Murder, Mystery, and Mania? The famed character of Sherlock Holmes, in The Hound of the Baskervilles, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is briefly visiting York Theatre Royal. This production is brought to the stage by the Original Theatre Company and is touring nationally.
Three actors take on the roles of multiple characters from the novel, while the novel may be a gripping tale of ghostly curses and evil intentions, the play is anything but. A comedic journey though the moors and pages of the tale, we are shown the story in a new more farcical light. Full of slapstick, sarcasm, and silly nonsense.
As I mentioned, composing of just three actors, mainly playing the characters of Sherlock Holmes (Jack Ferretti), Sir Henry (Serena Manteghi), and Dr Watson (Niall Ransome). Though I’ve just listed three characters, they all played a plethora of personalities, from Scottish doctors, to country yokels, to a fiery Latin lady, and a seemingly useless house servants.
What I witnessed on stage was phenomenal and I loved watching it happen. Three actors working so in sync and expertly together to create an entertaining performance, where there is never a dull moment. With perfect comedic timing and the ability to jump between character and actor was hilarious. With many gags gracing the night, from horses that won’t come on stage, lifeless rubber bodies, and diva attitudes within the cast. Although one thing stood out for me more than anything else, which made me howl with laughter, a surprising and out of nowhere gay subplot from Watson, who seemed to swoon over both Sir Henry and Holmes. Whilst this was subtle it made for some iconic moments on stage and made everyone laugh.
During the interval I was already stunned at how much I enjoyed the show and was excited for act two well. I wasn’t disappointed, we were even treated to reprisal of the first act, at breakneck speed. This was so fast paced that I was exhausted just watching it and was amazing to watch.
With the impressive set on stage, which had a light-up mini mansion, and the incredible comedy skills of the cast, it is basically a recipe for a perfect evening of theatre. This is a show where you can take your kids, bring your gran and even your worst enemy, because not a single soul would be straight faced throughout this performance.
This show is slick, high energy, full humour and greatly entertaining. This is the best show I’ve seen since theatres have reopened.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is at the York Theatre Royal until Saturday the 23rd of October, so get seeing it right now, you will not be disappointed
Postponed The Merchant of Venice starring Tracy Ann Oberman
confirms it will return for 2023 tour
The radical new production previously postponed by the COVID 19 pandemic is set in the East End at the time of the Battle of Cable Street, which had it 85th anniversary earlier this month
Leading actor, writer and ‘accidental activist’ Tracy Ann Oberman, currently appearing in the major BBC1 drama about British Fascism in the 1960s, Ridley Road, will reinvent the role of Shylock in a major production of The Merchant of Venice. Directed by Brigid Larmour, Artistic Director of Watford Palace Theatre, the production shines a light on an earlier dark chapter in our history, the growth of a British Fascist party in the 1930s, and the East End community coming together to stop them in the Battle of Cable Street on 4 October 1936. Originally slated for 2020, but postponed due to Covid, the production will open in early 2023 with detailed touring dates to be announced soon.
Oberman was inspired to reframe The Merchant of Venice drawing on her own great grandmother’s experience as a single mother in London’s East End. She and her sons – Tracy’s great-uncles -were part of the Battle of Cable Street, a watershed moment of popular resistance to fascism in Britain. The East End stood together to stop Sir Oswald Mosley’s uniformed British Union of Fascists confrontational march through this predominantly Jewish neighbourhood.
This vivid retelling reimagines Shylock as an East End matriarch, a widowed refugee from Russian pogroms. An immigrant, running a small business from a cramped house in Cable Street, she’s working to give her daughter Jessica a better life.
The play’s heroine Portia and her circle are aristocratic Fascists. Their playground is piano bars at the Savoy, bias cut silk gowns, white tie and tails.
Tracy Ann Oberman said, “I’ve always wanted to reclaim The Merchant and wanted to see how it would change with a female, single mother Shylock. My own great grandma and great aunts were widows, left in the East End to run the businesses and the homes, which they did with an iron fist. When I spoke about it to Brigid, she instantly got it, and said it gave a brilliant way into the problematic aspects of characters like Antonio and Portia – she saw them as aristocratic young Mosleyites, supporters of the British Union of Fascists led by Oswald Mosley. That led us to an East End Cable Street, with pawn shops and money- lending under the counter of shmatter stalls and seamstress jobs, in the weeks leading up to Mosley’s Fascist march against ‘The Jew’ in 1936.”
Director Brigid Larmour said, “The great Polish critic Jan Kott called Shakespeare ‘our contemporary.’ This fast-moving production brings together Tracy’s powerful stage presence as an actor with her courageous activism, in a story with acute contemporary resonance. Our national sense of pride in the ‘Britain stood alone’ view of 1940 can sometimes makes us forget how much support there was for fascism here in the 30s. It is dangerous to forget.”
The Merchant of Venice will tour in 2023, to be added to the mailing list for future announcements and ticket sales please go to https://watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk/#signup
The Merchant of Venice
Playing the Watford Palace Theatre and touring the UK 2023
ORANGE TREE THEATRE ANNOUNCES FULL CAST FOR THE RETURN OF TERENCE RATTIGAN’S WHILE THE SUN SHINES
Following the success of its sold out run in 2019, the Orange Tree Theatre today announces the return of Terence Rattigan’s While The Sun Shines, directed by OT Artistic Director Paul Miller. Rebecca Collingwood, Conor Glean and Sophie Khan Levy join original cast members John Hudson, Philip Labey, Michael Lumsden and Jordan Mifsúd. The production opens on 24 November, with previews from 20 November, and runs until 8 January 2022, with livestreamed performances via OT on screen on 6 and 7 January. While The Sun Shines continues with socially distanced seating and safety measures.
★★★★
The Stage
A lot of laughs… Miller’s production is one of immense charm.
On the eve of his wedding, the young Earl of Harpenden – Bobby to his friends – has offered his room to Joe, an American soldier he drunkenly met the night before. When Bobby’s fiancée Lady Elizabeth turns up, Joe makes a move, thinking she must be Bobby’s ex, the wonderful Mabel Crum. But a Free French lieutenant also has eyes for her… And to complicate matters, Bobby’s future father-in-law turns up too. London in the Blitz, and identities get confused: time to make hay…
This first major revival of Rattigan’s delectably charming comedy in decades has an acclaimed sold out run in 2019. It was the writer’s greatest hit playing for over 1,000 performances in the West End when it opened in 1943.
Completing the creative team is Simon Daw (Designer), Mark Doubleday (Lighting Designer), Elizabeth Purnell (Sound Designer and Composer), and Vicky Richardson (Casting Consultant CDG).
Rebecca Collingwood returns to the Orange Tree to play Lady Elisabeth Randall – she previously appeared in Precious Little Talent and Widower’s House. Her other theatre credits include Malory Towers (Wise Children), The Hartlepool Monkey (Gyre and Gimble/Fuel), Castle (Finborough), and Much Ado About Nothing and Love’s Labour’s Lost (RSC/Chichester/Theatre Royal Haymarket).
Conor Glean plays Lieutenant Mulvaney. His theatre credits include After Life (National Theatre/ Headlong), One Night in Miami (Nottingham Playhouse), Mother Courage and Her Children, Wuthering Heights, Queens of the Coal Age and Scuttlers (Royal Exchange Theatre), and Boys (Pappyshow).
John Hudson returns to the Orange Tree to play Horton – he previously also appeared The Dark River, Hamlet, Diary of a Scoundrel, A Journey to London, Sauce for the Goose, Flora the Red Menace, The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles, The Maitlands, The Memorandum, What the Heart Feels, Family Circles, The Women of Lockerbie. His other theatre credits include, The Deep Blue Sea (Queen’s Theatre/Hornchurch), The Browning Version (Mercury Theatre), A Man for All Seasons (Chichester Festival/Savoy), Woman in Mind (Stephen Joseph Theatre/Vaudeville), Exchange (Nuffield Theatre/ Vaudeville Theatre), Richard III, The Importance of Being Earnest (New Wolsey Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), and The Secret Rapture (Bristol Old Vic). For television, his credits include The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Miser, Make and Break, Oscar Wilde, and Absolutely Fabulous.
Sophie Khan Levy plays Mabel Crum. Her theatre credits include Measure for Measure, As You Like It, Maydays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Christmas Truce, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Love’s Labour’s Won (RSC), Hanna (Arcola Theatre/Papatango), Fracked (Chichester Festival Theatre), 30 (PLAY) and Cymbeline (Belgrade Theatre). Her television credits include Ride.
Philip Labey returns to the Orange Tree to play The Earl of Harpendon. His theatre credits include Shakespeare in Love (Theatre Royal Bath), Posh (Nottingham Playhouse/Salisbury Playhouse), First Episode (Jermyn Street), Not About Heroes (Theatre by the Lake), The History Boys (Mercury Theatre), The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (Belgrade Theatre), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Rupert Goold 360 Theatre), Peter Pan (New Vic), Hamlet and Henry V (Cambridge Shakespeare Company), and Adam Lives in Theory (Finborough). His television credits include The Power, Vanity Fair, The Royals and Red Dwarf and for film On Chesil Beach and London Wall.
Michael Lumsden returns to the Orange Tree to play The Duke of Ayr and Stirling – he previously also appeared in The Philanderer, Middlemarch, Mary Broome, The Years Between and Mary Goes First. His other theatre credits For Services Rendered (Jermyn Street Theatre), Eastern Star (Tara Arts), The Fitzrovia Hour’s A Christmas Carol (Spiegeltent/The Vaults), Killjoy and Last Confessions of a Scallywag (Mill at Sonning), Our Brother David (Watford Palace), Star Quality (Ian Fricker Productions), Entertaining Angels (Chichester Festival Theatre/UK tour), The Real Thing, How the Other Half Loves, The Secret Rapture and Tom Jones (UK tours), All Things Considered (Stephen Joseph Theatre/Hampstead Theatre), Pravda, Funny Peculiar (Leeds Playhouse), Bedroom Farce (Plymouth Theatre Royal), Who Killed Hilda Murrell? (New Vic, Newcastle under Lyme), Othello (Lyric Hammersmith), Macbeth (Nuffield Theatre), You Never Can Tell and The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Derby Playhouse), Twelfth Night (Redgrave Theatre, Farnham), Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay!,A Man for All Seasons, Twelfth Night (Victoria Theatre), and The School for Scandal (Northcott, Exeter). His television credits include Birds of a Feather, Jonathan Creek, William and Catherine: A Royal Romance, House of Anubis, Wire in the Blood, Crisis Command, Barbara, Pig Heart Boy, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Letters to Alice.
Jordan Mifsúd returns to the Orange Tree to play Lieutenant Colbert – he also previously appeared in Shaw Shorts, Misalliance and The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd. His other theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare’s Globe), Pride and Prejudice (Regent’s Park Open Air/UK tour), The Silver Tassie (National Theatre), Our Ajax (Southwark Playhouse), In Your Image (Soho Theatre), Moth (Bush Theatre/HighTide), Thatcherwrite (Theatre503), 55 Days (Hampstead Theatre), The Two Worlds of Charlie F (Theatre Royal Haymarket). His television credits include Whitstable Pearl, The Bay, and The Looming Tower, and for film; Alone Together, RISK, Kingsman: The Golden Circle and The Siege of Jadotville.
Paul Miller directs. As Artistic Director of the Orange Tree, he has directed French Without Tears (also UK tour with ETT), Losing Venice, Humble Boy, Misalliance, The Philanderer, Widower’s Houses, Poison, The Lottery of Love, Sheppey, Each His Own Wilderness and The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd. He was previously Associate Director at Sheffield Theatres and has directed major productions at the National Theatre, Royal Court, The Old Vic and in the West End.
Audio Described: 18 December 2.30pm Captioned: 14 December 7.30pm
Tickets: From £15
Under 30s: £15
ABOUT THE ORANGE TREE THEATRE
The Orange Tree (OT) is an award-winning, independent theatre. Recognised as a powerhouse that creates high-quality productions of new and rediscovered plays, it entertains 70,000 people across the UK every year. In May 2021 the OT reopened with its Recovery Season. As an independent theatre and registered charity that relies on ticket income, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to post significant risk to the OT. To support the theatre’s return to a producing powerhouse at this time, it is raising funds through its Recovery Fund.
The OT’s home in Richmond, South West London, is an intimate theatre with the audience seated all around the stage: watching a performance here is truly a unique experience. We believe in the power of dramatic stories to entertain, thrill and challenge us; plays that enrich our lives by enhancing our understanding of ourselves and each other.
As a registered charity (266128) sitting at the heart of its community, we work with 10,000 people in Richmond and beyond through participatory theatre projects for people of all ages and abilities. The Orange Tree Theatre’s mission is to enable audiences to experience the next generation of theatre talent, experiment with ground-breaking new drama and explore the plays from the past that inspire the theatre-makers of the present.
We have been granted the use of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre’s See It Safely mark. The mark certifies that we are complying with the latest Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, to ensure the safety of our staff and audiences. You can find out more here https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/covid-19-safety about the measures put in place ready for your visit, and what you will need to know beforehand.
SEASON AT A GLANCE
RICE
Until 13 November 2021
Mon – Sat 7.30pm (except 13 Oct at 7pm) Thu & Sat 2.30pm (from 16 Oct)
Audio Described performance: Sat 13 Nov 2.30pm Captioned performance: Tue 9 Nov 7.30pm
Tickets from £15, £25, £32
WHILE THE SUN SHINES
20 November 2021 – 8 January 2022
Mon – Sat 7.30pm (except 24 Nov at 7pm) Thu & Sat 2.30pm (from 27 Nov) Additional matinees 24 & 31 Dec at 2.30pm No performances 25, 27 Dec & 3 Jan Audio Described performance: Sat 18 Dec 2.30pm Captioned performance: Tue 14 Dec 7.30pm
Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 23 October 2021
Reviewed by Steph Lott
5*****
‘Groan Ups’ is the latest offering from Mischief (the company that brought us gems such as The Play That Goes Wrong and The Comedy about a Bank Robbery). It’s the story of a group of five friends and follows them from primary school to adulthood.
Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the show starts with the voices of 2 teachers speaking to the audience as if they were school pupils. Then the 5 main characters come bundling on to the stage: Archie (Daniel Abbott), Simon (Matt Cavendish), Moon (Yolanda Ovide), Spencer (Dharmesh Patel) and Katie (Lauren Samuels). They are part of a year 2 class and they play a game to set the scene of the play which introduces the 5 children.
The opening of the play is a bit confusing as you try and work out who is who, amongst various references to the parents of each of the characters in the play. But it gets steadily better once you get the hang of this as the adult actors play a group of naughty 6-year-olds. There was toilet humour and a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, and the audience very soon were happy to be transported along with the story. I suppose the opening sequence in which the class make an inadvertently smutty presentation about their weekends is a bit “ooer missus” but judging from the sniggering going on around me, the rest of the audience were not averse to a bit of smutty innuendo!
All the scenes take place in a primary school classroom and I absolutely loved the changing size of the chairs and the height of the doors as the children grew older in each scene.
The performers in Kirsty Patrick Ward’s production are all very engaging. We see them change from unruly kids, to typical teenagers, through to young adults at a school reunion, each act becoming stronger as they become older and we get to know them. I particularly enjoyed Dharmesh Patel’s performance as the bright, mischievous trouble-maker Spencer who steals Smarties from the teacher’s desk. I’m not sure how many hamsters met their unfortunate ends at his hand! However it was Jamie Birkett in her dual roles as Chemise/Miss Murray who stole the show for me. Her face and her timing had me and the rest of the audience in absolute stitches! There was some excellent running gags in the show which I won’t repeat for fear of spoiling them but who knew hamsters could have so many names?!
Overall, Groan Ups was a bit clunky at the start but as the characters grew up and the story began to flow as it progressed through the scenes, it quickly grew on me too. If you’re after a laugh-a-minute show densely packed with jokes, witticisms and visual humour, this is the one to go and see. It’s a mix of the funny, the charming, the sad and the painful. But isn’t that true of growing up?
New Victoria Theatre, Woking – until 23 October 2021
4****
Reviewed by Alexandra Sykes
19 months later than planned, Priscilla has finally arrived in Woking in all her pink, glittery glory.
Following 3 friends on their trip across the Australian outback, Priscilla is the jukebox musical with everything you could ever ask for. Drag Queens Mitzi (Edwin Ray), Felicia (Nick Hayes) and Bernadette (Miles Western) sing and dance their way across the outback and meet some interesting characters along the way, from homophobic townsfolk to Bob (Daniel Fletcher) the mechanic who joins them on their adventure. The Divas (Claudia Kariuki, Aiesha Pease and Rosie Glossop) sing their hearts out with their powerful voices and make the audience listen as they sing.
The set works well with a backdrop made to look like the outback and costumes that make the characters stand out, the drag queen outfits are fun and colourful, just like the show. Priscilla the bus is also there in all her glory and is used well in the scenes to add to the story.
With hit songs from the 70s and 80s, this show will have you singing along as well as laughing at the jokes and well-timed innuendos. Despite being over a year late, this show is worth the wait and a fabulous night out.
Hope Mill Theatre has today released a trailer for the forthcoming production of The Wiz
The video was created by The Umbrella Rooms. The video shows Cherelle Wiliams (Dorothy) and Hope Mill Theatre ‘going green’ as they prepare to be transported to Oz this Christmas
LISTINGS INFORMATION Hope Mill Theatre in association with Ameena Hamid Productions presents
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical “Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
Music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls Book by William F. Brown Based on The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Original Orchestrations by Harold Wheeler
24 November 2021 – 16 January 2022
Hope Mill Theatre Hope Mill 113 Pollard Street Manchester M4 7JA
How many ways can you prevent people from leaving a solitary village set by an eerie swamp? The inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow have dark secrets they do not want outsiders to know about. Anyone who visits is unlikely to leave, alive or dead. That is until Ichabod Crane (Sam Jackson) arrives, with the purpose to reveal the truth that underlies their macabre history. Will he survive? Will his logic outwit the legend and witchcraft that the village is steeped in?
So many questions to keep you engaged in this new iteration of an ancient legend. Although the actors apply their craft with commitment and skill, you are left sometimes confused and not clear by the script. At times the dialect is spoken at speed which takes concentration to follow. Your attention can wane when the sometimes high pitched dialogue of Widow Papenfuss (Wendi Peters) accosts your ears. I was left cold, not with fright but with boredom.
A good attempt to bring a new slant to the ancient legend. However, the script needs clarity to bring the audience with them.
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham – until Saturday 23 October 2021
Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh
3***
Manipulation, murder and mayhem, Chicago is a murky parable of injustice. A musical extravaganza, Chicago transports you to the decadent 1920s where on the surface it seems a world away from the one, we live in, however, the paparazzi frenzy, corruption and the courting of the press is as relevant today as it will ever be.
Can the housewife/nightclub dancer, who has murdered her lover, escape hanging with the help of a super slick lawyer and avoid the rivalry of her other cellmates who are just as publicity hungry? The music, the story, the nail-biting conclusion all makes for a rip-roaring ride.
As we walked into the theatre, we were greeted on stage with a spot lit bowler hat on a chair. The audience’s excitement grew. Unfortunately, this production did not live up to expectations. It had timing issues, both in landing the lyrical jokes but also in the dance numbers, which make up such a huge part of Chicago, causing the show to lose some of its sass and finesse. There were also occasions when accents were dropped, all of which caused jarring and jolted us out of the world of Chicago.
This aside there were some outstanding performances from most of the cast and the live band, who were on stage throughout, brought the theatre to life. The Band played the audience out and had and an incredible vibe about them. We were dancing down the aisles, singing and clapping, in a covid friendly manner of course.
Joel Montague, who played the cuckold husband Amos Hart, superbly, was an absolute treat. Combining humour and pathos, he blew us away with his performance of Mr Cellophane.
All in all, the elements to make this an excellent production of Chicago are there. I feel with a bit more cohesion it would be amazing. Nailing the dance numbers, landing the jokes, and holding the accents would elevate this show to where it ought to be
Following breaking box office records in Bath, Richmond, Chichester and Cambridge, Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Moss Empires are delighted to announce further tour dates for The Nigel Havers Theatre Company production of Noel Coward’s gloriously entertaining PRIVATE LIVES. This will be the inaugural show for The Nigel Havers Theatre Company, which will be touring the country with a wonderful line-up of theatrical gems. The UK Tour of PRIVATE LIVES will begin at Theatre Royal Bath on 28 October 2021 and go through to 23 April 2022, finishing at the Theatre Royal Nottingham.
The production stars Olivier Award-winning Patricia Hodge, one of the country’s most loved actresses, as Amanda and Nigel Havers, ever suave and thoroughly charming, as Elyot, the role taken by Noël Coward himself in the original production in 1930. Astonishingly, it is the first time Nigel Havers has appeared in a Coward play on stage. Dugald Bruce-Lockhart plays Victor, Natalie Walter Sibyl and Aïcha Kossoko Louise.
Coward’s dazzling comic masterpiece is both a scintillatingly witty and scathingly vitriolic study of the rich and reckless in love. Elyot and Amanda, who were once married, find themselves in adjoining rooms in the same hotel on the French coast, both on honeymoon with their new partners. Their initial horror quickly evaporates and soon they’re sharing cocktails and a romantic serenade.
Patricia Hodge’s many theatre credits include A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Trafalgar Studios), Copenhagen (Chichester Festival Theatre), Travels With My Aunt (Minerva, Chichester), Relative Values (Harold Pinter), Calendar Girls (Noel Coward Theatre), The Country Wife (Theatre Royal Haymarket), His Dark Materials (National), Noises Off (National), Money (National, for which she won the Olivier for Best Supporting Actress) and A Little Night Music (National). Her recent television credits include Ursula Thorpe in A Very English Scandal (BBC), Mrs Pelham in Downton Abbey (ITV) and Penny in Miranda (BBC).
Nigel Havers’s television credits include Roger in Finding Alice (ITV) and General Ransom in All Creatures Great & Small (Channel 5). Other recent television credits include Lewis Archer in Coronation Street (Granada), Stanley Keen in Benidorm (ITV) and Lord Hepworth in Downton Abbey (ITV). Theatre includes Serge in the UK Tour and West End productions of Art, Algernon Moncrieff in the UK Tour of The Importance of Being Earnest and Maxim de Wynter in the UK Tour of Rebecca. His film credits include playing David Niven in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Hofstadter in Paradise Lost, Dr Rawlins in Empire of the Sun and Lord Andrew Lindsay in Chariots of Fire.
Dugald Bruce-Lockhart most recently appeared as Michael Gove in The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson at Park Theatre. He has also played David Cameron in The Three Lions (St James Theatre and Edinburgh Festival), for which he was nominated for Best Actor in The Stage Awards. Other theatre credits include Bill Austin in Mamma Mia! (Novello), David Hart in Wonderland (Hampstead), Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps (UK Tour) and, for Ed Hall’s Propeller Theatre Company, he has played the title role in Henry V, Antipholus of Syracuse in Comedy of Errors and Ratcliffe in Richard III.
Natalie Walter’s most recent theatre credits include Pack of Lies (Menier Chocolate Factory), Jerusalem (Watermill Theatre), Smash (Menier Chocolate Factory), 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (Bush), 39 Steps (Criterion), Hay Fever (Chichester Festival Theatre) and, for the RSC, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Love’s Labour’s Lost. Natalie was a regular performer in the CBBC series Horrible Histories.
Aïcha Kossoko’s most recent theatre credits include playing Alia Aminu in Josie Rourke’s production of The Vote at the Donmar Warehouse, Antony & Cleopatra at Chichester Festival Theatre and Liverpool Playhouse, The Taming of the Shrew for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Welcome To Thebes and The Observer at the National Theatre and La Dispute at the Abbey Theatre Dublin. Recent films include The Fever and Claude Chabrol’s La comédie du pouvoir. Television credits include Skins, In Deep, Coronation Street, Casualty, EastEnders and Kingmakers. She played Lady Detective and BBC Radio 4’s dramatization of The Number One Ladies Detective Agency.
PRIVATE LIVES will be directed by Christopher Luscombe, with set and costume designs by Simon Higlett, lighting design by Mark Jonathan, music by Nigel Hess, sound design by Jeremy Dunn, fight direction by Malcolm Ranson and casting by Sarah Bird.
The Nigel Havers Theatre Company’s PRIVATE LIVES is produced by Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Moss Empires.
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY ANNOUNCES SPRING 2022 ACTIVITY
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) today released details of its Spring 2022 activity including Shakespeare returning to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage and the announcement of a ground-breaking national new writing project. The Company re-affirmed its commitment to co-create theatre online, onstage and in classrooms as part of a nationwide Royal Shakespeare Community, working with over 200 Associate Schools and 12 regional theatre partners.
Shakespeare returns to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with a much-loved romantic comedy and two state-of the nation plays.
Michael Balogun and Akiya Henry play Benedick and Beatrice in a new production of Much Ado About Nothing directed by Roy Alexander Weise. Roy makes his RSC debut following the phenomenal success of Nine Night, Master Harold and the Boys (NT) and The Mountaintop. His production will be a futuristic take on humanity’s capacity for change, and for love.
Gregory Doran and Owen Horsley direct Henry VI: Rebellion followed by Wars of the Roses directed by Owen Horsley in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with a fresh new take on Henry VI Parts 2 & 3. The plays tell the story of a nation in crisis and recovery sharply resonant with our times today.
Extraordinary theatre experiences co-created in partnership with the RSC’s nationwide network of 200 Associate Schools, 12 regional theatre partners and their local communities.
Henry VI: Rebellion; RSC Actors to perform alongside 96 members of the Royal Shakespeare Community including young performers from the RSC’s Next Generation Act young company, adults from RSC Shakespeare Nation participation programme and emerging professional performers.
37 Plays – an ambitious project to get the nation writing to create a new ‘Complete Works’. Working with the Company’s 12 regional theatre partners across the country, 37 Plays will invite new works by and for the nation celebrating the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s first folio.
First Encounters with Shakespeare: Twelfth Night chosen and created in collaboration with the RSC’s Associate Schools and regional theatre partners and guided by the concerns of young people. Touring communities nationwide in 2022.
Championing every child’s right to an arts-rich education
RSC research with children and young people tells us that an education that includes arts and cultural subjects teaches critical thinking and increases emotional resilience.
We deliberately work in long-term partnership with schools and communities in under-served areas in a way that unlocks potential, levels the playing field and opens up what Shakespeare and his plays can mean for the next generation.
450 young Shakespeare Ambassadors recruited – working with RSC Youth Advisory Board members at a regional and national level to develop arts rich schools and communities
Free and on demand for schools; Michael Morpurgo’s Tales from Shakespeare; including four new titles King Lear, Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, Henry V & free school broadcast of Much Ado About Nothing announced.
Erica Whyman, Acting Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, said:
“As we look beyond the pandemic with renewed confidence, we are clear what the Royal Shakespeare Company stands for. We play an important role in the UK’s creative and economic recovery, but we can only do that because we make theatre with an amazing range of young people and adults up and down the country.
This coming Spring is a celebration of working in collaboration, with our brilliant world-class artists, regional theatre partners, our nationwide network of Associate Schools, our Youth Advisory Board, and all the audiences we serve.
I have long admired Roy Alexander Weise and we look forward very much to his fresh take on the redemptive Much Ado About Nothing. Then we continue our journey through the canon with a double-bill of Henry VI Rebellion and Wars of the Roses, Shakespeare’s most audacious state-of-the-nation plays, created in a ground-breaking collaboration with young people and adults.
This commitment to making theatre with the nation is even more vividly expressed in 37 Plays – the most ambitious, public writing project in the Company’s history. After this last eighteen months, we all have a story to tell, and working together with our resilient theatre partners up and down the country we will set out to encourage everyone to find their voice. And we begin to look forward to 2023 when we will celebrate two remarkable collections of plays, Shakespeare’s First Folio, and the comedies, tragedies and histories of our time”
Catherine Mallyon, RSC Executive Director added:
‘As we continue our recovery from the pandemic, and face head on the challenges that have arisen as a result, we look forward with optimism as we continue to create extraordinary experiences for and with people in Stratford-upon-Avon, in theatres and local communities around the country, in London and online.
‘We know that audiences hold our Swan Theatre in deep affection, and we are taking the opportunity of this moment of phased reopening to undertake some essential capital works during 2022 to the theatre. We need to stabilise the ceiling, ensure compliance of key equipment, and improve the environmental impact of the electrical infrastructure. We also hope to increase physical accessibility and refresh seating to improve audience comfort and will undertake this work during the spring and summer of 2022’.
‘We are very grateful to be able to look to the future thanks to the loan from the Culture Recovery Fund, the funding of Arts Council England and the generous support of thousands of donors and our sponsors. It is very much the start of our recovery and, as we make ambitious plans for 2022 and beyond, the support of our funders and partners for this work is vital and appreciated.’
THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE
Much Ado About Nothing
Michael Balogun and Akiya Henry will take up the roles of sparring lovers Benedick and Beatrice in a futuristic take on Much Ado About Nothing running in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 4 February to 12 March 2022.
Much Ado About Nothing will be directed by Roy Alexander Weise, award-winning Director and joint Artistic Director of the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre. He will make his RSC debut following productions at The National Theatre, The Bush Theatre, Bristol, Tobacco Factory, Theatre503, The Arcola, The Young Vic, Finborough and in the West End.
As a Director, Roy’s previous works include Master Harold and the Boys for The National Theatre, and the multi award-winning Nine Night which later transferred to the West End and was the first transfer of its kind to be written by a British black female playwright. Roy’s 2016 production of The Mountaintop by Katori Hall saw him awarded the prestigious James Menzies-Kitchin Young Director Award.
Roy was made joint Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre in 2019 alongside Bryony Shanahan and was awarded an MBE for services to drama in 2020.
The production will feature Set Design by Jemima Robinson, Lighting Design by Azusa Ono, Sound Design by Claire Windsor and Dramaturgy by Anthony Simpson-Pike.
Costume Design is by Melissa Simon-Hartman; London-born artist, couture fashion designer, and owner of Simon-Hartman London, whose West African inspired designs recently featured in the videos for ‘Mood 4 Eva’ and ‘My Power’ as part of Beyonce’s 2020 visual album: Black Is King.
Melissa’s previous collaborations include designing award-winning costumes for the Notting Hill Carnival with her label Legion Mas, producing costumes for music videos which include Stefflon Don’s ‘Can’t Let You Go and Burna Boy & Wizkid’s ‘Ginger’ and designing outfits for the London premiere of the movie, ‘I AM BOLT’ in 2016.
The production will also feature an original score by Nigerian-born British guitarist and MOBO award-nominated musician Femi Temowo whose past collaborators include Amy Winehouse, Dee Dee Bridgewater, The Roots and Soweto Kinch.
Roy Alexander Weise said:
‘Shakespeare was all too aware of the creative potential that came with setting his plays in imagined worlds…or at least worlds unfamiliar to his audience at the time. Far off landscapes like Antium, Ephesus, Syria, Venice and Verona were as far removed from the world of 16th century England as the future feels to us today, providing Shakespeare with the perfect canvas on which to paint. Living in a 21st Century global society, our world is much smaller and more connected, which is why I wanted to explore what a futuristic vision of society might look like; what has the potential to be different, what potential is there for change, and equally what fundamental aspects of the human condition remain unchanged?”
Henry VI: Rebellion and Wars of the Roses
Following their previous collaboration on the King & Country cycle of plays and having most recently working together to co-direct the Henry VI Part One: Open Rehearsal Project, Gregory Doran and Owen Horsley reunite to continue their journey through the Henry plays with Henry VI: Rebellion (directed by Gregory Doran and Owen Horsley), followed by Wars of the Roses (directed by Owen Horsley) running in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Fri 1 April to Sat 4 June 2022.
This epic journey through The Wars of the Roses tells the vivid and enthralling story of the brutal struggle for the English crown.
Originally titled The First Part of the Contention betwixt the two famous houses of York and Lancaster and labelled Henry VI: Part Two when first published, Henry VI: Rebellion hurtles through one of the most turbulent periods in English history, asking the question: can the people ever really decide their own future?
This fresh new take on Henry VI: Part Two will see a professional cast of 26 work alongside 96 members of the Royal Shakespeare Community including young performers from the RSC’s Next Generation Act company and adults from RSC Shakespeare Nation participation programme.
The production, which runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Friday 1 April to Saturday 28 May, will feature participants from six Shakespeare Nation adult community groups, working with RSC theatre partners from The Grand Theatre Blackpool, Hall for Cornwall Truro, Theatre Royal & Concert Hall Nottingham, Norwich Theatre, The Alhambra Theatre Bradford, and The Marlowe Theatre Canterbury.
They will be joined on stage by members of Next Generation Act, a unique talent development programme made up of 25 young people aged between 13 and 18 from the RSC’s nationwide network of 222 Associate Schools.
Inspired by Henry VI Part Three, Director Owen Horsley will present the dramatic conclusion to Shakespeare’s three-part Henry VI saga, Wars of the Roses from 11 April to 4 June 2022
In this thrilling climax to The Wars of the Roses, the tussle for the English crown escalates to the battlefield and the families of Lancaster and York drench their brutal conflict in sweat and blood. As power is shunted back and forth, there is deceit, betrayal and murder at every turn. The scene is set for the final chapter as we get our first glimpse of the villainous Duke of Gloucester – soon to become Richard III.
Henry VI: Rebellion and Wars of the Roses will feature Set Design by Stephen Brimson Lewis. He will be joined by Costume Designer Hannah Clark, whose recent credits for the RSC include Justin Audibert’s 2019 gender-flipped production of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Lighting Design is by Matt Daw and Sound Design by Steven Atkinson. RSC Associate Artist Paul Englishby returns to compose the music with fights by Rachel Bown-Williams & Ruth Cooper-Brown.
Royal Shakespeare Theatre productions are sponsored by Darwin Escapes.
Owen Horsley said:
‘The Henry VI plays are rarely seen on stage and that is most probably because of the pure scale and ambition of the young writer who penned them. Both Henry VI Parts Two and Three are record holders in their own right; Part Two containing the largest number of characters and Part Three featuring the greatest number of battles in any Shakespeare play. Throughout Henry VI we see a seismic shift from a chivalric code of honour to a dog-eat-dog world were only the most politically canny will survive’.
‘It feels very modern in its immediacy and paints a vivid and brutal picture of an individualistic world that is hell bent on power. Like the young Shakespeare’s Henry plays, this will be an epic collaboration in every sense; working with Next Generation Act young company and Shakespeare Nation adult community groups from across the UK to give voice to the people of England and their growing desire to rebel, whilst also engaging with new drama graduates who have had their own voices temporarily silenced by the pandemic”.
37 PLAYS – AN INVITATION TO THE NATION
Launching in January 2022 in collaboration with theatres across the country, 37 Plays will bring together diverse voices from across the UK in one of the most ambitious new writing and creative projects in the Company’s history.
Inspired by the scope and timeless relevance of Shakespeare’s plays, capturing the stories of a nation in an extraordinary historical moment, 37 Plays will invite children, young people, and adults, including established emerging and first-time writers to write the comedies, tragedies, and untold histories of our time.
The project will run through 2022 and will culminate in an online and in-person festival in 2023 marking the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio.
From five-act plays to short-form monologues, plays performed on stage, or on the streets, to new and emerging formats, 37 Plays will explore who we are as a society and inspire meaningful conversation about what the future of dramatic writing might look and feel like, on and off our stages.
Working with the Learning and Creative teams of partner theatres across the UK, 37 Plays will include an open call to anyone wishing to contribute with the simple brief of creating a piece of drama that can make people smile, cry, tell untold stories or the history of our time with further details to be confirmed in January 2022.
Regional and national panels will be created to read, long list and short list submissions. The shortlisted 37 Plays will be collated and published with the aim of the selected plays being produced and performed in 2023.
Erica Whyman, Acting Artistic Director of the RSC said ‘One of the many reasons that Shakespeare’s plays continue to endure is down to his ability to write about his own time in ways that still mean something to us today. Despite the centuries that have passed, we still recognise something of ourselves in his writings. Now, more than ever, there are new and urgent stories to tell about who we think we are and who might become. We know that as a nation we have a lot to say, and with 37 Plays we have the opportunity to surface those stories whether comic, tragic, historical, supernatural, real or imagined, unearthing new voices for different platforms whether that’s on our stages, on our streets, in schools, online or in new locations and spaces we haven’t explored yet’
RSC IN LONDON AND ON TOUR
The RSC is committed to creating extraordinary theatre experiences inspired by Shakespeare’s plays in Stratford-upon-Avon, in London, around the country and online.
After re-opening to audiences in Autumn 2021 for its ten-year anniversary, bookings for Matilda The Musical are currently available at The Cambridge Theatre through to 29 May 2022 for individuals and 16 December 2022 for groups and schools. The production was originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, having premiered at the RSC’s Stratford-upon-Avon home in 2010 before transferring to the West End in October 2011.
The previously announced world premiere production of Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light continues its run at London’s Gielgud Theatre with booking now extended until 23 January 2022 by popular demand. Co-produced by Playful Productions and the Royal Shakespeare Company, the play is the third and final instalment in the Wolf Hall trilogy and was adapted by Hilary Mantel and Ben Miles for the West End stage.
After playing to 30,000 people at The Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Garden Theatre in Stratford this Summer, Phillip Breen’s critically acclaimedThe Comedy of Errors will tour to Nottingham, Canterbury and Bradford, concluding at London’s Barbican theatre from 16 Nov to 31 Dec 2021.
This will be followed by the return of the RSC First Encounters with Shakespeare series in 2022 with a new production of Twelfth Night, edited and directed by Robin Belfield.
For over a decade the RSC has taken First Encounters productions – edited versions of the plays performed using Shakespeare’s original language – on the road into the heart of communities. They have been enjoyed by over 100,000 people to date and are an important part of the RSC’s work which is rooted in a long-term commitment to different regions around the country. Through deep partnerships with schools and theatres across England, RSC activity provides pathways for young people, teachers, artists and schools to develop their skills and knowledge.
Twelfth Night will be co-created with the RSC’s Associate Regional Theatres and Associate Schools, enabling young people to experience Shakespeare for the first time, not simply as audience members but as theatre makers.
Director Robin Belfield said: “Making theatre is an act of community and so emerging from challenges and isolation brought about by the Covid pandemic, I’m looking forward to making this show in partnership with other theatre makers and young people from various communities around the country. Twelfth Night seems the ideal play too, one that starts with separation and loss and ends with reunion and joy.
Working with the RSC’s Associate Schools, it’s clear that the climate crisis is a priority for young people, so I’m excited to see how I can work with the RSC and its partners to create and tour this show in the most environmentally conscious way possible.”
The First Encounters with Shakespeare series will tour to theatre and communities nationwide in Autumn 2022 including Birmingham, Cumbria, Blackpool, Newcastle, York, Bradford, Hull, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, and Suffolk.
All performances of Twelfth Night will be chilled performances offering a welcoming, safe environment for everyone to encounter Shakespeare for the first time. Performance dates and tour locations to be announced.
RSC IN SCHOOLS, ONLINE AND IN COMMUNITIES
The Royal Shakespeare Company works with people of all ages – in classrooms, on stages and online and incorporates 1,000 schools, 1,500 adults and over half a million young people across the nation as part of the Royal Shakespeare Community.
The RSC supported young people and teachers throughout the pandemic through its online resources including RSC Homework Help including Associate Artists David Tennant and Adjoa Andoh, online Shakespeare Learning Zone, downloadable Teachers Packs, Live Lessons and BBC Bitesize Shakespeare lessons.
Not only has the UK seen reductions in opportunities to access the arts, but existing inequalities have been widened across society leading to conversations about how the Royal Shakespeare Company and its partners can work to redress them.
The RSC continues to address these urgent challenges, using Shakespeare’s work and RSC ways of working in rehearsals to;
Unlock potential in young people by developing life, language and theatre skills, building self-confidence and enhancing life chances.
Level the playing field …not all children and adults have equal access to Shakespeare and the arts and we work to change that.
Ask Why Shakespeare? Explore and challenge what Shakespeare means to us and the people we work with.
RSC Director of Learning and National Partnerships, Jacqui O’Hanlon said;
‘All young people deserve an arts-rich education. We know this develops the life chances of children, contributes to their wellbeing, develops skills and behaviours that mean they do better at school, enhances employability and creates engaged citizens who make a positive contribution to their communities and society.
We have so much evidence as an arts sector about the ways in which arts rich schools and arts learning unlocks potential and reveals new ways to see ourselves, others and the world around us. All young people and schools should have access to artists and resources that support learning outcomes for children and develop pathways for their future, equipping them to go out and thrive in today’s world’.
RSC Learning is offering a wide range of resources and activities for teachers and learners, many free to use, including online performances and videos, workshops and professional development opportunities.
Certificate in Teaching Shakespeare – develops teachers’ skills knowledge and confidence in using RSC rehearsal-room approaches in the classroom and professional development days led by RSC artists at a venue of choice. Courses can be created for teachers from Early Years to Key Stage 5 and can cover any Shakespeare play.
Clore Learning Centre online workshops – enabling any school anywhere in the UK to book a workshop with RSC Artists to explore the contemporary relevance of Shakespeare’s plays to the world today with workshops on Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet or The Tempest available throughout November and December 2021.
On-demand schools’ broadcast – the RSC’s 2016 production of The Tempest is now open for school registrations. This will be followed by a broadcast of Much Ado About Nothing which will be available in Spring 2022.
Tales from Shakespeare with Michael Morpurgo – after launching in January 2021, the RSC’s weekly series returns in Spring 2022 with four new tales from celebrated children’s author Michael Morpurgo, featuring readings by members of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Recordings of King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet and Henry V will be released weekly from 14 January and will be available on demand to schools for three months.
Shakespeare Learning Zone – the award-winning website contains an informative and interactive catalogue of games, videos, galleries and key learning resources, giving students the chance to find more about each play or revise ones they know well. The newest additions will be The Comedy of Errors and As You Like It, including specially commissioned films of actors in rehearsals and in performance. Is there a number of users stat to add here?
