ChewBoy Productions has launched ChewFest, a brand-new multi-arts festival for early-career creatives to experiment for free. The inaugural event runs for one week at London’s Lion and Unicorn Theatre from 23 to 28 May 2022.
WATCH NOW: Crossline Theatre’s Friday Night Love Poem streaming via The Space
Friday Night Love Poem, the acclaimed play from female-led Crossline Theatre, is now streaming for a limited season via The Space Arts Centre, on-demand until Saturday 22 January 2022, including a watch-party and post-show Q&A with the creatives on Friday 21 January. Time to get booking!
Film Review: West Side Story is a ‘soaring cinematic achievement’
Respectfully adapted and lushly scored, dreamily romantic and heartbreakingly moving, the new movie adaptation of evergreen classic West Side Story gleams with the splendour of mega-budget movie magic.
WATCH NOW: Documentary IN Exchange shows the journey of an Offie-nominated French classic
David Furlong, the Mauritian-born actor and director currently directing at the Young Vic (Five Plays 2021), celebrates Exchange Theatre’s 15th anniversary by taking audiences behind the scenes of their 2018 production of Molière’s Misanthrope.
‘Gloriously re-imagined’: BEAUTY & THE BEAST / WICKED — Liverpool Empire / Apollo Victoria
Mark Shenton: First of all, apologies that I was missing-in-action yesterday. I was in London — and at a hotel without desk space in the rooms, so unable to write. (And the dog ate my homework, too). So no, that’s not the entirety of my excuse. But sometimes I need to take a break, too. There may be days when the newsletter fails to materialize!
‘I’m damned glad we have something as good as this’: EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE – Prime Video
This cinematic adaptation of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is fabulously enjoyable, led by a fine performance by Max Harwood.
‘The musical we perhaps all need’: COME FROM AWAY – Apple TV+ (Online review)
On 11 September 2021, it will mark the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. To commemorate the anniversary, Apple TV+ has filmed a performance of the Broadway production of Come From Away, released to subscribers on 10 September.
‘A completely successful piece of digital theatre’: WALDEN – Cinemas Nationwide (Online review)
Twin sisterhood, space, and the uncertain near future are at play in Amy Berryman’s debut play, Walden, which recently enjoyed a run on stage as part of the Re:Emerge season at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Now, it resurfaces in a filmed version to be released in cinemas on Wednesday.
VIDEO: Rosemary Ashe follows in Ethel Merman’s footsteps in Call Me Madam
When classic Irving Berlin musical Call Me Madam gets a rare London revival at Highgate’s Upstairs at the Gatehouse this month, Rosemary Ashe takes the title role written for Broadway legend Ethel Merman, who originated it on both screen and stage.
NEWS: Brighton Fringe run of Lita Doolan’s critically-acclaimed play The Wyre Lady Of Fleetwood is extended
It was already pretty exciting for writer Lita Doolan that her play The Wyre Lady Of Fleetwood was having its world premiere at this year’s Brighton Fringe, but now she has even more to celebrate with the announcement that the popular digital show has been extended until 11 July 2021.
NEWS: Four new streaming premieres, filmed live at Wilton’s Music Hall
Four more acclaimed productions from Olivier Award-winning producer James Seabright will stream globally over the next month via Stream Theatre, running from 1 to 25 July 2021. The four critically acclaimed shows were curated by Seabright and filmed last month before socially distanced audiences at east London’s Wilton’s Music Hall, the oldest surviving Grand Music Hall in the world. The streaming season comprises: multi-award-winning …
‘A significant step forward’: In the Heights plays its part in the evolving genre of movie musicals
As a modern movie musical, In the Heights employs many of its shot, direction and choreographic techniques to create a swirling visual experience that immerses the audience in the story.
NEWS: London’s Exchange Theatre celebrates its 15th anniversary with a special online behind the scenes documentary
The London-based multicultural and multilingual migrant theatre company Exchange Theatre is celebrating its 15th birthday with IN Exchange, a feature-length company documentary that goes behind the scenes of its 2018 production of Molière’s Misanthrope, available online and on demand from 15 June to 15 September 2021.
‘Equally impressive’: SWEATBOX / BLIS-TA – Clean Break (Online review)
Although some theatres are tentatively reopening, the creative vigour of other companies like Clean Break is undimmed.
‘The cast bring an urgency to their playing’: J’OUVERT – BBC Lights Up Festival (Online review)
The vibrant culture of the Notting Hill Carnival is celebrated and examined in Yasmin Joseph’s play about three young women, J’Ouvert.
‘Leaves a lasting impression’: ADAM – BBC Lights Up Festival (Online review)
Adam by Frances Poet was originally commissioned by the National Theatre of Scotland and is now showing as part of the BBC Lights Up Festival.
‘Offers a faithful reading with some contemporary resonance’: THE WINTER’S TALE – RSC / BBC Lights Up Festival (Online review)
The Royal Shakespeare Company joins forces with BBC4 for the world premiere of A Winter’s Tale, a production intended for the 2020 stage and all but lost to theatre history.
‘A dark masterpiece’: THE SEPARATION – Living Record Productions (Online review)
The camera can take you to places where the naked eye rarely goes. Like close. Very close. Close up. And then some. This is exemplified by Fraser Watson’s brilliant filming of The Separation, a 17-minute short written by Dan Horrigan and Haven Taranta.
‘There’s life in the monologue formula yet’: SITTING – BBC Lights Up Festival (Online review)
Written skilfully by Katherine Parkinson, Sitting thankfully mixes up the monologue format a little to provoke interest and show that there’s life in the formula yet.
‘This is contemporary Shakespeare at its finest’: ROMEO & JULIET (National Theatre / Sky Arts)
Jessie Buckley is astonishing as the National Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet makes the jump from stage to screen to extraordinary effect.