How central are Gertrude, Claudius and Polonius to the story of Hamlet? If you remove those adult characters – the prince’s mother, uncle/stepfather and the father of his one-time girlfriend, respectively – and the scenes that revolve around them, what are you left with?
VIDEOS & PHOTOS: A post-show Q&A for Wickies at the Park Theatre delves into one of Scotland’s most enduring mysteries
For the post-show talk for new play Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor at the Park Theatre I was joined by writer Paul Morrissey and his all-Scottish, three-strong cast: Jamie Quinn, Ewan Stewart and Graeme Dalling.
VIDEO & PHOTOS: Theatre & politics make for a thrilling Triggered post-show Q&A
One of the few things I enjoy even more than theatre is talking politics. So chairing a post-show discussion about a brilliant new political play, written and directed by a Westminster insider and lifelong activist, really is my idea of bliss. At the White Bear Theatre, I got to do just that for Triggered, Emma Burnell’s new play about a fictional deselection of a Labour MP ahead of the 2019 General Election.
NEWS: Guinea Pigs premiere marks 70th anniversary of first British nuclear detonation
Guinea Pigs, a new play that shines a light on Britain’s decades-long nuclear testing cover-up, written by the daughter of a test veteran, premieres next month at London’s The Space, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Operation Hurricane, Britain’s first nuclear detonation.
‘Harold Shipman was my GP for four years’: Writer & performer Edwin Flay on depicting the serial killer in The Quality of Mercy
The Quality of Mercy, a new one-man play about notorious British serial killer Harold Shipman, premieres at London’s Courtyard Theatre this month. Taking a break from rehearsals, writer and performer Edwin Flay told us more about his very personal family connection to Shipman’s crimes.
NEWS: Harold Shipman records his confession in The Quality of Mercy premiere
A new one-man play about notorious British serial killer Harold Shipman, written by a former patient and relative of one of his victims, receives its world premiere this month in London. Time to get booking!
VIDEO & PHOTOS: A devilish Q&A with the company of Lazarus Theatre’s Doctor Faustus
What might entice you to sell your soul to the devil? Fame? Riches? Immortality? World peace? A rent-free London flat? Four pints of Guinness? At my post-show Q&A for a production of Doctor Faustus, that was an irresistible question to pose to the company. But before that, we covered much else to do concerning adaptation and the creative process, with a lot of fun and laughter.
VIDEO & PHOTOS: A memorable night of both sadness & celebration with the cast & creatives of Proforca’s Flashbang
The death of Queen Elizabeth II was announced just before my arrival at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre. Like the rest of the country, the theatre staff had been braced for the sad news. So the world premiere of Proforca’s Flashbang was preceded by a public address and collective silence.
VIDEO: ‘Me & my mates were going to be best friends forever’. Watch Proforca’s Flashbang trailer!
What happens when your world is blown apart? The trailer for Flashbang, Proforca Theatre’s latest explosive new play, packs a punch. Have a watch – and then get booking!
‘The idea was really rooted in Coventry’: Frankie Meredith on her play May Queen, now returning to Belgrade Theatre
Originally premiered last year as part of Paines Plough’s acclaimed Roundabout Season, May Queen returns to Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre for a strictly limited season. Midlands writer Frankie Meredith tells us more about the modern folk tale and how growing up in Coventry influenced it.
VIDEO: Celebrities are raving about Sally Rogers’ debut play The Still Room
Word of mouth on Sally Rogers’ debut play The Still Room is spreading fast, with celebrity fans including Alison Steadman, David Morrissey, Maxine Peake, Johnny Flynn and others. Check out these video vox pops and get booking!
VIDEO: Exploring history onstage – The End of the Night writer Ben Brown & journalist Kurt Barling discuss how in Park Q&A
What is theatre’s role in exploring political and historical subjects? What echoes are there with contemporary events in Europe? Could The End of the Night be staged in Germany today – or in Russia? For this post-show discussion, Terri Paddock explores these issues with playwright Ben Brown and the award-winning journalist, author and academic Professor Kurt Barling.
‘Banquet waitressing is brutal’: Actor-turned writer Sally Rogers on the 1980s memories that inspired her debut play The Still Room
Remember the 1980s? Charles and Diana’s wedding? Sally Rogers does. The actor-turned-playwright draws on her own personal memories and experiences in her debut play, the 1980s-set, coming-of-age black comedy The Still Room, which premieres at London’s Park Theatre in June.
NEWS: Belgrade Theatre restages Paines Plough May Queen in Coventry, 25 Jun-2 Jul
After its successful premiere last year as part of Paines Plough’s Roundabout Season, Midlands writer Frankie Meredith’s May Queen returns to Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre for a strictly limited season this summer.
PHOTOS & VIDEO: Sneak a peek behind the scenes of The Still Room rehearsals
We’re counting down to the long-awaited world premiere of Cold Feet actor-turned-playwright Sally Rogers’ debut play The Still Room, which opens at London’s Park Theatre next month. Sneak a peek behind the scenes in the rehearsal room. Time to get booking!
VIDEO: How to do romcom in rhyming couplets? Jo & Sam Find Themselves in Woking post-show Q&A
Meeting the right person and starting a new relationship is hard enough, but when you also have to do it in rhyming couplets while searching for the meaning of your life… in Woking – well, it’s that much more challenging.
WATCH: Access All Areas & Disability Arts Online are transforming leadership in the arts
Access All Areas and Disability Arts Online brought together an outstanding group of talented and innovative arts leaders to London’s Battersea Arts Centre for a unique event to reconsider and transform the cultural industries’ approach to accessibility and inclusion.
NEWS: Front Foot present first London revival of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Rabbit Hole
David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2006 play Rabbit Hole receives its first major London revival care of husband-and-wife-led Front Foot Theatre, running at the Union Theatre from 12 April to 1 May 2022, with a press night on 14 April. Time to get booking!
VIDEO: How do you gig up your Shakespeare? Wildcard’s Tempest post-show Q&A
Wildcard Theatre promises “Shakespeare like you have never experienced it before”, and they deliver in spades with this new gig-style reinvention of The Tempest in the perfect setting of the Pleasance’s cabaret-configured main house.
VIDEO: Who’s in charge in a toxic teenaged relationship? Bacon post-show Q&A
The spark of an idea for award-winning new two-hander Bacon, now in its extended world premiere season at London’s Finborough Theatre, came when playwright Sophie Swithinbank, then working as a nanny, witnessed a bullying incident between two boys in a park.