Directed by Nancy Medina, Zodwa Nyoni’s The Darkest Part of the Night shares the experience of a young, autistic Black boy, Dwight. The play follows his diagnostic process in 1980s Leeds. Tenderly by Lee Phillips, he is a young man full of joy – he loves to dance, listen to music, and play “the adventure game” with his sister Shirley, the rules of which are never really explained.
‘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.
NEWS: RSC announces BBC broadcast of The Winter’s Tale & live theatre returns with The Comedy of Errors
With the one-year anniversary of theatres being forced to close in sight, the Royal Shakespeare Company has announced that audiences will now get the chance to see The Winter’s Tale and The Comedy of Errors, two of its postponed 2020 major Shakespeare productions.
‘Will be just the kind of theatre magic we’ve all been waiting for’: SWINGIN’ THE DREAM – RSC (Online review)
The RSC, Young Vic and Theatre for a New Audience have a difficult but fascinating task ahead in re-creating lost work Swingin’ the Dream that honours the original while offering something new to modern audiences.
‘Chillingly relevant’: ROMEO & JULIET – Barbican Theatre ★★★★
Romeo & Juliet, with Karen Fishwick and Bally Gill as the leads, arrives at the Barbican as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s London residency. Although written over four centuries ago, this production feels chillingly relevant.
‘Modern & moving’: ROMEO & JULIET – Barbican Theatre
It’s sometimes a little difficult to take seriously how old everyone is meant to be in Romeo & Juliet but Erica Whyman’s modern-day production for the RSC, playing in rep now at the Barbican, never lets you forget.
WHILE WE’RE HERE – Touring
I’m not saying I want Barney Norris to write an all-out farce but it would be fun to see him stretch his considerable literary talent beyond these tales of gentle melancholy that he does so well. While We’re Here doesn’t technically suffer for being in immediately recognisable territory but equally, it doesn’t possess the aching soul that made Visitors a spectacular success.
WHILE WE’RE HERE – Touring
As you’d expect from the playwright who wrote Visitors (2014) and Eventide (2015), this new one is an ideal studio piece, in which it is important to hear every word and intonation, and see even the smallest gesture.
WHILE WE’RE HERE – Touring
Walking back from the Bush the other evening, I glanced back at the Green and remembered the years when the one-room Bush hovered above a far from welcoming pub, up some uncomfortable and cranky stairs. For years and years.