News in brief
Below are some shorter news items we've covered recently.
Check here for longer news stories.
A Midsummer Night's Dream from Persever Productions
Monday 23 August 2021
Persever Productions and Drama Studio London, in a new partnership, are bringing a 60 minute version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream to Walpole Park in Ealing over the bank holiday weekend, from 27 to 30 August.
A company of professional actors, students and recent graduates from Drama Studio London will transport you to an enchanted Athenian Forest for a story of confusion and chaos, madness and mirth.
Book tickets here.
The Browning Version at Riverside Studios
Monday 21 June 2021
Terence Rattigan's The Browning Version will be at Riverside Studios from 5 to 29 August directed by Kenneth Branagh.
The production features an all-RADA graduate cast with Kenneth Branagh playing Andrew Crocker-Harris.
He's joined by graduates Kemi Awoderu (as Taplow), Joseph Kloska (Frank Hunter), Lolita Chakrabarti (Millie Crocker-Harris), Wendy Kweh (Dr Frobisher), Victor Alli (Peter Gilbert) and Sarah Eve (Mrs Gilbert).
Tickets are now on general release and the show will be supporting RADA.
Book here.
Blithe Spirit heads to Harold Pinter Theatre
Friday 28 May 2021
Jennifer Saunders will be back this September as Madame Arcati in Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit.
The play, directed by Richard Eyre, had been (briefly) at the Duke of York's Theatre last year before falling victim to theatre closures due to the coronavirus edpidemic.
This time round, the show is destined for the Hariold Pinter Thatre playing from 16 September to 6 November.
Our full listing, with link to book tickets, .
The Mirror and the Light - booking open
Thursday 27 May 2021
The final chapter of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall Trilogy is due at the Gielgud Theatre from 23 September 2021.
The Mirror and the Light is adapted by Hilary Mantel and Ben Miles, and direction is from Jeremy Herrin with design from Christopher Oram.
The show is produced by Playful Productions and the RSC.
Public booking is now open with tickets starting from £17.50.
Book here.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON! - LIVE AT THE PALACE THEATRE
Wednesday 26 May 2021
If you've missed your fix of top-notch musicals over the past year while theatres have been closed, there's a chance to rectify that on Sunday 6 June.
Theatre Support Fund+, the team behind 'The Show Must Go On!' campaign and MZG Theatre Productions are presentinge 18 West End shows and an all-star musical theatre cast coming together for a one-off concert in the biggest West End celebration in THE SHOW MUST GO ON! LIVE AT THE PALACE THEATRE.
The live shows (running from 2 to 6 June) are now all but sold-out, but there's also chance to catch the show from the comfort of your own living room - or wherever you prefer to watch your online entertainment.
On Sunday 6th June at 7pm you'll be able to tune-in to The Show Must Go On! Live for free thanks to the broadcasting efforts of National Theatre Live.
The Theatre Support fund+ has raised over £900,000 for theatre charities from their renowned 'The Show Must Go On!' campaign - which you can still find here.
Though the online version of THE SHOW MUST GO ON! LIVE is essentially free, you can also make a donation to help provide financial assistance across the UK to theatre workers in need.
More detailsof the online show and a trailer .
World Theatre Day 2021
Friday 26 March 2021
This year's World Theatre Day is on Saturday 27 March 2021.
Image courtesy International Theatre Institute
World Theatre Day was started in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute ITI and is celebrated every year on the 27th March by ITI Centres and the international theatre community.
Various national and international theatre events are organized to mark this occasion and you can find this year's programme here.
One of the most important aspects of the celebrations is the World Theatre Day Message through which, at the invitation of ITI, a figure of world stature shares his or her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace.
The first World Theatre Day Message was written by Jean Cocteau in 1962 and this year's message is by Dame Helen Mirren ...
"This has been such a very difficult time for live performance and many artists, technicians and craftsmen and women have struggled in a profession that is already fraught with insecurity.
Maybe that always present insecurity has made them more able to survive this pandemic with wit and courage.
Their imagination has already translated itself, in these new circumstances, into inventive, entertaining and moving ways to communicate, thanks of course in large part to the internet.
Human beings have told each other stories for as long as they have been on the planet.
The beautiful culture of theatre will live for as long as we stay here.
The creative urge of writers, designers, dancers, singers, actors, musicians, directors, will never be suffocated and in the very near future will flourish again with a new energy and a new understanding of the world we all share.
I can't wait!"
There's more information on the World Theatre Day website.
monolog 4 (online) from Chickenshed
Friday 12 February 2021
Image courtesy Chickenshed
Chickenshed is switching this year to online performances for its fourth collection of monologues entitled monolog 4 (online).
The plays are drawn from a diverse range of people and voices to provide a uniquely varied programme, that once again demonstrates the versatility of this simple, yet immensely powerful theatrical form.
This year's monologues are bundled into two online shows so you can choose to watch either or both groups of plays.
Group A plays comprise ...
Just Imagine by Sara Chernaik
Gin Sisters by Cathy Jansen-Ridings
Neighbourhood Watch by Matthew Patenall & Gill Patenall
The State of the Artist by Sebastian Ross
Group B plays include ...
The Sleep Stealers by Hannah Smith
Whatever Happened to Abigail Winters? by Sophie White
Come Closer by Rebecca Hardy
Metamorphosis by Lucy Dobson
The online shows are available for £5 and the performances last around 1 hour per group - available until 20 February 2021.
More information and booking available here.
Nimax announces closures
Tuesday 15 December 2020
Nimax Theatres has announced closure of all its venues from 16 December 2020 to 8 January 2021 owing to London being put into tier 3 restrictions to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
Nimax operates 6 theatres in the West End:
Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue
Duchess Theatre, Catherine Street
Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road
Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue
Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue
Vaudeville Theatre, Strand
If you hold tickets for any of the shows which were due during the dates above, the ticketing team will be in touch with you about your booking.
Dick Whittington streaming free
Thursday 10 December 2020
It's been a difficult year for panto, with many theatres in London and across the UK having to cancel their planned festive productions.
Image courtesy National Theatre
However, panto is heading to the National Theatre's newly transformed Olivier Theatre from 11 December to 23 January.
Originally commissioned by the Lyric Theatre Hammermsith, Ned Bennett directs this new version of the classic tale which has been specially updated for 2020 by Jude Christian and Cariad Lloyd.
Though some performances are already sold out, there are still tickets to be snapped up - with Friday Rush tickets at £10 and standard prices starting at £20, but all tickets must be booked online.
There's also some welcome news for those who can't make it in person as the National be streaming the show for FREE from 3pm on 23 December to midnight on 27 December on the .
So, while the UK covid restrictions ease over Christmas, you'll be able to get some of the special magic that is panto.
Dick Whittington at the National
Friday 23 October 2020
Pantos are rather thin on the ground this year, but the National Theatre is bringing the genre to its trasnformed Olivier stage in the guise of Dick Whittington (a version originally commissioned by the Lyric Hammersmith).
Updated for 2020 by Jude Christian and Cariad Lloyd, Ned Bennett directs the production which will run from 11 December to 23 January.
Public booking opens on Wednesday 4 November, at noon.
The National's Dick Whittington page is here.
Image courtesy National Theatre
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