Great revival of Caryl Churchill’s classic 1990s double bill is theatrically thrilling and emotionally true.
Text of the Day: Jess and Joe Forever
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
Text of the Day: Jess and Joe Forever
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS – Orange Tree Theatre & touring
At a moment when both female leaders and would-be leaders are rampaging across the news – May, Merkel, Leadsom, Eagle – it is pleasantly instructive to see this revival have a second Richmond season: it’s a comic squib from the young Terence Rattigan (before the dark sensitivity of The Deep Blue Sea and Cause Celebre).
THE BRINK – Orange Tree Theatre
One man’s psychological problems make for a powerful thriller that digs deep into our current anxieties.
INVINCIBLE – Touring
Some issues do best as satirical or farcical comedies: English class division, illicit sex, misunderstanding. Others sit less easily with the comic muse: cot death, grief, young lives wasted in war. Torben Betts, in this terrific play, is comfortable handling both, and does so with almost total success. It ran briefly in multi-ethnic, diverse East London: but with this new touring cast will be able to show a wider Britain to itself: at first teasingly, but then with an admirable sad seriousness.
Weekly Theatre Podcast: The Painkiller, Miss Atomic Bomb, German Skerries
This week the London theatre bloggers discuss The Painkiller with Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon, new musical Miss Atomic Bomb and fringe play German Skerries at the Orange Tree Theatre.
Text of the Day: German Skerries
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
GERMAN SKERRIES – Orange Tree Theatre
Lovely, and indeed loving, revival of Robert Holman’s resonant 1977 play about life choices is quietly moving.
Weekly Theatre Podcast: Cymbeline, The Rolling Stone, The Picture of Dorian Gray
This week the London theatre bloggers discuss Cymbeline at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, The Rolling Stone at the Orange Tree, The Picture of Dorian Gray at Trafalgar Studios and The Long Road South at the King’s Head.
Going The Distance with a great audience
Last week, I trekked down to the Orange Tree Theatre to see the recast revival of Deborah Bruce’s The Distance, which had first been staged there in October 2014.
Text of the Day: The Distance
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
Weekly Theatre Podcast: Xanadu, French Without Tears, A Little Night Music
This week, the learned London theatre bloggers discuss Rattigan’s French Without Tears in Richmond, Sondheim’s A Little Night Music and the UK premiere of screen-to-stage Broadway musical Xanadu.
Text of the Day: French Without Tears
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
NEWS: Orange Tree revives Shaw and Holman, premieres The Rolling Stone
The new spring season for the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, south London, features plays by Robert Holman, Chris Urch, Brad Birch and Bernard Shaw, directed by Ellen McDougall, Alice Hamilton, Mel Hillyard and Artistic Director Paul Miller. Artistic Director Paul Miller announces the January to June 2016 season at the Orange Tree. It follows a year of award-winning theatre …
FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS – Orange Tree Theatre
Over the past quarter century the reputation of toff playwright Terence Rattigan has been restored, mainly by strong stagings of his classic dramas, such as Deep Blue Sea. But his first smash hit, French Without Tears, has been the unicorn of his output — often talked about, often mentioned, often remembered, but never actually seen. Now Paul Miller, the ever-enterprising artistic director of the Orange Tree, has brought this unicorn into public view, allowing audiences to enjoy a joyful sighting of a rare beast.
NEWS: Paul Miller announces second season as Orange Tree artistic director
Artistic director Paul Miller announces a season of collaborations, rediscoveries and new work at south London’s Orange Tree Theatre, building on the success of his inaugural season which attracted over 40,000 people to the 168-seat venue (90% capacity), with nearly 1 in 3 people new to the Theatre (45% for Pomona) and over 2,000 discounted seats sold to under 30s. …
My theatre diary: Plays to make you think – Widowers’ Houses, Visitors, Hope and Sirens
If your brain has started to turn to mush after too much turkey and mash, get yourself along to one of these four plays quick. I can personally recommend each for provoking serious thought, discussion and reflection on urgent issues including local government, austerity, dementia, discrimination, feminism, urban housing and corruption, to name a few. […]
My theatre diary: The Distance, Electra, Lord of the Flies, Urinetown, Next Fall
Having escaped back to Mallorca for a week (god, I love that place, my little piece of heaven), there are at least two weeks of theatre I want to catch up with. My must-see list just keeps growing and growing and has, more accurately become, a might-see list … if I can find a mammoth […]
My theatre diary: From tears to laughter with The Crucible, The Events, Invincible and Shakespeare in Love
I’m really doing well for play choices in July. Don’t let the warm weather put you off catching these compelling productions, which scale great heights and depths of emotion. (Apart from the entertainment, most of these theatres were lovely and cool on the hot summer evenings I attended. So you’ll get a respite from the […]