West Yorkshire Playhouse today announced it will change its name to Leeds Playhouse. The name change marks a new chapter in the theatre’s 50-year history.
Theatre diary: Guards at the Taj, Junkyard & Waiting for God
In its depiction of two pawns caught up unwillingly in the machinations of the rich and powerful and its philosophical banter, Guards at the Taj reminds me a lot of Tom Stoppard‘s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
GUARDS AT THE TAJ – Bush Theatre
Inspired by the legend, for which there is no factual basis, that seventeenth century Mughal emperor Shah Jahan ordered that the hands of all the craftsmen who were involved in the construction of the Taj Mahal should be cut off.
GUARDS AT THE TAJ – Bush Theatre
Soutra Gilmour’s stunning Taj Mahal parapet wall stretches into the far distance creating a Stygian gloom with a channelled, divided stage floor that, it’s true, caught one unfortunate spectator completely unaware. Little did he know that the cracked surface he tripped into would later become an execution channel, awash in the blood of 20,000 hands chopped off by guards following the order of their illustrious Emperor.
GUARDS AT THE TAJ – Bush Theatre
verything Jamie Lloyd touches seems to turn to gold, the current Midas of the directing world. A long-standing partnership with designer Soutra Gilmour is certainly one of the reasons that his plays are so stylised, so specific, but Lloyd is also able to bring out the humanity in every character – their darker sides shine through as much as their honourable qualities.
GUARDS AT THE TAJ – Bush Theatre
For its reopening, Younis has looked across the pond for a new play. He has chosen Rajiv Joseph’s Guards at the Taj, which was first staged at the Atlantic Theatre, New York, in 2015, picking up an Obie Award along with other plaudits.
GUARDS AT THE TAJ – Bush Theatre
West London new writing venue reopens with an ethically troubling play about another architectural marvel.
GUARDS AT THE TAJ – Bush Theatre
West London new writing venue reopens with an ethically troubling play about another architectural marvel.