Rape is such a serious social issue that it’s hardly surprising that several recent plays have tackled it. I’m thinking of Gary Owen’s Violence and Son, James Fritz’s Four Minutes Twelve Seconds and Evan Placey’s Consensual. All of these discuss, whether implicitly or explicitly, the notion of consent, which is the name of playwright and director Nina Raine’s latest drama about the subject.
FIREBIRD – West End
New debut play inspired by the Rochdale child sex scandal is powerful, but also a bit slight and too short.
NEWS: Hangmen, Bend It Like Beckham, The Father & other Critics’ Circle Award winners, tickets on sale
Kenneth Cranham awarded Best Actor for “the role of a lifetime” Denise Gough awarded Best Actress only three years after winning Most Promising Newcomer Bend It Like Beckham wins Best Musical Robert Icke awarded Best Director for Oresteia The Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards 2015 were hosted today, Tuesday 26th January 2016, by the Critics’ Circle Drama Section Chairman (and My Theatre …
Critics’ Circle Award winners include Judi Dench: Are they the only ones that make sense anymore?
Hangmen, Judi Dench, Bend It Like Beckham, Oresteia are among the winners… The annual best of lists are always a good indication of who’s likely to triumph at the Critics’ Circle Awards, which were presented this afternoon at the Delfont Room in the West End’s Prince of Wales Theatre. Understandably so as it’s critics who, by and large, draw up those lists and critics only – voting by secret, first-past-the-post ballot – who determine the Critics’ Circle Awards.
Caroline Hanks-Farmer: My top picks of 2015
What a first year of blogging for me – but what shows came out on top? Read on and find out!
Text of the Day: Four Minutes Twelve Seconds
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
CONSENSUAL – West End
New play about an illicit encounter between a teen student and an older teacher is powerful and challenging.
FOUR MINUTES TWELVE SECONDS – West End
What do you do if your teenaged son’s ex-girlfriend accuses him of sexual assault? What if her family refuses to go to the police and takes justice into their own hands instead? Di (Kate Maravan) and David (Jonathan McGuinness) don’t know either, and they’re living this nightmare every moment of Four Minutes Twelve Seconds. They have huge aspirations for their bright boy, hoping he makes it out of the Croydon that they themselves never managed to leave. But those dreams are teetering precariously on top of vicious rumours…or are they facts?
FOUR MINUTES TWELVE SECONDS – West End
Very well-deserved West end transfer for thrilling new play about ethics in the age of the internet… How well do parents know their kids? Especially their teenage kids. Jack appears to be a nice, well-spoken 17-year-old youngster about to take his exams. You see, he has ambitions to study law at Durham University. His parents, David and Di, think he’s a normal boy and they are really proud of all of his hard work. And of his good grades. But, in James Fritz’s compelling 90-minute play, they are about to be disillusioned. And the trick is that we never get to see Jack: he remains offstage, so all we are left with is the reactions of his parents and friends.
FOUR MINUTES TWELVE SECONDS – West End
Can four people’s lives be shattered when an abominable act, which took just Four Minutes Twelve Seconds, is filmed, later uploaded, and shared? This intelligent play demonstrates just that. Written by James Fritz which has just transferred from Hampstead Theatre to Trafalgar Studios 2 has you gripped from the start.