In a feature for The Stage earlier in the week, Jessica Korvavos, president of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group, was asked to sum up the last year: “A year when singing and dancing in public have been against the law? It’s been like a horrible dystopian cross between Footloose and Groundhog Day.”
‘The cast really captures the brutality that emerges’: AMSTERDAM – Orange Tree Theatre (Online review)
First seen at the Orange Tree Theatre in 2019, Maya Arad Yasur’s play Amsterdam is a stark reminder that we should never forget the past and as much as possible try and prevent history repeating itself.
NEWS: Capital Theatres & Pitlochry Festival Theatre announce new joint venture, the Musical Commissioning Hub
Under the new strategy of its chief executive Fiona Gibson, Capital Theatres intends to develop its third theatre space, The Studio, starting with the creation of exciting new Scottish musicals. In a producing partnership with Pitlochry Festival Theatre, it is launching a brand-new Musical Commissioning Hub as the first step towards achieving this.
‘Most of the work is done by the actors’: AMSTERDAM – Orange Tree Theatre
New Israeli play Amsterdam about the effect of the past on the present is an open text which owes much too much to Martin Crimp.
‘Challenging to say the least’: AMSTERDAM – Orange Tree Theatre ★★★
Maya Arad Yasur’s Amsterdam had already had an illustrious reception before it hit Paul Miller’s pocket dynamo Orange Tree, Richmond.
The diversity of diversity
Making theatre as diverse as possible is, I think, a work in progress. And progress is the operative word. I’m not advocating complacency. Of course there’s still much to be done but don’t let’s belittle the enormous amount which has already happened.
‘I feel extremely proud to be part of this revival’: Kalungi Ssebandeke on his role in Blood Knot at the Orange Tree Theatre
Actor Kalungi Ssebandeke chatted to LLLC’s Emma Clarendon about his current role in Blood Knot, playing at the Orange Tree Theatre.
‘For all its good intentions, I just didn’t believe any of it’: EDEN – Hampstead Theatre
New play Eden at the Hampstead Theatre, about corporate capitalism and local resistance, is let down by poor and unbelievable writing.
NEWS: Matthew Xia is named as Actors Touring Company’s new artistic director
Actors Touring Company has announced the appointment of Matthew Xia as its new artistic director. Xia will take up the position part-time in December 2018 and will be in place full-time from March 2019.
NEWS: Hampstead Theatre’s first productions for 2019 include the UK premiere of Martyna Majok’s Cost of Living
Hampstead Theatre has announced its first three productions of 2019. Highlights include: Martyna Majok’s 2018 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Cost of Living, making its UK premiere directed by Edward Hall on the Main Stage.
‘Guaranteed to make you jump out of your skin’: FRANKENSTEIN – Manchester ★★★
The Royal Exchange has succeeded in bringing psychologically unnerving horror to its stage. With an underlying sense of uneasiness, Frankenstein is guaranteed to make you jump out of your skin on more than one occasion.
WISH LIST – Royal Court
You could call it the Corbynisation of new writing. In the past couple of years, a series of plays have plumbed the lower depths, looking at the subject of good people trapped in zero-hour contracts and terrible working conditions. Like Ken Loach’s dreary film, I, Daniel Blake, these plays have integrity, but very little dramatic content.
WISH LIST – Royal Court Theatre
New play about casual work and disability is a thinly written Corbynesque drama.
BLUE/ORANGE – Young Vic Theatre
Ace! Revival of Joe Penhall’s brilliantly written contemporary classic is superbly staged and brilliantly performed… Each exchange is like a duel, and each duel is humorous as well as deadly serious. By the end of the evening, you feel as if the sparks have flown in all directions. And some have burnt your brain.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Blue/Orange at the Young Vic Theatre
Matthew Xia directs this production of Joe Penhall’s play about race, ethics, sanity and prejudice, which runs at London’s Young Vic Theatre until 2 July 2016.
NEWS: Post Guys & Dolls, David Haig joins Blue/Orange at Young Vic
Hot on the heels of his just-finished West End musical run in Guys and Dolls, David Haig will join Daniel Kaluuya and Luke Norris in the cast of Joe Penhall’s Blue/Orange in a new production by director Matthew Xia. Due to popular demand, the run extends to 2 July. Blue/Orange runs in the Young Vic’s Main House from 12 May 2016.
Diary of a Theatre Addict: Doing the timewarp again, revisiting Gypsy on TV, and catching up with Linda
I’ve been out and about over the pre- and post-Christmas week, including trips to Brighton, Manchester and Leeds, with lots of catching up to do in London, too.
INTO THE WOODS – Manchester
With a notoriously challenging musical score that makes even highly accomplished musicians run for the hills, the Exchange makes Into the Woods look like a walk in the park. Laden with wit, plenty of trees and stellar performances throughout – the execution and delivery of this contemporary fairytale adventure is superb.