Billed as an examination of gentrification, Kerry Jackson at the National Theatre has disappointingly little to say about this subject. Its main characters have clichéd opinions and stereotypical attributes, and De Angelis spends a lot of time getting them to tell us who they are, what they think and how they feel.
‘Too lightweight in its treatment of the issues it covers’: KERRY JACKSON – National Theatre
The National Theatre has quite mixed fortunes when it comes to new play commissions, some become and instant hit – like After Life and the storming success this year of Jack Absolute Flies Again – while others can feel significantly more under-nourished and perhaps staged a little too soon. April De Angelis’s new play Kerry Jackson falls into the latter category with a tale of a relationship across the class divide that looks to explore polarised opinions about homelessness, immigration and compassion between two people who seem, on the surface, ill-suited.
‘Happens to hit some nicely topical nerves’: GIN CRAZE – Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Hats off to James Dacre’s Royal & Derngate for bravely slapping on brand new musical Gin Craze in the very week Lloyd Webber and four other London shows got abruptly pinged-off by test ’n’ trace (more like trick-or-treat, frankly: isolation blackmail).
NEWS: Royal & Derngate announces four new musicals for 2021
Royal & Derngate Northampton has announced that it will premiere a season of original musical theatre as part of its upcoming Made in Northampton 2021 season.
‘There’s quite the digital treasure trove in store’: HOARD: REDISCOVERED – New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme (Online review)
Theatrical archaeology meets real archaeology in Hoard – Rediscovered as the New Vic Theatre revisits their Staffordshire Hoard Festival for the streaming age.
‘A triumph of ingenuity & responsiveness’: 15 HEROINES – Jermyn Street Theatre (Online theatre)
15 Heroines is an impressive and energised reworking of Greek myth that leaves the audience keen to find out more about each of these women and their remarkable lives.
Being a woman in Greek Mythology isn’t easy and for the most part they sit on the sidelines, forgotten sideshows to what are predominantly male narratives of war, conquest and feats of daring. Where women do feature, they are mere prizes to be won,…
‘Offers startlingly fresh perspective on these tales’: 15 HEROINES – Jermyn Street Theatre & Digital Theatre (Online review)
Reinterpreting the women of Greek mythology for today, the theatrical enterprise of 15 Heroines is a major achievement and a highlight of the year, digital or otherwise.
‘These short pieces will provide valuable testimony for what people got up to in the great pandemic’: UNPRECEDENTED – Headlong Theatre (Online review)
Life as it is currently lived in 14 playlets: Most of the plays are about ten minutes in duration and punch well above their weight featuring writing by the likes of James Graham and April de Angelis.
NEWS: Headlong & Century Films announce major new digital series of short plays
Award-winning theatre company Headlong, in association with the BAFTA-winning Century Films, have announced Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre From a State of Isolation, a major new digital project, bringing together celebrated playwrights to create a series of short digital plays, as a response to the current global crisis.
NEWS: Headlong announces Jeremy Herrin’s last season as artistic director
Headlong has announced its programme for 2020/21, the final season under current artistic director Jeremy Herrin.
NEWS: National Theatre announces 15 productions of new plays & fresh adaptations by leading writers
The National Theatre has announces 15 productions of new plays and fresh adaptations by leading writers. Olivier Theatre My Brilliant Friend 12 November 2019 to 18 January 2020 (Press day is 26 November). Plays in rep, with further performances to be announced Following a sell-out run at Rose Theatre Kingston, the two-part adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend by April De Angelis is reworked …
‘Guaranteed to make you jump out of your skin’: FRANKENSTEIN – Manchester ★★★
The Royal Exchange has succeeded in bringing psychologically unnerving horror to its stage. With an underlying sense of uneasiness, Frankenstein is guaranteed to make you jump out of your skin on more than one occasion.
‘Potential rarely gets exploited’: FRANKENSTEIN – Manchester
This Frankenstein ends up feeling a little po-faced as seriousness alone does not dramatic imperative make, especially when the material is as familiar as this.
Women Centre Stage: Power Play Festival, Hampstead
With over 100 cast, writers, directors and crew, and 25 plays (none of which were by Agatha Christie!) spread over 7 programmes, Sphinx Theatre’s Women Centre Stage: Power Play Festival was a full-on day indeed for those of us who stayed the course from midday to nearly 10pm… Though I was 90% caffeine by the end, the buzz I was experiencing was one of delight at the sheer breadth and quality of the theatre we’d been privileged to witness.
Women Centre Stage: Power Play Festival – New Women
There was undoubtedly a lot of theatre during the Women Centre Stage: Power Play Festival but for me, the New Women session in the middle of the day was the highlight – three cracking pieces which variously looked to the past, the present and the future to thrilling effect.
JUMPY – Edinburgh
There is a generosity and sincerity to Jumpy at Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre, allied to some impressive acting, even if the end result is not as overwhelming as it might be.
NEWS: April De Angelis adapts Elena Ferrante’s Neopolitian novels for stage premiere
Rose Theatre Kingston today announces its new season for 2017. Headlining the season is the world premiere of My Brilliant Friend, a two-part adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet of novels which have become a global literary sensation
AFTER ELECTRA Tricycle, NW6
A BOHO CLYTEMNESTRA No sooner do we get over Kristin Scott Thomas going murderously nuts as the original Electra at the Old Vic, than along comes April de Angelis with a sly, hilarious, biting and ultimately moving modern take on … Continue reading →