The nominations have been announced for this year’s Olivier Awards which take place on 5 April 2020 at the Royal Albert Hall.
Text of the Day: Endgame
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
NEWS: Acting honours for Andrew Scott, Sharon D Clarke & Juliet Stevenson & Jamie Lloyd is named Best Director at Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards
Andrew Scott, Sharon D. Clarke, Juliet Stevenson, Sam Tutty and Hammed Animashaun have won the top acting honours at the 2019 Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards.
Best of the Blogs: Death of England, Endgame, Chaplin, The Jury & The Gift
In our continuing series, editor Lisa Martland picks out some of her Top Picks from the last week of theatre (to 9 February 2020), including Ian Foster seeing Rafe Spall give a career-defining performance in the National Theatre’s production of Death of England.
‘It is Cumming’s performance which you are drawn to’: ENDGAME – Old Vic ★★★★
It is stuffed dogs, ladders and individual performances in Endgame which stay with me rather than anything more philosophical about the human condition.
‘The satisfying bleakness of the text is allowed to breathe’: ENDGAME – Old Vic
A star cast led by Daniel Radcliffe, Alan Cumming and Jane Horrocks make light work of the Beckett classic Endgame.
Mind the Blog reflects on a theatre wish list for 2020
Mind the Blog has a fairly wide-ranging wish list of things I hope to see, including major shows such as Sunday in the Park with George, Evita, Magic Goes Wrong, Uncle Vanya and the Jamie Lloyd Company residency at the Playhouse Theatre.
From Come From Away to The Antipodes: Top 10 Shows of 2019
Here’s our Top 10 list for 2019 with three musicals – Come From Away, Curve’s West Side Story and the touring production of Amelie dominating the top spots.
View From The Circle’s Top Ten Shows of the Year
It’s that time of year again… here’s View From the Circle’s Top Ten shows of 2019.
‘Will make your heart leap’: A CHRISTMAS CAROL – The Old Vic
This freshened-up and first-rate production of A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic sees Paterson Joseph giving one of the performances of his life, his humanity simply erupting onto the stage.
NEWS: Acting honours go to Andrew Scott & Maggie Smith at 2019 Evening Standard Theatre Awards while Sweat wins Best Play
Acting honours go to Andrew Scott & Maggie Smith at the 2019 Evening Standard Theatre Awards while Sweat wins Best Play.
‘Sure to provide food for thought’: LUNGS – The Old Vic ★★★★
One of the hottest tickets of the year, the Old Vic’s revival of Duncan Macmillan’s Lungs sees The Crown royalty Claire Foy and Matt Smith reuniting.
‘Prefers buffoonery over analysis’: A VERY EXPENSIVE POISON – Old Vic
Lucy Prebble’s latest tells the story of the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in A Very Expensive Poison, but prefers buffoonery over analysis.
‘Unlikely to either open minds or stimulate them’: A VERY EXPENSIVE POISON – Old Vic
Though it’s in places informative, A Very Expensive Poison is a very expensive means of sapping the intrigue and human interest from one man’s inhumane death
‘Using theatre to entertain & appal’: A VERY EXPENSIVE POISON – Old Vic Theatre ★★★★★
Marina Litvinenko’s final address in A Very Expensive Poison, reminding us of our political cowardice and idly greedy tolerance of crooked Russian money in our capital city, will bring theatres to their feet in admiration for her and shame at our shabbiness. It needed telling.
‘Emotional impact comes from a genuinely great production’: ALL MY SONS – The Old Vic
All My Sons may not be my favourite Arthur Miller play but The Old Vic’s production of it is undeniably brilliant, especially the heavyweight and stunningly good cast.
NEWS: Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Alan Cumming & Daniel Radcliffe feature in new Old Vic season
Details of Matthew Warchus’ Season 5 at The Old Vic Theatre have been announced. Highlights include:
Claire Foy and Matt Smith making their Old Vic debuts in Duncan Macmillan’s Lungs and Alan Cumming and Daniel Radcliffe starring in a double bill of Samuel Beckett’s Endgame and Rough for Theatre ll.
‘Suddenly globally relevant’: ALL MY SONS – The Old Vic ★★★★
The hallmark of a ‘great play’ is its universality, and historically Arthur Miller’s 1947 All My Sons is a ‘great play’ but it’s debatable whether, in trying to adhere that greatness to contemporary realities, Jeremy Herrin’s is a great production.
‘Gripping’: ALL MY SONS – The Old Vic ★★★★★
All My Sons is a gripping play, a slowly unravelling emotional thriller with masterclass performances.
‘Truly benefits from its straightforwardness’: ALL MY SONS – The Old Vic
Some titanic acting performances from Sally Field, Bill Pullman and Colin Morgan in this superb All My Sons at the Old Vic Theatre.