C.O.N.T.A.C.T is an opportunity to reacquaint oneself and make contact with an art form so close to so many, on a whole new level.
News, Reviews and Features
These are all of our in-house news and features as well as syndicated article excerpts from our 45+ theatre bloggers. You can also access All Our Mates' Posts in comprehensive list form and view individual author pages.
‘Gives Scott even more scope to sprinkle his performance magic’: THREE KINGS – Old Vic (Online review) ★★★★★
Three Kings, beautifully written by Stephen Beresford, gives Andrew Scott even more scope to sprinkle his performance magic. Created especially for the Old Vic’s In Camera season, it is described as a scratch performance but only the lack of embellishments like set and fancy lighting give any sign of this.
NEWS: Casting is announced for reopening of immersive production The Great Gatsby
Full casting has been announced for Immersive Everywhere’s The Great Gatsby, created and directed by Alexander Wright, which is set to re-open at West End venue Immersive Ldn on 1 October 2020, with a press night on 22 October.
‘The subtleties & concerns of this story are universal’: SAFE SPACE (Online review)
Teater V’s Safe Space faces a tough subject head on with some style while always staying one step ahead of its audience.
NEWS: Ian Rickson’s celebrated production of Uncle Vanya to receive cinema & broadcast release
Sonia Friedman Productions has announced that Ian Rickson’s highly-acclaimed production of Conor McPherson’s new adaptation of Uncle Vanya, forced to close in March when the West End went into lockdown, has been filmed on stage at the Harold Pinter Theatre in partnership with Angelica Films.
‘You feel surprisingly uplifted & hopeful’: THE MIDNIGHT GANG – Chickenshed Theatre (Online review) ★★★★
This 2017 stage adaptation of David Walliams’ The Midnight Gang from the Chickenshed Theatre is filled with cheeky humour and poignancy.
NEWS: Theatre Royal Bath will reopen in autumn 2020 with classic plays by Pinter, Frayn & Mamet
Theatre Royal Bath will reopen its main house in autumn 2020 with the Welcome Back Season of plays, beginning with Harold Pinter’s Betrayal directed by Jonathan Church from 14 October to 31 October, followed by Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen, directed by Polly Findlay from 4 November to 21 November, and lastly David Mamet’s drama Oleanna directed by Nicole Charles which will run from 25 November to 12 December.
‘It’s all true & refreshing & beautifully made’: BEAT THE DEVIL – Bridge Theatre ★★★★
Covid-19 must have its say to start with, so off goes the season with Ralph Fiennes directed by Nicholas Hytner and delivering Beat The Devil, a monologue by David Hare.
NEWS: The West End transfer of the National Theatre’s The Ocean At The End Of The Lane is rescheduled
Due to the ongoing impact of Covid-19, the West End transfer of the National Theatre’s critically-acclaimed production of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which was scheduled to begin performances this autumn, has been postponed. The acclaimed production will now open at the Duke of York’s Theatre in 2021, with previews beginning from 23 October, playing for a limited run until 12 February …
‘The musical experience of the leading players shines through’: SLEEPLESS A MUSICAL ROMANCE – Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre ★★★
The fact that Sleepless is the first large-scale indoor production since lockdown gives it a wow factor beyond the production itself.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Beat the Devil at the Bridge Theatre
Emma Clarendon rounds up the reviews for David Hare’s new monologue Beat the Devil, performed by Ralph Fiennes at the Bridge Theatre.
‘The real deal’: For Quality Purposes / The Ockenden Witch (Online review)
Two one act plays – For Quality Purposes and The Ockenden Witch – have a great deal to say about modern life – even if one is set in 1564!
NEWS: Michael Sheen, David Threlfall & Indira Varma star in Brian Friel’s Faith Healer as part of The Old Vic’s In Camera season
The Old Vic has announced the next in the Old Vic: In Camera series with a scratch performance of Brian Friel’s classic play Faith Healer. The production will star Michael Sheen, David Threlfall and Indira Varma.
‘Works well in these socially distanced times’: SLEEPLESS A MUSICAL ROMANCE – Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre ★★★★
Sleepless is a musical with plenty of heart and feeling that captures the spirit of the original film in a new way, making you see the story and its characters in a new light.
NEWS: Josie Lawrence will star in New Perspectives’ streamed stage adaptation of The Boss of It All
The cult classic Lars von Trier film, The Boss of It All, has been adapted for a specially staged streamed version by theatre company New Perspectives, with Josie Lawrence playing the title character.
‘Hare allows much more of his own personality to emerge’: BEAT THE DEVIL – Bridge Theatre
The first short play is Beat the Devil in which David Hare stakes first claim to what will surely be a new genre or at least a familiar theme in the coming months – the Covid monologue.
NEWS: Molly Lynch & Oli Higginson reprise their roles in The Last Five Years at Southwark Playhouse
Molly Lynch and Oli Higginson will return to their roles of Cathy and Jamie in The Last Five Years at Southwark Playhouse from 1-31 October 2020 with a press night on 5 October 2020.
‘First & foremost a theatrical piece’: THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING (Online review)
Daniel Bye’s The Price Of Everything is first and foremost a theatrical piece which examines the function of narrative and makes us question the veracity of what we hear.
‘Stays sharp & relevant’: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR: THE CONCERT – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
It seems extremely apt for the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park to resurrect its celebrated production of Jesus Christ Superstar just as live theatre starts to take the first tentative steps back.
‘Intermittently affecting blend of personal struggle & political outrage’: BEAT THE DEVIL – Bridge Theatre
David Hare gets in first with his Coronavirus monologue Beat The Devil at the Bridge Theatre, evocatively performed by Ralph Fiennes.