riding High; Charlotte; The Elephant Man; Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang; Heavy Metal; Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse; The Disappearance.
Henry Hunt returns to the Donmar to play Bodo Muller after appearing in Force Majeure. Other theatre includes Handle With Care (Dante or Die Theatre). For television his work includes Ridley Road; and forfilm, Letters from the Blue and Bump!.
Tamar Laniado plays Babette Muller. Her theatre credits include: Leopoldstadt (Wyndham’s Theatre); That Night Follows Day (Forced Entertainment); Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World (Theatre Royal Stratford East); and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat (London Palladium).
John Light returns to the Donmar to play Teck after appearing in Luise Miller. His other theatre credits include La Belle Sauvage (Bridge Theatre); The Son (Kiln/West End); Mary Stuart (Almeida/West End); Taken at Midnight (Olivier nomination, Chichester Festival Theatre/West End); The Winter’s Tale, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A New World: The Life of Thomas Paine at Shakespeare’s Globe; Three Days in the Country and The Night Season (National Theatre); The Giant, The Blackest Black and My Boy Jack (Hampstead Theatre); Julius Caesar at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (Print Room); Carmen Destruction, The Master Builder, Certain Young Men and The Tower (Almeida); Apologia and Clocks and Whistles (Bush Theatre); Hedda Gabler at the Gate, Dublin; and Julius Caesar, The Tempest, The Seagull, In the Company of Men and A Patriot for Me (RSC). Television includes Murder in Provence, Around the World in Eighty Days, Mars, Maigret, Father Brown, Silk, Endeavour, Dresden, North and South, Cambridge Spies, Band of Brothers, Love in a Cold Climate, Aristocrats, The Unknown Soldier and Holding On. Film includes There’s Always Hope, Albert Nobbs, Scoop, Partition, Heights, The Lion in Winter, Benedict Arnold, The Ascension, 5 Seconds to Spare, DK2, Trance, Purpose, Investigating Sex and A Rather English Marriage.
Carlyss Peer plays Marthe de Brancovis. Her theatreincludes Ocean at the End of the Lane (National Theatre); Juglife (Rada Festival); Rules for Living (ETT/Royal & Derngate; UK Tour); Border Control (Hack Theatre Company); Groundhog Day (The Old Vic); Jefferson’s Garden (Watford Palace); Hamlet; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe); But I Made You a Mixtape (Etcetera Theatre); The Rivals (Theatre Royal Haymarket, West End, Theatre Royal Bath Productions, UK Tour); Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Salisbury Playhouse). Television includes: Beyond Paradise; Dalgliesh; The Crown; Viewpoint; Home; Intergalactic; The Feed; Silent Witness; The Tempest; Midsomer Murders; Pixies; Grantchester; Brief Encounters; Doctors; Holby City; Eternal Law; Missing. Film includes: The Great Escaper; County Lines; Peter and Wendy. Radio includes: Passenger List 2; Arkham County; Road to Lisbon; The Further Adventures of Lucie Miller; Gallifrey Time War; Now, Where Were We?; The Shame Of It; and The Boneless Wonder.
Chloe Raphael plays Babette Muller. Her theatre credits include Leopoldstadt (Wyndham’s Theatre); Matilda Jr, Annie Jr (British Theatre Academy); Little Miss Sunshine (Arcola/Selladoor); My Son Pinocchio (Southwark Theatre). Her television work includes Thomas & Friends; The Letter for the King; and for film, Thomas & Friends Race for the Sodor Cup.
Geoffrey Streatfeild returns to the Donmar to play David Farrelly following his performances in The Way of the World and My Night with Reg, which transferred to the West End. His other theatre credits include: Blithe Spirit (Bath Theatre Royal and West End); Cell Mates; Wild Honey (Hampstead Theatre); Ivanov; The Seagull; The Beaux Stratagem; Children of the Sun; Earthquakes in London; The Pains of Youth; The History Boys; Bacchai (National Theatre); Macbeth; Copenhagen (Sheffield Crucible Theatre); Eigengrau; The Contingency Plan (Bush Theatre); Henry V; Henry IV Part I and Part II; Richard III; Henry VI Part I, Part II and Part III (Royal Shakespeare Company); Journey’s End (West End); Mountain Language (Royal Court Theatre); and Nathan the Wise; Merchant of Venice (Chichester). Television includes: Consent; Anatomy of a Scandal; Life; Traitors; The Miniaturist; Prime Suspect 1973; The Hollow Crown; New Worlds; Endeavour; The Thick of it; Spooks; Point of Rescue; Above Suspicion; Ashes to Ashes; Hunter; Elizabeth I; 20,000 Streets Under the Sky; Midsomer Murders; The Other Boleyn Girl; Love in a Cold Climate; and Sword of Honour. Film includes: Making Noise Quietly; The Lady in the Van; A Royal Night Out; Spooks – The Greater Good; Rush; Private Peaceful; City Slacker; Angel; Matchpoint; Kinky Boots; and Kursk.
David Webber plays Joseph. His theatre credits include: Small Island; Death and The King’s Horseman; Leave Taking (National Theatre); A Place for We (Park Theatre and Talawa Theatre Company); The High Table (The Bush/Birmingham Rep); Barber Shop Chronicles National Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, UK tour, Australia, New Zealand, USA & Canada tour (National Theatre/ Fuel Productions/ Leeds Playhouse); Arms and the Man (Watford Palace Theatre); The Hudsucker Proxy (Nuffield Southampton & Liverpool Playhouse); When Blair had Bush & Bunga (Lee Menzies Productions); Catch – 22 (Northern Stage); Sweet and Bird of Youth (The Old Vic); The Government Inspector (The Young Vic); Twelfth Night (Nottingham Playhouse); The Wizard of Oz; Night and Day (Theatre Royal, Northampton); The Big Life (Bill Kenwright/Apollo, Shaftesbury Avenue); The Beatification of Area Boy (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Master Harold & the Boys; Hiawatha (Bristol Old Vic); One Love (Bristol Old Vic & Talawa); Flyin’ West; The Looking Glass; King Lear; The Lion; Smile Orange; and The Road (Talawa); Television includes: Get Millie Black; The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself; Father Brown; Flatshare; Death in Paradise; Year of the Rabbit; Chewing Gum; Youngers; and Nan. Film includes: The Children Act; Captain Phillips; Broken; Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont; London Voodoo; and The Avengers. Radio includes: Forty-Three Fifty-Nine – Wake.
Ellen McDougall was Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre from 2017 to 2022. Theatre includes: Dear Elizabeth, Effigies of Wickedness (Songs banned by the Nazis), The Unknown Island, Idomeneus (Gate); Our Town (Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park); The Wolves (Stratford East); Othello (Shakespeare’s Globe); Aladdin, Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith); The Rolling Stone (Orange Tree/Royal Exchange, Manchester); The Remains of Maisie Duggan (Abbey Theatre, Dublin); The Glass Menagerie (Headlong); Anna Karenina (Royal Exchange, Manchester); Henry the Fifth (Unicorn); Glitterland (Secret Theatre/Lyric Hammersmith); and Ivan and the Dogs (Olivier Award nomination, Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre; Actors Touring Company/Soho). Ellen was formerly part of the Secret Theatre Company at the Lyric Hammersmith. She trained as an assistant to Katie Mitchell and Marianne Elliott. She was awarded an International Artists’ Development Award (ACE/British Council) in 2012.
Lillian Hellman, born in New Orleans in 1905, was an American playwright and screenwriter. She studied at New York University and Columbia University. Her plays include The Children’s Hour (1934), The Little Foxes (1939, revived by the Donmar in 2001), Watch on the Rhine (1941), The Searching Wind (1944), Another Part of the Forest (1946), The Autumn Garden (1951), and Toys in the Attic (1960). Translations and adaptations include Jean Anouilh’s The Lark (1955), Voltaire’s Candide (1957), and My Mother, My Father, and Me (1963 – from Burt Blechman’s novel How Much?). She also edited Anton Chekhov’s Selected Letters (1955) and a collection of stories and short novels, The Big Knockover (1966) by Hammett. She also published her memoirs An Unfinished Woman (1969), Pentimento (1973), and Maybe (1980). Her collected plays were first published in 1972. She died in 1984 aged 79.
LISTINGS
Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: @donmarwarehouse
41 Earlham Street, Seven Dials, London WC2H 9LX
Box Office: www.donmarwarehouse.com / 020 3282 3808
PERFORMANCE TIMES
Evenings Mon – Sat: 7.30pm
Matinees Thu & Sat: 2.30pm
TICKET PRICES
£55 (£50) / £41 (£38) / £21 (£19)
£10 standing tickets
Preview discounts apply to the first four performances only
YOUNG+FREE
YOUNG+FREE tickets for 16-25 year olds released by ballot. Sign up at www.donmarwarehouse.com.
Generously supported by IHS Markit.
DONMAR DAILY
New tickets on sale every day at the Donmar. Allocations of tickets will be made available every day for performances 7 days later. Tickets will be available across the auditorium at every price band.
ACCESS
The Donmar Warehouse is fully wheelchair accessible. Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome in the auditorium. There is a Loop system and a Radio Frequency system fitted in the main auditorium and there are also hearing loops at all the front of house counters.
ASSISTED PERFORMANCES
If you require a companion to attend the Donmar, their ticket will be free. To book call 020 3282 3808 or email [email protected].
For all other access enquiries or bookings call 020 3282 3808.
CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES – 7.30pm (captioned by Stagetext)
Watch on the Rhine: Monday 23rd January
AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE – 2.30pm (audio-described by VocalEyes)
Watch on the Rhine: Saturday 28th January
BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETED PERFORMANCES
Watch on the Rhine: Saturday 21st January, 2.30pm
MY SON’S A QUEER (BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO?) – PRODUCTION IMAGES
PHOTOS BY MARK SENIOR
***
FINAL WEEK OF SMASH HIT SHOW
MY SON’S A QUEER, (BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO?)
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY ROB MADGE
AND DIRECTED BY LUKE SHEPPARD
My Son’s A Queer, (But What Can You Do?) written by and performed by Rob Madge (Oliver!, Les Misérables) and directed by Luke Sheppard (& Juliet, In The Heights) celebrates the joy and chaos of raising a queer child, and originally had a critically acclaimed, and sold out run at the Turbine Theatre in 2021. Following another sell out run at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, My Son’s A Queer, (But What Can You Do?) transferred to the Garrick Theatre, in London’s West End, on 21 October and will run until 06 November 2022.
When Rob was 12, they attempted to stage a full-blown Disney parade in their house for their Grandma. As Rob donned a wig and played Mary Poppins, Ariel, Mickey Mouse and Belle, their Dad doubled as Stage Manager, Sound Technician and Goofy. Unfortunately, Dad missed all his cues and pushed all the floats in the wrong direction. Mum mistook Aladdin for Ursula. The costumes went awry. Ariel’s bubble gun didn’t even work properly. Grandma had a nice time though.
Winner of the ‘WhatsOnStage Best Off-West End Production 2022’ Award, My Son’s A Queer, (But What Can You Do?) is the joyous autobiographical story of social-media sensation Rob Madge, who just won the Industry Minds 2022 award for Performer of the year, as they set out to recreate that parade – and this time, nobody, no, nobody is gonna rain on it!
Paul Taylor-Mills, Artistic Director of The Turbine Theatre said “Exactly three years ago I took a group of my colleagues and friends on a boat along The Thames to a relatively unknown theatre space hiding beneath one of the most iconic buildings in Europe, The Battersea Power Station.
The Turbine Theatre was born. A bold and unique space where new work could be created. I made a commitment in front of everyone that we’d have a West End transfer within a year. Both brave and naive at the same time, little did we know what was to come. I even wrote it on the walls in big pink letters to remind me. Admittedly there were two years that we won’t go into now but we’re finally able to say that The Turbine Theatre is going to take its first show to the West End.
My Son’s A Queer, (But What Can You Do?) is the epitome of everything I dreamed The Turbine could be. A story of hope and acceptance, a celebration of life and a thrilling adventure rooted in trusting those we collaborate with. It has gone from a DM on Twitter during lockdown, to a fully produced sell out show in our theatre, to a run-a-way Edinburgh Season inside a big purple cow – many awards later, we’re at The Garrick. My Son’s A Queer, (But What Can You Do?) will play a limited season in the West End this Autumn and we hope that this is the start of many more transfers to come!”
The Almeida Theatre announces the full cast for Rebecca Frecknall’s production of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire.
Joining the previously announced Paul Mescal, Anjana Vasan, Dwane Walcott and Lydia Wilson are Eduardo Ackerman, Ralph Davis, Janet Etuk, Gabriela García, Tom Penn and Jabez Sykes.
The production opens on Tuesday 20 December, with previews from Saturday 10 December and runs until Saturday 4 February.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
by Tennessee Williams
Director: Rebecca Frecknall; Set Designer: Madeleine Girling; Costume Designer: Merle Hensel; Lighting Designer: Lee Curran; Sound Designer: Peter Rice: Composer: Angus MacRae; Casting Director: Julia Horan CDG
Saturday 10 December 2022 – Saturday 4 February 2023
“How pretty the sky is! I ought to go there on a rocket that never comes down.”
On a street in New Orleans, in the blistering summer heat, a sister spirals.
Following her “spellbinding” (Financial Times) production of Summer and Smoke, Almeida Associate Director Rebecca Frecknall takes on another Tennessee Williams masterpiece.
When Blanche unexpectedly visits her estranged sister Stella, she brings with her a past that will threaten their future. As Stella’s husband Stanley stalks closer to the truth, Blanche’s fragile world begins to fracture. Reality and illusion collide and a violent conflict changes their lives forever.
Lydia Wilson (The Duchess of Malfi) returns to the Almeida to play Blanche, with the BAFTA-winning Paul Mescal (Normal People) as Stanley and Anjana Vasan (We Are Lady Parts) as Stella.
Rebecca Frecknall directs her first production at the Almeida since her multi-Olivier Award-winning production of Cabaret.
ALMEIDA LISTINGS INFORMATION
Saturday 10 December 2022 – Saturday 4 February 2023
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
by Tennessee Williams
Performance times: 7:30pm; 2pm matinees
Tickets: From £10.
Box Office Online almeida.co.uk
Phone 020 7359 4404
Website almeida.co.uk
Twitter @AlmeidaTheatre
Facebook facebook.com/almeidatheatre
Instagram @almeida_theatre
TikTok @almeidatheatre
Access Captioned performance:
Monday 9 January 7:30pm
Audio described performance:
Saturday 28 January 2pm (Touch Tour 12:15pm)