Ramps on the Moon’s Village Idiot at Theatre Royal Stratford East is entertaining in many ways but it does need to tone down the crudeness a tad to make more of an emotional impact – despite the wonderful way in which the characters have been written and the way in which the story has been framed.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: The Wonderful World of Dissocia at Theatre Royal Stratford East
Love London Love Culture’s Emma Clarendon takes a closer look at what critics have been saying about Emma Baggott’s production of Anthony Neilson’s play The Wonderful World of Dissocia at Theatre Royal Stratford East.
‘Inspiring, empowering & uplifting musical’: Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World – Touring
Kate Pankhurst’s best-selling picture book Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World is filled with fascinating facts about some of the amazing women who have changed the course of history. And it’s now been adapted into a musical by a creative team of wonderful women.
‘Lyndsey Turner’s production is expertly crafted’: AFTER THE END – Theatre Royal Stratford East
Dennis Kelly’s 2005 play After The End is set inside a nuclear fallout shelter, so it is not surprising that it deals with situations beyond the boundaries of what passes for normality.
‘A truly troubling scenario emerges with a horrific imbalance of power’: AFTER THE END – Theatre Royal Stratford East
With all its effortful but pointless violence, Dennis Kelly’s After the End leaves me cold at the Theatre Royal Stratford East.
As more West End shows have to cancel shows, industry figures respond to ‘inadequate’ Government insurance scheme
Though theatres are now operating at full capacity (if they choose to) — and audiences are wearing masks only if they choose to, as well — there is a great deal of uncertainty, as performances are being routinely suspended at the very last minute if a cast member proves positive or has come into contact with someone who has.
As restrictions lift, Mark Shenton offers a comprehensive update on opening nights in London & across the UK
This weekly column keeps track of the shows that are coming back, or are newly being announced, as theatres start reopening from tonight (17 May) in London and at other theatres in the UK.
NEWS: Clint Dyer is appointed deputy artistic director of the National Theatre
The National Theatre has announced that Clint Dyer has been appointed deputy artistic director. He will work closely with Rufus Norris, director and joint chief executive, and Emily McLaughlin, director of new work, to support and shape the NT’s creative output.
NEWS: We round up the response to the latest tranche of Culture Recovery Fund grants awarded by the Government
More than 1,300 arts and cultural organisations have benefited from a share of £257 million as part of a vital financial boost from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
‘A thoroughly sobering piece of work’: NO MASKS (Online review)
Back in April, part of Theatre Royal Stratford East’s response to the pandemic was to create a new type of project. They put out a call to key workers in the local community to share their stories via a video wall. Out of some of these writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz and director Nadia Fall have created a series of imagined monologues which have been filmed as No Masks.
NEWS: Hackney Empire, Lyric Hammersmith , Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch & Theatre Royal Stratford East postpone their 2020 pantos
Hackney Empire, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Theatre Royal Stratford East will be postponing their 2020 pantomimes by a year due to the continued uncertainty of government guidelines for restarting public performances.
NEWS: Designers launch #MissingLiveTheatre across the UK & Ireland
In collaboration with theatres across the UK, #scenechange – a community for stage designers taking action for theatre – has launched #MissingLiveTheatre, wrapping theatre buildings in a positive message of hope and visibility to the industry.
‘Refreshingly unapologetic’: REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL – Graeae (Online review)
As an artist, Ian Dury is unique in the annals of British rock music. Contracting polio at the age of seven (which resulted in the paralysis of his left leg, shoulder and arm), Dury didn’t let this stop him from becoming an accomplished musician.
Text of the Day: I Think We Are Alone
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
NEWS: Winners of the 10th anniversary Offies 2020 Awards are announced
Winners of the Offies 2020 Awards, held at Battersea Arts Centre, have been announced. It was the tenth anniversary year of the awards presented by Off West End.
‘Has a strong emotional integrity’: I THINK WE ARE ALONE – Theatre Royal Stratford East & Touring
Frantic Assembly’s new show I Think We Are Alone is thematically coherent, but the writing is too explicit and the staging too static.
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.
‘Will surely soon be a contemporary classic’: THE GIFT – Theatre Royal Stratford East & Touring
New touring play The Gift from Eclipse is a wonderfully complex and emotionally powerful account of race and Empire.
NEWS: The Stage Awards 2020 shortlist is announced
The production team that ensured the show could go on after part of a West End theatre ceiling collapsed and the revival of much-loved pop magazine Smash Hits are among the nominees for The Stage Awards 2020.
‘Ned Bennett’s direction is another star of the show’: EQUUS – West End
Ned Bennett’s direction is another star of the show; the relationship between Ira Mandela Siobhan as Nugget, a Chestnut horse who has a close relationship with Strang, is stunning.