On the far side of Emma Rice’s brief unhappy tenure at the Globe, here Brief Encounter comes again, with a few fine tweaks, to remind us what Rice does best, and how playful, inventive, sincere and inspiring Kneehigh can be when it beats its own path through the woods.
‘Every bit as iconic as the film it references’: BRIEF ENCOUNTER – Empire Cinema Haymarket ★★★★★
You may find, by the finish of Brief Encounter, that you’ve got a little bit of grit in your eye too, but don’t be afraid to be swept along with this exquisitely flawless production.
‘The show of the year so far’: BRIEF ENCOUNTER – Empire Cinema Haymarket ★★★★★
My verdict? Brief Encounter is a love letter to stage and screen, beautifully conceived and immaculately performed – the show of the year so far.
‘Every emotion is captured’: BRIEF ENCOUNTER – Touring & West End ★★★★★
Directed by Emma Rice, Kneehigh’s Brief Encounter is a fast-paced, superbly powerful, moving and yet hilarious piece of theatre.
Which three plays & musicals does Mark Shenton recommend this week?
Looking for theatregoing inspiration? MyTheatreMates co-founder Mark Shenton chooses his top three plays and top three musicals to book now.
Does programming Shakespeare have to be quite so repetitive?
You might be forgiven for thinking that only certain Shakespeare plays are allowed to be produced in any given 12-month period – for example, last year I saw five different Twelfth Nights, and this year there are at least three Macbeths already on my radar.
“Who’s there?” Thoughts on The Globe’s new vision & programming
What is personally the most galling is the programming of Twelfth Night. Emma Rice’s production was my favourite show of 2017. It almost feels like they’re trying to brush it under the carpet by putting it on again so soon.
Press conference dynamics: Is The Globe in safe hands with Michelle Terry?
Last Thursday [while much of the UK was still on holiday], I attended the press conference at which Michelle Terry revealed her first season at The Globe. And the dynamics in the room were fascinating.
What to see in in 2018
Well, we’re all still here… The big red button hasn’t been pushed yet and theatre is better than ever! But what’s coming up this year?
Mind the Blog’s best shows of 2017
Any number of shows could have been included in this post; frankly it’s ludicrous that I decided to stick with my whole top 12 idea… As I’ve seen about 90 more individual shows than last year.
Mind the Blog’s 2017 review
Despite a slow, measured start, I upped the pace after a while and (after today) will have somehow managed to see 212 different shows (my P.B.) – and 291 shows in total, equalling 2016.
A year in puppets
After choosing in 2016 to focus on Shakespeare (in the 400th anniversary of his death), I went completely different this year and made it my mission to learn more about, and see more shows featuring, puppets.
2017 Regional theatre recap
Much of my ‘touring’ has been concentrated in Bristol and Chichester; there are a few other UK venues to add to the list, as well as some from my week in New York, of course.
LITTLE MATCH GIRL & OTHER HAPPIER TALES – Touring ★★★★
As Black Friday and New Year bashes grow exponentially, child poverty in the UK is on the rise. The Little Match Girl may have her origins in the Victorian era and snow flecked tales of Hans Christian Andersen but that child can still be found today in most towns and cities across the country today.
ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS – Shakespeare’s Globe
Frankly, you can’t ignore the fact that every time you see it you get a free piece of chocolate. As long as you have the patience to wait for “le moment de magique” before you eat it.
ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse ❤❤❤❤❤
What a scrummy treat this new musical is! With songs that are like a box of chocolate themselves: full of treats and unexpected surprises and a genuinely heartfelt story that celebrates human flaws, this is a show that uplifts the spirits.
NEWS: Shakespeare’s Globe announces more cast for indoor winter programme
Emma Rice’s tenure at Shakespeare’s Globe is winding to its close – the outdoor season is done but there’s still a winter’s worth of programming in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse to get through.
NEWS: Cast announced for Emma Rice musical Romantics Anonymous at the Globe
Carly Bawden, Dominic Marsh, Joanna Riding, Gareth Snook and Lauren Samuels join the cast for new Emma Rice musical Romantics Anonymous at the Globe.
KING LEAR – Shakespeare’s Globe
It’s somehow fitting that the last Shakespeare of Emma Rice’s final (summer) season is King Lear. A play that shows us how the established world can change based on one rash decision will certainly have some resonance at a venue who made the decision to terminate Rice’s employment as Artistic Director so early on.
NEWS: Gina McKee wages war as Boudica in Shakespeare’s Globe premiere
Gina McKee will play the title role in Eleanor Rhode’s forthcoming production of Tristan Bernays’ new play Boudica at Shakespeare’s Globe, the final season in outgoing artistic director Emma Rice’s Summer of Love season.