The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize today announced 10 finalists for 2021 for its prestigious playwriting award, the oldest and largest prize awarded to women+ playwrights.
‘Sparkles with ghostly Christmas chill’: A CHRISTMAS CAROL – Bridge Theatre
Filled with a real love of Dickens’ words as well as his characters the Bridge Theatre has found a fresh and exciting way to tell the familiar tale of A Christmas Carol and give Scrooge’s redemption arc a renewed emphasis.
‘Hytner has envisaged both stories with considerable care’: THE SHRINE / BED AMONG THE LENTILS – Bridge Theatre
The Bridge Theatre’s most savvy decision is in teaming The Shrine with Bed Among the Lentils, placing together two of our finest actors who effortless and regularly transition between stage and screen – Monica Dolan and Lesley Manville.
‘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.
‘A delightful two hours of comedy, love & misunderstandings’: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Bridge Theatre ★★★★★ (Online review)
Enhancing the magic and dreamy qualities of the play, Nicholas Hytner’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a delightful two hours of comedy, love and misunderstandings.
NEWS: Ian McKellen is the first actor to top The Stage 100
Stage and screen star Ian McKellen has been named number one in The Stage 100, ‘the definitive guide to the most influential figures working in the UK theatre and performing arts industry today’. He is the first actor to ever top the list.
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.
‘Brings a fresh, more contemporary feel’: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM – Bridge Theatre
It is the slight rearrangement of the text and its implication for the female characters that is Nicholas Hytner’s most notable achievement here in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge Theatre.
NEWS: Come From Away, Company & The Inheritance are top winners at the Olivier Awards
Come From Away, Company and The Inheritance led the way with four awards each at the Olivier Awards 2019 with Mastercard, announced at a ceremony tonight (Sunday 7 April) at London’s Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Jason Manford.
NEWS: Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance & gender-swapping Company are the big winners at the Critics’ Circle Awards
Matthew Lopez’s epic two-part drama The Inheritance was the big winner at the 2018 Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards held today at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London’s West End, hosted by Critics’ Circle Drama Section chairman Mark Shenton.
NEWS: Sophie Okonedo, Richard Alston, Bunny Christie & Anthony Van Laast feature in New Year’s Honours list
Among the theatre performers and practitioners named in the New Year’s Honours list are actors Sophie Okonedo, Jim Carter and Thandie Newton, along with set and costume designer Bunny Christie and choreographers Anthony Van Laast and Richard Alston.
‘Ultimately it lands a huge emotional punch’: THE WILD DUCK – Almeida Theatre ★★★★
Though Robert Icke’s didacticism can be irritating, this Wild Duck undoubtedly pulls its modern audience into Ibsen’s tense, spiralling emotions to powerful effect.
‘It comes at us like a blast of adrenaline’: COMPANY – West End ★★★★
They don’t come much more glitzy than a new Sondheim production in the West End. That Company is one of Sondheim’s most popular if not THE most popular of his musicals could be gauged by the roar that went up on opening night even before the lights had dimmed.
‘Unquestionably fine theatre’: COMPANY – West End ★★★★
An evening at Marianne Elliott’s production of Company at the Gielgud Theatre is unquestionably fine theatre. Everybody rise.
‘A version that may well change the musical forever’: COMPANY – West End
Marianne Elliott brings Company to the West End with a production that may well change the musical forever.
‘Thrilling & stimulating’: JULIUS CAESAR – Bridge Theatre
For Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre, Hytner has taken out the stalls seats of the new Bridge Theatre and created a promenade performance which begins, like a Trump rally, with a warm-up. It’s one of the best pre-shows I’ve ever seen.
‘Blockbuster flair’: JULIUS CAESAR – Bridge Theatre ★★★★★
Surrounded by those with seated tickets and lorded over by scene after scene of masterclasses in the craft, the cheap seats in the pit for Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre are without doubt the best.
‘Mesmerising production’: JULIUS CAESAR – Bridge Theatre ❤❤❤❤❤
This production of Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre captures the audience’s attention (no matter where you sit or stand) to such great effect that the (just over) two hours passes quickly and powerfully. Well worth a visit.
‘Without question a must-see’: JULIUS CAESAR – Bridge Theatre ★★★★★
Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre is a visceral and dynamic take on the classic Shakespearean political thriller with star performances and innovative staging.
‘The gender-blind casting is a production highlight’: JULIUS CAESAR – Bridge Theatre
Nicholas Hytner’s production of Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre is nothing short of a Roman triumph, capturing the wonderful lyricism of Shakespeare’s writing, in what are some of his most beautiful speeches, with an urgency of action that means two hours just races by.
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