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Casting news for April

A round-up of April casting news from around the country including Theatre Royal Bath’s Into the Woods, a tour of Twopence To Cross The Mersey and Curve Leicester’s revival of Billy Elliot the Musical

Scenario Two and Theatre Royal Bath Productions have announced the cast of Into the Woods, the legendary Stephen Sondheim musical, with book by James Lapine, as it prepares to bring the fantastical story to life in a brand-new production which opens from 19 August 2022.

Gillian Bevan as Jack’s Mother, Julian Bleach as Mysterious Man, Audrey Brisson as Cinderella, Nathanael Campbell as Wolf/ Prince, Maria Conneely as Rapunzel, Lauren Conroy as Little Red Riding Hood, Phoebe Fildes as Lucinda, Samuel Holmes as Steward, Nicola Hughes as Witch, Charlotte Jaconelli as Florinda, Henry Jenkinson as Prince, Rhashan Stone as Baker, Barney Wilkinson as Jack and Alex Young as Baker’s Wife. Continue reading “Casting news for April”

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Review: Scandaltown, Lyric Hammersmith

Mike Bartlett’s third concurrent London opening is the silly, superficial and entertaining Scandaltown at the Lyric Hammersmith

“The world is a terrible place, full of evil people like Andrew Neil”

Does theatre always have to be so deep and meaningful? Can we just sometimes get a bit of beautifully designed frivolity that we need to chew over on the way home? That most prolific of writers right now Mike Bartlett might seem to think so as Scandaltown – his third show to open in London in recent weeks – suggests, embracing the silliness.

Toying with form once again as he likes to do, this show sees him transplant the world of Restoration comedy into the 21st century. And he lines up a series of targets – societal hypocrisy whether in the media or politics, generational gaps in attitude and empathy, obsession with media in all forms – which he hits with a gently satirical bent in Rachel O’Riordan’s entertaining production. Continue reading “Review: Scandaltown, Lyric Hammersmith”

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Photo teasers for Cock, Scandaltown and Get Up, Stand Up!

Some photos to whet your appetite for Mike Bartlett’s double penetration in London and a notable cast change in Get Up, Stand Up!

© Brinkhoff/Möegenburg

Though the news has been dominated by the chaotic first preview, production photographs of Taron Egerton, Jonathan Bailey, Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels in Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre – Mike Bartlett’s Olivier award winning play about love and identity have been released to whet your appetite even further. Continue reading “Photo teasers for Cock, Scandaltown and Get Up, Stand Up!”

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News: Casting announced for Mike Bartlett’s new comedy Scandaltown

Full casting has been announced today for Scandaltown, a brand new comedy by Mike Bartlett (Doctor Foster, King Charles III) directed by the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan (Olivier Award winning Killology). The world premiere production runs at the West London venue from 07 April to 14 May with opening night for press on 14 April. Tickets are on sale at www.lyric.co.uk

Scandaltown is a modern restoration comedy and irreverent satire, set in post-pandemic London, full of immorality, political hypocrisy and the machinations of a fame-hungry elite. It brings together a 12-strong cast including Rachael Stirling (The Bletchley Circle; Love, Love, Love – Lyric Hammersmith Theatre) as Lady Susan Climber, Richard Goulding (The Windsors, King Charles III) as Matt Eton and Emma Cunniffe (Queen Anne – RSC) as Aunty Julie and Rachel De Souza. Also confirmed are Cecilia Appiah (The Long Song – CFT) as Phoebe Virtue, Matthew Broome as Jack Virtue in his stage debut, Henry Everett (Antony and Cleopatra – National Theatre, The Memory of Water – Hampstead) as Peter Media OBE, Luke Hornsby (1917, Harlots) as Freddie Peripheral, Thomas Josling (Habeas Corpus – Menier) as Tom Double-Budget, Aysha Kala (BAFTA Breakthrough Brit, The Welkin – National Theatre) as Hannah Tweetwell, Annette McLaughlin (Matilda, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child) as Rosalind Double-Budget and Scrub, Ami Okumura Jones (EastEnders, Wendy & Peter Pan – Leeds Playhouse) as Jenny Bright, and Chukwuma Omambala (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hecuba – RSC) as Sir Dennis Hedge and Kevin the Postman. Continue reading “News: Casting announced for Mike Bartlett’s new comedy Scandaltown”

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Late summer casting news

Vivienne Acheampong, Adelayo Adedayo, Ray Emmet Brown, Ernest Kingsley Jnr, Tamara Lawrance, Rudolphe Mdlongwa, Mark Monero and Cecilia Noble have been cast in the UK premiere of Is God Is written by Aleshea Harris and directed by Royal Court Associate Director Ola Ince. 

Is God Is by Aleshea Harris will run in the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs from Friday 10 September 2021 – Saturday 23 October 2021 with press night on Thursday 16 September 2021, 7.30pm.

With set design by Chloe Lamford, costume design by Natalie Pryce, lighting design by Simisola Lucia Majekodumni, composition by Renell Shaw, sound design by Max Perryment, movement direction from Imogen Knight, choreography by Jordan ‘JFunk’ Franklin and special effects design by Susanna Peretz. The associate designer is Shankho Chaudhuri, the assistant director is Leian John-Baptiste, the dialect coach is Dawn-Elin Fraser and the fight director is Philip D’Orléans. Continue reading “Late summer casting news”

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News: the Mono Box presents Reset the Stage

The Mono Box is delighted to announce RESET THE STAGE, a collection of 7 filmed monologues written by 7 emerging, ethnically diverse writers performed by established actors on the empty stages of 7 London theatres in lockdown will stream live online on Thursday 17th June at 7.30pm.

This series of short films featuring actors Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Star Wars: Rogue One, Sex Education), Ken Nwosu (Killing Eve, Sticks & Stones) and Danny Kirrane (Don’t Forget the Driver, Peterloo) The evening will be introduced by Patrons of The Mono Box, Sir Derek Jacobi, Youssef Kerkour, Susan Wokoma and James Norton. All ticket sales will raise money for the continual work of the company nurturing and providing opportunities to emerging theatre talent.  Continue reading “News: the Mono Box presents Reset the Stage”

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News, such theatre news!

It’s so exciting to have an inbox full of theatre announcements – here’s a recap of some of the ones that are most piquing my interest at the moment

The Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield and The Dukes, Lancaster announce the full cast of their digital co-production of The Importance of Being Earnest by Yasmeen Khan.

The full cast is Gurjeet Singh (Ackley Bridge, Wuthering Heights), Tom Dixon (Twelfth Night, Romeo & Juliet), Mina Anwar (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, The Thin Blue Line), Nikki Patel (Trojan Horse, Coronation Street), Zoe Iqbal (Finding Fatimah, Ackley Bridge) and Melanie Marshall (Jane Eyre); with appearances from finalist of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Divina De Campo, star of stage and screen Paul Chahidi, award-winning actor, comedian and writer Hugh Dennis, actress Harriet Thorpe (Absolutely Fabulous) and  comedian Sindhu Vee. Continue reading “News, such theatre news!”

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News: the Lyric Hammersmith add A Doll’s House to the streaming collection

A free screening of the critically acclaimed A Doll’s House, adapted by the award winning Tanika Gupta and directed by Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan will be available for one day only via the Lyric’s YouTube from 2.30pm until midnight on Wednesday 20 May, 2020.

Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan said:

‘A Doll’s House was the first production I programmed and directed as the new Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, it embodies everything I want the Lyric to be for our audience – world-class theatre, a reimagined classic text, showcasing exceptional talent and celebrating our 125 year old theatre. I’m delighted that we’re able to share this recording for free so that more people can enjoy this production within our beautiful theatre. Alongside our work onstage at the heart of the Lyric is supporting emerging talent from all backgrounds and I’m very much looking forward to personally hosting a series of masterclasses to continue this engagement and support.’

A Doll’s House opened at the Lyric in September 2019, the production was filmed at the end of the run and will be available for one day only from 2.30pm until midnight on Wednesday 20 May on the Lyric’s YouTube channel. Continue reading “News: the Lyric Hammersmith add A Doll’s House to the streaming collection”

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News: Lockdown Theatre Festival brings four cancelled shows to radio

Plays by writers including Mike Bartlett and EV Crowe that were forced to close early because of the pandemic will be revived on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4 as part of a festival created by actor Bertie Carvel.

Lockdown Theatre Festival will feature actors including Katherine Parkinson, Rachael Stirling and Nicholas Burns, who will record their lines in isolation, to reimagine their performances for specially created radio versions of the plays.

The plays, which will be broadcast on June 13 and 14, are: The Mikvah Project by Josh Azouz, which had been running at the Orange Tree Theatre, the Lyric Hammermith Theatre’s Love Love Love by Bartlett, Winsome Pinnock’s Rockets and Blue Lights, from the Royal Exchange in Manchester, and Crowe’s Shoe Lady, which was being staged by the Royal Court in London. Continue reading “News: Lockdown Theatre Festival brings four cancelled shows to radio”