Crowns, contortion and the most neatly arranged mood wall you’re ever likely to see – take a look into rehearsals for Richard III, then book your tickets to see it as it comes to the newly restored Alexandra Palace Theatre from 13 to 31 March 2019!
‘You can’t help falling in love with it’: PRINCESS & THE HUSTLER – Touring ★★★★
A few hours before press night, on Valentine’s morning, playwright Chinonyerem Odimba tweeted out that her new play Princess & The Hustler was a love letter to her Bristol, a city she fell in love with 20 years ago.
NEWS: Shakespeare returns to Alexandra Palace with Headlong co-production of Richard III
Far from a winter of discontent, March 2019 is the spring of excitement, as Alexandra Palace mounts its first ever co-production, staging Shakespeare’s Richard III with Headlong, Bristol Old Vic, Royal & Derngate Northampton and Oxford Playhouse. The history play runs in the newly restored London venue from 13 to 31 March.
‘A constant frenzy of invention’: WISE CHILDREN – Touring ★★★★
An adaptation of Angela Carter’s 1991 novel about a theatrical dynasty, spanning a century and loaded with Shakespeare, sex and song, Wise Children can exhaust in its constant frenzy of invention, but a surplus of ideas is always preferable than too few.
Twenty shows to look forward to in 2019
So many of the recommendations for shows to see next year focus on the West End. And for sure, I’m excited to catch big ticket numbers like All About Eve, Come From Away and Waitress, but I wanted to cast my eye a little further afield.
‘They captured my heart, engaged my mind & punched me in the gut’: In Praise of Theatre in 2018
In my round-up of theatre in 2017, I warned 2018 that it had “big shoes to fill”. Not only did 2018 not need the door to be opened, but it also didn’t even need anyone to hold its coat.
‘There is greatness striding through the heart of it all’: A CHRISTMAS CAROL – Bristol ★★★★★
There is greatness striding through the heart of Bristol Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol and it comes in the shape of Felix Hayes’ Ebenezer Scrooge.
NEWS: Nominees for The Stage Awards 2019 include Almeida Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse & Sonia Friedman
Top theatres across the UK, including nominees from London, Manchester, Nottingham, Wales and Scotland, have made the shortlist for The Stage Awards 2019.
‘Promises to be real marmite’: TWELFTH NIGHT – Bristol ★★★
If nothing else Wils Wilson has produced a rollicking evening of entertainment in Twelfth Night at Bristol Old Vic, even if it is only a surface level take on this most beguiling of masterpieces.
‘Nail-biting & exhilarating’: TOUCHING THE VOID – Touring ★★★★
David Greig’s riveting adaptation of Simpson’s Touching The Void has made the transition for an innovative co-production, led by Bristol Old Vic, which is now touring.
‘There is a woozy melancholy at this production’s heart’: TWELTH NIGHT – Edinburgh ★★★★
Shifting emotions are filtered through autumnal sunlight in the Lyceum’s Twelfth Night, with as much defiant sadness on view as happy resolution.
‘A theatrical triumph’: TOUCHING THE VOID – Bristol
Touching The Void is a theatrical triumph. David Greig, Tom Morris and the team have created a piece of theatre that excels beyond mere adaptation.
‘I was in no way emotionally prepared for what was to come’: A MONSTER CALLS – Old Vic Theatre
You know those ‘if you’ve been affected by the issues in this programme…’ messages you get sometimes after particularly traumatic documentaries and/or episodes of Hollyoaks? Have you ever seen one in a theatre before?
‘A celebration of all those who classify themselves as female’: MAKE MORE NOISE – Bristol ★★★★
Marking 100 years since women were first granted the vote, it’s a celebration of the women who dared to be different, and a call to arms to finally eradicate gender inequality for good.
‘For a play about storytelling, most of the story is oddly unengaging’: A MONSTER CALLS – Old Vic
For a play about storytelling, most of A Monster Calls is oddly unengaging and bland. Worst of all, it does the audience’s moral work for them, being increasingly didactic and offering its sincere insights into loss, love, and feeling on a plate.
‘A total-theatre instant classic’: A MONSTER CALLS – Bristol & The Old Vic ★★★★★
Patrick Ness’ novel slips perfectly into Sally Cookson’s fertile theatrical imagination. Its split-focused tale of cancer wards and midnight hour fairy tales suits Cookson’s gifts, for genuine human emotion and beautifully intricate theatrical imagery.
‘An instant classic’: A MONSTER CALLS – Bristol & The Old Vic
In the hands of Sally Cookson, A Monster Calls is an instant classic: a show that transforms both hearts and minds through the magic of authentic storytelling. Go with someone and join the masses who rose to their feet and hugged those near them.
‘An imagination explosion exploited to its full capacity’: THE NATURE OF WHY – Bristol
The joy created by this remarkable company is second only to the joy felt by those lucky enough to see The Nature of Why. This isn’t a performance you simply see or hear. It’s one you feel.
‘Assured, fresh & modern interpretation’: THE CHERRY ORCHARD – Manchester
With this production of The Cherry Orchard, the Royal Exchange once again takes an important classic and makes it wonderfully accessible and relevant to the modern age. It is highly recommended.
NEWS: Casting is announced for The Old Vic & Bristol Old Vic’s A Monster Calls
Full casting has been announced for The Old Vic and Bristol Old Vic’s world premiere of A Monster Calls. Patrick Ness’ piercing novel is being brought to both venues in The Old Vic’s 200th year in a powerful new adaptation by director Sally Cookson.