The Royal Court’s Living Newspaper continues with edition #5 which feels a little less reactive to the headlines and a little more reflective on the state of the world as we find it today.
‘Emotions were allowed to develop naturally’: LETTERS – Gate Theatre (Online review)
One of the knock-on effects of the current pandemic is that theatres have had to rise to the challenge of being ever more inventive in terms of form and content; Letters from The Gate Theatre follows this trend.
‘A towering central performance by Mark Gatiss’: THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III – Nottingham Playhouse (Online review)
An excellent production of a modern classic with a towering central performance: Alan Bennett’s early 1990s play examines public versus private monarchical concerns at the end of the 18th century in the latest stream from National Theatre At Home.
‘Is there anything on the London stage more gracefully eloquent?’: EMILIA – West End
It’s a rare moment of beautiful subtlety in a play that is more often considerably bolder in its sentiment, but it’s also a mark of just how nuanced Nicole Charles’ production and Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s writing is.
NEWS: Further casting is announced for West End transfer of Shakespeare Globe’s Emilia
Further casting has been announced for Emilia, written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and directed by Nicole Charles at the Vaudeville Theatre from 8 March to 15 June 2019, following its run at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2018.
NEWS: Shakespeare’s Globe production of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s new play Emilia transfers to the Vaudeville in March 2019
Following its sell-out run at Shakespeare’s Globe, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s new play Emilia, directed by Nicole Charles, will transfer to the Vaudeville Theatre for a strictly limited season from 8 March to 15 June 2019.
‘A red-trousered disappointment’: MACBETH – National Theatre
A whole lot of post-apocalyptic hurly-burly and sadly not much more besides – the National Theatre’s Macbeth really is something of a red-trousered disappointment.
News & interesting titbits: Janie Dee cabarets & London Horror Festival programme
Given how she’s doing such amazing work in Follies at the minute, it’s kinda gobsmacking to discover that Janie Dee has not one but two cabaret shows lined up for the beginning of October. Returning to Live at Zédel, fans have the pick of Janie Dee at the BBC – album launch or Janie Dee – Off the Record… or you can do both on the same night for a couple of dates if you’re that way inclined!
NEWS: Cast announced for another James Graham premiere, Quiz at Chichester
Gavin Spokes stars as Charles Ingram, ‘the coughing major’, in James Graham’s new play Quiz, based on Ingram’s famous cheat on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Full cast is announced for the Chichester premiere.
OTHELLO – Shakespeare’s Globe
In light of Roman Tragedies reminding us of the vast potential of what Shakespeare can be rather than the tendency towards the ‘proper’ readings of his work that we tend to get here in the UK (vast generalisations I know, but can you really argue against it…), it’s gratifying to see directors, and venues, taking the opportunity to stretch those traditional notions.
I CALL MY BROTHERS – Gate Theatre
Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey’s set is a brilliant white, harsh, flickering, fluorescent lighting occupied by glass cages and nowhere to hide. It resembles an otherworldly waiting room cum detention centre, a place where Amor (Richard Sumitro) can re-enact poignant parts of his life
MACBETH – Shakespeare’s Globe
Like most of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Macbeth works best when viewed on the strength of the relationships between its characters. Sure the blood and guts murders are ways to get bum on seats but even with a literal thunderstorm overhead foreshadowing the tumultuous effects of Macbeth’s actions it all boils down to a marriage made strong by the pursuit of power.
NEWS: RSC Announce Full Cast for Hecuba
Full casting is announced for the Swan Theatre production of Marina Carr’s new play based on the epic tale of Hecuba, directed by RSC Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman with Derbhle Crotty in the title role, opening on Thursday 24 September 2015.
Derbhle Crotty returns to the RSC to play Hecuba, having previously played Lady Macbeth and Lady Duncan in the 2007 repertory season ofMacbeth and Ionesco’s Macbett. Derbhle is currently playing Bolingbroke/Henry IV in DruidShakespeare, which has played various venues in Ireland, New York and at the Kilkenny Festival. She is known for her film roles in Notes on a Scandal (2006), Rory O’Shea Was Here (2004) andNoble (2014).
Also returning is RSC Associate Artist Ray Fearon as Agamemnon, who has worked extensively with the RSC, most recently as Mark Antony inJulius Caesar and as the title role in Othello (1999). His recent theatre credits include playing Macduff in Macbeth at the Manchester International Festival; Ray also appeared in the 2006 series of Strictly Come Dancing. Joining him is Edmund Kingsley who plays Polymestor. Edmund can currently be seen in the BBC 2 mini-series Life in Squares as John Maynard Keynes. His RSC credits include Antony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and The Tempest, as part of the Complete Works Festival, Richard III, King John and Lord of the Flies. His film credits include Hugo (2011) and Stonehearst Asylum (2014).
The full cast includes: Nadia Albina (Cassandra); David Ajao (Nepotolemus); Derbhle Crotty (Hecuba); Ray Fearon (Agamemnon); Edmund Kingsley (Polymestor); Amy McAllister (Polyxena); Chu Omambala (Odysseus) and Lara Stubbs (Hecuba’s Woman).
Hecuba is designed by Soutra Gilmour with lighting by Charles Balfour. The music is composed by Isobel Waller-Bridge with sound byAndrew Franks. Movement is by Ayse Tashkiran.
NEWS: RSC Announce Full Cast for Hecuba
Full casting is announced for the Swan Theatre production of Marina Carr’s new play based on the epic tale of Hecuba, directed by RSC Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman with Derbhle Crotty in the title role, opening on Thursday 24 September 2015.
Derbhle Crotty returns to the RSC to play Hecuba, having previously played Lady Macbeth and Lady Duncan in the 2007 repertory season ofMacbeth and Ionesco’s Macbett. Derbhle is currently playing Bolingbroke/Henry IV in DruidShakespeare, which has played various venues in Ireland, New York and at the Kilkenny Festival. She is known for her film roles in Notes on a Scandal (2006), Rory O’Shea Was Here (2004) andNoble (2014).
Also returning is RSC Associate Artist Ray Fearon as Agamemnon, who has worked extensively with the RSC, most recently as Mark Antony inJulius Caesar and as the title role in Othello (1999). His recent theatre credits include playing Macduff in Macbeth at the Manchester International Festival; Ray also appeared in the 2006 series of Strictly Come Dancing. Joining him is Edmund Kingsley who plays Polymestor. Edmund can currently be seen in the BBC 2 mini-series Life in Squares as John Maynard Keynes. His RSC credits include Antony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and The Tempest, as part of the Complete Works Festival, Richard III, King John and Lord of the Flies. His film credits include Hugo (2011) and Stonehearst Asylum (2014).
The full cast includes: Nadia Albina (Cassandra); David Ajao (Nepotolemus); Derbhle Crotty (Hecuba); Ray Fearon (Agamemnon); Edmund Kingsley (Polymestor); Amy McAllister (Polyxena); Chu Omambala (Odysseus) and Lara Stubbs (Hecuba’s Woman).
Hecuba is designed by Soutra Gilmour with lighting by Charles Balfour. The music is composed by Isobel Waller-Bridge with sound byAndrew Franks. Movement is by Ayse Tashkiran.
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE – Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon
What an odd, stark, angry, intelligent Merchant this is! Wholly unlike the last RSC production, Rupert Goold’s spectacular Merchant-of-Vegas gameshow. Polly Findlay sets it modern dress, on a bare stage whose floor and backdrop are gold bars, mirroring the auditorium and making us visible witnesses to the case of Antonio, the shipowning speculator, and his deal with Shylock the Jew. A gilded pendulum swings constantly at stage level; the three caskets descend too, 65 feet from the grid on wires, bald as geometry diagrams – cube, cone, cylinder.