Philip Ridley’s new time-hopping black comedy The Beast of Blue Yonder receives its world premiere at London’s Southwark Playhouse in a strictly limited season, running from 2 April to 9 May 2020, with a press night on 7 April.
Best of the Blogs: Leopoldstadt, Far Away, Nora, People Show 137 & more
In our continuing series, editor Lisa Martland picks out some of her Top Picks from the last week of theatre (to 16 February 2020) including Maryam Philpott’s thoughts on Tom Stoppard’s new play Leopoldstadt at the Wyndham’s Theatre.
FEATURED SHOW: ★★★★ reviews are in for ‘comically absurd’ & ‘essential’ People Show 137
People Show have been leading the UK’s alternative theatre scene for more than 50 years, and their latest show, People Show 137, proves that they’ve lost none of their “essential” edge.
‘No lack of inventiveness in the evening’: PEOPLE SHOW 137 – Southwark Playhouse
The company in People Show 137 has an admirable ability to conjure moments that capture the audience’s attention and to deliver about turns that keep the audience intrigued.
‘It’s like eating curry after a lifetime of cheese sandwiches’: Bill Palmer on being part of People Show 137
Renowned alternative theatre company People Show was founded more than 50 years ago. Bill Palmer has been following their work for 35 of them and appears alongside three of the company’s stalwarts in their latest offering, People Show 137: God Knows How Many, now at Southwark Playhouse.
‘Strangely wonderful & wonderfully strange’: PEOPLE SHOW 137 – Southwark Playhouse ★★★★
Strangely wonderful and wonderfully strange. That’s the only way to sum up People Show 137. Basically, two old blokes, aided and abetted by some other old blokes, a chanteuse puppet, and the legs of three can-can dancers, are in a French café where the single croissant has been dusted, ready for sale.
Text of the Day: You Stupid Darkness!
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
‘The cast all give strong performances’: COPS – Southwark Playhouse
Beautifully evoking the late 1950s, there are lots of interesting ingredients in Cops and the successful laugh out loud moments are satisfying.
‘The intimate space brings the audience into the play’: COPS – Southwark Playhouse
With racial tensions high, Mob rule rife and the corruption inside the police force ever-present, we embark on what appears to be the downfall of a section of the Mob.
PHOTOS & VIDEO: What can you expect from People Show 137? God Knows…
More than 50 years after they were founded in a Soho basement, the UK’s longest-running alternative theatre company, People Show, bring their latest devised piece to London. What can you expect from? Check out production photos and show trailer for a taster – and then get booking!
‘Funny, haunting, moving & strangely uplifting’: YOU STUPID DARKNESS! – Southwark Playhouse ★★★★
Given everything that is going on in the world politically and environmentally You Stupid Darkness! feels like it has captured the mood, the battle to stay cheerful and hopeful when everything feels like it is falling apart.
Andrew Finnigan, Lydia Larson, Andy Rush and Jenni Maitland in You Stupid Darkne…
‘Never really catches fire’: YOU STUPID DARKNESS! – Southwark Playhouse
A new play about optimism, You Stupid Darkness! is compassionate in conception, but repetitive and frustrating in performance.
‘Delicate but delicious’: YOU STUPID DARKNESS! – Southwark Playhouse
With its focus on the small things, Sam Steiner’s play You Stupid Darkness! is a delicate but delicious thing at the Southwark Playhouse.
NEWS: UK’s longest-running alternative theatre company brings People Show 137 to Southwark
Ahead of a short tour, pioneering theatremakers People Show bring their latest devised creation People Show 137: God Knows How Many to London’s Southwark Playhouse for a limited season from 5 to 29 February 2020, with a press night on 7 February.
FIRST-LOOK: Arresting production photos & trailer for new 1950s-set police drama COPS
We need to take a trip down to the station. Check out our gallery of production photos and trailer for the world premiere of Tony Tortora’s COPS, set in a Chicago police precinct office in 1957. It’s just opened at Southwark Warehouse, where it’s running until 1 February 2020 only. Time to get booking!
Watch COPS’s post-show Q&A: How does a new play feel like a finely minted period revival?
To me, COPS, set in 1950s Chicago, comes across as so authentically period that it feels like it must be a finely minted revival. But it’s not: it’s a new play. Even more surprising then that it’s written by an author I’d never heard of before.
‘My desire is to rise against the odds in a racist justice system’: Daniel Francis on his role in the premiere of COPS
After his screen success in US fantasy series Once Upon a Time, London-born Daniel Francis returns to the UK stage to play an American detective in new 1950s-set play COPS at Southwark Playhouse. He told us more about what attracted him to the play. Time to get booking!
REHEARSAL PHOTOS: Behind the scenes with the Cops fighting the mob at Southwark Playhouse
You may have been munching mince pies over the holidays, but the police were working hard… including at London’s Southwark Playhouse where director Andy Jordan has been preparing his four-strong cast of COPS for their UK premiere. Check out our gallery of rehearsal photos – including an astonishingly adorable puppy! – and then get booking!
Ought To Be Clowns’ 10 favourite shows of 2019
Ought To Be Clowns barely saw 250 shows this year, quiet by his standards. And as is the way of these things, here’s a rundown of some of the productions that moved me most…
Mob violence, mass consumerism & the arrival of Elvis: Andy Jordan on directing 1950s-set Cops
In Cops, written by ex American serviceman Tony Tortura, four policemen of different ages, classes and races in 1957 Chicago must work together to thwart the Mob. British director and producer Andy Jordan explains what drew him to the piece, which starts performances at London’s Southwark Playhouse on 15 January 2020…