The cast of SYLVIA at The Old Vic, which has its world premiere at The Old Vic on 11 September 2018 (previews from 3 September) will include Delroy Atkinson, Carly Bawden, Verity Blyth, John Dagleish, Jade Hackett, Todd Holdsworth, Izuka Hoyle, Beverley Knight, Genesis Lynea, Jaye Marshall, Tachia Newall, Maria Omakinwa, Karl Queensborough, Ross Sands, Witney White and Elliotte Williams-N’Dure.
‘Surely a candidate for best play of the year’: MOOD MUSIC – The Old Vic
Mood Music is all about the music industry and the pains of creativity. It is a powerful journey into the dark heart of music-making — and surely a candidate for best play of the year.
‘Lethally funny, memorably moving play’: MOOD MUSIC – The Old Vic ★★★★
The theatrical repertoire has a new monster: music producer-creator-arranger Bernard, created by Joe Penhall in Mood Music and brought to scorchingly memorable, sociopathically irresistible life by Ben Chaplin. Who is wonderful. Made for the part.
Debbie Gilpin on Olivier Awards: Disappointment for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie & Hamlet
So, that just happened! Despite some small disappointments in the nominations (nothing too much, just some things felt unnecessarily overlooked), I was rather looking forward to this year’s Oliviers.
‘A thrilling evening of impassioned insight & empathy’: ONE HAND TIED BEHIND US – Old Vic Theatre
A stirring and compelling evening of monologues exploring women’s rights – Maxine Peake curates One Hand Tied Behind Us at the Old Vic Theatre in London.
‘It’s the performances that drive this marvellous production’: FANNY & ALEXANDER – Old Vic Theatre ★★★★
It may be better not to have seen the movie Fanny & Alexander. Coming to the stage version untainted you’ll have a stronger chance to enjoy an exuberant energy and ribald theatricality that doesn’t really characterise Bergman films.
From The Country Wife to Olivier Award nominations: What to look out for in March
Lots of different things opening across the country in March. In London there are a lot of Fringe and Off West End productions coming your way.
Mind the Blog’s Christmas Carol recap
Kicking off my challenge was the Old Vic’s production, which I’ve seen four times (and by some bizarre providence I managed to see each actor playing Tiny Tim).
It wasn’t all good: Debbie Gilpin recalls her 12 least favourite shows of #theatre2017
When you see around 200 different shows, you’re bound to come across a few duff ones, but I’m pleased to say that nearly all of the bad shows I saw can be found in this post.
Never Mind The Blog, here’s January’s theatre news
Lots & lots of shows have their first performances in London and across the country this month, including new productions of Pinter’s The Birthday Party, Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan, and Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well.
What to see in in 2018
Well, we’re all still here… The big red button hasn’t been pushed yet and theatre is better than ever! But what’s coming up this year?
Mind the Blog’s best shows of 2017
Any number of shows could have been included in this post; frankly it’s ludicrous that I decided to stick with my whole top 12 idea… As I’ve seen about 90 more individual shows than last year.
‘Technically excellent’: A CHRISTMAS CAROL – London Musical Theatre Orchestra ★★★
It’s wonderful to see conductor Freddie Tapner with the haircut and enthusiastic shoulder action of a young Andre Previn, urging them to greater and greater heights. But, to misquote Dickens, the musical itself is the biggest turkey in the shop.
‘Technically excellent’: A CHRISTMAS CAROL – London Musical Theatre Orchestra ★★★
It’s wonderful to see conductor Freddie Tapner with the haircut and enthusiastic shoulder action of a young Andre Previn, urging them to greater and greater heights. But, to misquote Dickens, the musical itself is the biggest turkey in the shop.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL – Old Vic Theatre ★★★★★
It takes a lot to put me in the mood for Christmas. But if anything can, this inventive A Christmas Carol does, pulling together tip-top modern stagecraft, a venerated story, and our proudest 200-year-old theatre.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL – Old Vic Theatre ★★★★★
It takes a lot to put me in the mood for Christmas. But if anything can, this inventive A Christmas Carol does, pulling together tip-top modern stagecraft, a venerated story, and our proudest 200-year-old theatre.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL – Old Vic Theatre ❄❄❄❄❄
Despite our typical view of the Victorians being highly conservative in every aspect of their lives, the young queen was relatively liberal – and A Christmas Carol is almost surprisingly socialist. And it’s this that Jack Thorne seems to have really played upon when adapting it for this brand new stage production.
What were our Top 25 reviews & other blogs in October 2017?
What were the reviews and other blogs that got readers clicking most? Any surprises? Our Top 25 Mates Blogs from October 2017 are listed below with summaries and links to read more.
GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY – Old Vic Theatre
The music they listen to, and that which seeps from them with aching melancholy, is by Bob Dylan – written decades after the Great Depression ended. Combined with Conor McPherson’s earthy, Celtic script of imagery-laden prose, Girl From the North Country is not a musical.
NEWS: Cast & dates announced for Alan Ayckbourn’s The Divide at Old Vic
The Old Vic today gives a sneak preview of what’s to come in 2018 at The Old Vic during its bicentenary, with dates and full casting announced for the year’s first production: the London transfer of Alan Ayckbourn’s new dystopian family drama The Divide.