Presented by Bill Kenwright and founded and led by artistic director Paul Taylor-Mills, the Turbine Theatre is a brand new theatre on the banks of the Thames next to the iconic Battersea Power Station.
Debbie’s favourite male performances of 2018
Mind the Blog rounds up her favourite male performances in the theatre during 2018.
‘There’s not a weak link here’: SUMMER & SMOKE – West End
Rebecca Frecknall’s production of Summer & Smoke has lost none of its charge, mainly through retaining the electric chemistry between its leads – an exceptional Patsy Ferran as Alma and Matthew Needham as John.
‘Shows exactly why we need more women directing in London theatre’: SUMMER & SMOKE – West End
Summer & Smoke, the latest Almeida Theatre West End transfer, is the first thing I’ve experienced in a while where the theatre audience is really, properly engaged in a play. It’s like you could literally hear a pin drop.
‘Entertaining enough’: COCK – Chichester Festival Theatre
Cock is by no means classic Mike Bartlett but it is still great fun and, for connoisseurs of supreme social awkwardness in particular, a decently entertaining hour and a half.
‘Visceral, electrifying & still provocative’: COCK – Chichester Festival Theatre ★★★★★
I was enthralled by this fiery revival of Cock which may have lost its initial shock value in the intervening, increasingly liberated, years, but is still capable of being moving, comical and daring thanks to Bartlett’s blistering dialogue.
NEWS: Almeida production of Tennessee Williams’ Summer & Smoke transfers to the West End in November
Following a sold-out run at the Almeida Theatre, Tennessee Williams’ rarely staged classic Summer and Smoke will have a limited West End run from 10 November 2018 to 19 January 2019 at the Duke Of York’s Theatre, with press night on 20 November.
‘Fresh, revolutionary and utterly new’: SUMMER & SMOKE – Almeida Theatre
Summer & Smoke is a production where the rich talents of all its creatives have come together to take something old and transform it into something fresh, revolutionary and utterly new without once betraying the essence of and truth in Williams’s script.
‘Surely a West End transfer is on the cards?’: SUMMER & SMOKE – Almeida Theatre
Summer & Smoke sizzles with repression. Lyrical, scintillating and stormy, it’s a show not to miss.
‘Engages our empathy with sensitivity & subtle wit’: SUMMER & SMOKE – Almeida Theatre ★★★★
Tennessee Williams’ Summer & Smoke is undergoing a revival at the Almeida Theatre and makes for an interesting comparison with the playwright’s other mature work.
‘A glorious adaptation’: SUMMER & SMOKE – Almeida Theatre
The business of Summer & Smoke at the Almeida Theatre is handled with such subtly that it allows the deep emotional connection at the heart of the story to flourish. With a magnetic central pairing, Rebecca Frecknall’s production is unmissably beautiful, and the Almeida at its finest.
‘The beauty shines through’: SUMMER & SMOKE – Almeida Theatre ★★★★
Nothing is wasted, no irony or brief sad laugh unmarked in Summer & Smoke at the Almeida. At times the self-conscious staging irritated me, a little, but the beauty shone through, and honour to Rebecca Frecknall for championing this gorgeous, gentle play.
Mind the Blog’s top 2017 performances
This year variety has been the thing (though I’ve still managed to stack up certain repeat attendances), so that means I’ve seen a serious amount of performers – some even two or three times!
‘Star-sprinkled, retro-TV-set influenced design’: THE TWILIGHT ZONE – Almeida Theatre
Anne Washburn (she of the extraordinary Mr Burns) has fashioned this play out of eight of the stories told by The Twilight Zone and presents them as if shuffling a pack of cards.
NEWS: Full cast announced for Globe’s Much Ado set in revolutionary Mexico
Beatriz Romilly and Matthew Needham star as Beatrice and Benedick in Matthew Dunster’s new production of Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare’s Globe.
THE TREATMENT – Almeida Theatre
The Treatment has often been ignored, perhaps on account of its large cast, or because of its large scale. Now that the Almeida Theatre has decided to stage this story of how art cannibalises life we have the chance to judge its relevance some 25 years after its premiere.
NEWS: Julian Ovenden & Indira Varma join cast of Crimp’s The Treatment
The Almeida Theatre today announced the full cast of The Treatment, Martin Crimp’s new play, which runs from 24 April 2017 to 10 June 2017, with a press night on 24 April.
NEWS: Almeida spring includes political premieres by Martin Crimp, James Graham & Christopher Shinn
The Almeida Theatre announces a new season and a major new digital film project exploring leadership in crisis and the power of words. Premieres of plays by Martin Crimp, Christopher Shinn and James Graham.
NEWS: Shakespeare’s Globe announces full cast for Imogen
Shakespeare’s Globe has confirmed the full cast for Matthew Dunster’s production, running from 17 September until 16 October 2016.
NEWS: The RSC Announce Full Casting For Henry V
It won’t shock any of our readers to hear we’re very excited about The RSC presenting Henry V as part of their winter season. Their Henry IV was a highlight of 2014 and both productions, alongside the acclaimed Richard II from a few years back, head to London for an exciting run of the “Henries” cycle!
Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director, continues his exploration through Shakespeare’s History plays as he directs Henry V, opening in Stratford-upon-Avon, before being broadcast to cinemas and transferring to the Barbican in London.
Alex Hassell, who played Prince Hal in both productions of Henry IV and recently played Biff Loman in Doran’s production ofDeath of a Salesman, plays the title role of King Henry.
Doran’s History tetralogy culminates in January 2016 at the Barbican in London, with a major theatrical event marking the start of the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare’s death, King & Country, a complete 4-play season cycle of Richard II, Henry IV Parts I and II and Henry V playing in repertoire. Following the Barbican season, Henry IV Parts I and II and Henry V tour to China and are then re-joined by Richard II in Spring 2016 for an exclusive season in the US, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).
The RSC is delighted to announce J.P. Morgan as the Global Tour Premier Partner for all four productions. J.P. Morgan will be supporting the upcoming tour in the UK, US and China where the RSC will perform Shakespeare’s History Plays.
October 2015, also marks the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt whilst Henry V performs in Stratford-upon-Avon, bringing added resonance to the play which uses the battle as the famous centrepiece of Henry V’s reign.
With the start of rehearsals for Henry V, the RSC begins the first pilot in the initiative to produce new, theatrically viable, Chinese translations of all Shakespeare’s 36 plays, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the First Folio in 2023. The RSC will create the translations in collaboration with Chinese writers and translators, who will be embedded into the RSC’s rehearsal process. Professor Zhang Chong, from Shanghai’s Fudan University will be the translator for Henry V working alongside playwright and Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, Nick Yu.
The full cast for Henry V includes: Daniel Abbott (Gloucester/Monsieur le Fer); Martin Bassindale (Boy); Antony Byrne(Pistol); Sean Chapman (Exeter); Oliver Ford Davies (Chorus), Nicholas Gerard-Martin (Orleans/Bishop of Ely); Robert Gilbert (Dauphin); Alex Hassell (Henry V); Jim Hooper (Canterbury/Erpingham); Jennifer Kirby (Katherine); Jane Lapotaire(Queen Isobel); Sam Marks (Constable of France); Dale Mathurin (Bates/Bedford); Chris Middleton (Nym/Warwick/Governor of Harfleur); Evelyn Miller (Rambures/Lady-in-Waiting); Keith Osborn (Montjoy/Scroop); Sarah Parks (Mistress Quickly);Leigh Quinn (Alice); Joshua Richards (Bardolph/Fluellen); Simon Thorp (King of France); Obioma Ugoala (Grey/Gower);Andrew Westfield (Westmoreland/MacMorris) and Simon Yadoo (Cambridge/Williams/Jamy).
The Henry V Company will perform across all four plays of the King & Country cycle and are joined by David Tennant (Richard II); Julian Glover (John of Gaunt); Jasper Britton (Bolingbroke/Henry IV); Matthew Needham (Harry Percy/Hotspur/Mowbray) and Emma King (Lady-in-Waiting/Lady Mortimer/Doll Tearsheet).
The productions are designed by Stephen Brimson Lewis with lighting by Tim Mitchell. The music is composed by Paul Englishby with sound by Martin Slavin. The Movement director is Mike Ashcroft and the Fight director is Terry King.
Henry V will be broadcast ‘Live from Stratford-upon-Avon’ to cinemas in collaboration with Picturehouse Entertainment on 21 October 2015
To book tickets call 01789 403493 or online at www.rsc.org.uk