Don't bother, they're here
One of the joys of seeing so much theatre in London is that sense of seeing any number of actors at the beginning of their careers and Tristram Kenton has been doing that for years now. Here’s just some of those big names as whippersnappers on the British stage:
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/gallery/2020/nov/11/before-they-were-famous-stars-tristram-kenton-at-the-guardian-in-pictures
Tackling the constraints of the pandemic in its own way, Simon Annand’s fantastic new book of photos Time To Act has launched a virtual exhibition of some of the photographs which has now been extended to until Christmas. It’s an ingenious way of sharing some of the hundreds of images from the book and should surely whet the appetite for either just buying it now or putting on your list for Santa to collect soon.
Just a quick flag-up for this brilliant visual project from photographer Helen Murray. Her set of portraits entitled Widening the Lens is in partnership with Act for Change. So many absolute faves looking stunning here: see the whole set on Murray’s website.
“Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the fool no where but in’s own house.”
Like all right-minded people, I was particularly gutted to be missing Daddy at the Almeida Theatre due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. Jeremy O Harris’ play made waves in New York last year and was a hotly anticipated arrival. If you so desire, you can read any number of reviews from the USA but I am reliably informed that it’s best to go in as blind as possible which is what I still intend to do. But to wet your whistle in an approrpriate way, keep on reading.
Best Actor in a New Production of a Musical
Andrew Polec, Bat Out of Hell, London Coliseum
John McCrea, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Sheffield Crucible
John Partridge, La Cage Aux Folles, UK Tour
Jon Robyns, The Wedding Singer, UK Tour
Michael C. Hall, Lazarus, King’s Cross Theatre
Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris, Dominion Theatre
Best Actor in a New Production of a Play
Andrew Scott, Hamlet, Almeida Theatre
Arinzé Kene, One Night in Miami…, Donmar Warehouse
Brendan Cowell, Life of Galileo, Young Vic
Conleth Hill, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Harold Pinter Theatre
Lucian Msamati, Amadeus, National Theatre
Nicholas Woodeson, Death of a Salesman, UK Tour Continue reading “2017 BroadwayWorld UK Awards Shortlist”
The UK Theatre Awards are the only nationwide Awards to honour and celebrate outstanding achievements in regional theatre throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and they have just announced the nominations for the 2017 awards, the results of which will be revealed at a ceremony on Sunday 15th October.
How many of these did you see, and who do you think should win?
Best new play
Half Breed by Tash Marshall, Talawa Theatre Company and Soho Theatre
Narvik by Lizzie Nunnery, Box of Tricks
Wish List by Katherine Soper, Royal Court and Royal Exchange Theatre
Best musical production
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Sheffield Theatres
Caroline, Or Change, Chichester Festival Theatre
Sweet Charity, Royal Exchange Theatre Continue reading “Nominations for the 2017 UK Theatre Awards”
“Oh please, Mother, make it stop! It’s hurting.”
The Exorcist will be unleashed onto the West End stage for the very first time in a uniquely theatrical experience directed by Sean Mathias and adapted for the stage by John Pielmeier.
The Exorcist will play a strictly limited run at the Phoenix Theatre from 20 October 2017 to 10 March 2018. Tickets will go on general sale at 4pm today.
Continue reading “Round-up of news, treats and other interesting things”
Booking an interactive show in which we the audience get to play the role of the jury?
Using a gimmick to cover the business of reviewing the play….?
Tony Award winner Jessie Mueller, Tony nominee Joshua Henry, and Grammy-winning opera star Renée Fleming will headline a Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. The production, helmed by Tony winner and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory director Jack O’Brien, is scheduled to begin performances Friday, March 23, 2018 at a theatre to be announced.
Mueller, a Tony winner for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and recent star of Waitress, will take on the role of Julie Jordan, with Henry—currently playing Aaron Burr in the touring company of Hamilton—as Billy Bigelow. Fleming will play Nettie Fowler; the Grammy-winning soprano can be seen on the Metropolitan Opera stage this season in Der Rosenkavalier—a production that is said to mark her retirement from her traditional operatic repertoire.
The revival, produced by Scott Rudin and Roy Furman, will feature Amar Ramasar and Brittany Pollack—both of the New York City Ballet—as Jigger and Louise, respectively. New York City Ballet’s Justin Peck will choreograph the new staging on the 1945 musical. The resident choreographer promises “an even more dance-and-movement-focused production.”
Continue reading “Round-up of (international) news and treats and other interesting things”
| Winner | Runner-up | Other nominees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Actress in a Play | Juliet Stevenson/Lia Williams, Mary Stuart | Uzo Aduba/Zawe Ashton, The Maids | Gemma Arterton Nell Gwynn, Linda Bassett, Escaped Alone Helen McCrory, The Deep Blue Sea Maxine Peake, A Streetcar Named Desire Harriet Walter, The Tempest |
| Best Actor in a Play | O-T Fagbenle, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Lucian Msamati, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Phil Dunster, Pink Mist Paapa Essiedu, Hamlet Rhys Isaac-Jones, Jess and Joe Forever Lucian Msamati, Amadeus Danny Sapani, Les Blancs |
| Best Supporting Actress in a Play | Jade Anouka, The Tempest | Lizzy Connolly/Amanda Lawrence, Once in a Lifetime | Nadine Marshall, Father Comes Home From The War (Parts 1, 2, and 3) Tanya Moodie, Hamlet Siân Phillips, Les Blancs Rachael Stirling, The Winter's Tale Susan Wokoma, A Raisin In The Sun |
| Best Supporting Actor in a Play | Peter Polycarpou, Scenes from 68* Years | Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | Rudi Dharmalingham, Mary Stuart Dex Lee, Father Comes Home From The War (Parts 1, 2, and 3) Nick Fletcher, The Deep Blue Sea Jonjo O'Neill, Unreachable Alan Williams, Mary Stuart |
| Best Actress in a Musical | Jenna Russell, Grey Gardens | Clare Burt, Flowers for Mrs Harris | Samantha Barks, The Last 5 Years Glenn Close, Sunset Boulevard Kaisa Hammarlund, Sweet Charity Cassidy Janson, Beautiful Landi Oshinowo, I'm Getting My Act Together... |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Louis Maskell, The Grinning Man | Ako Mitchell, Ragtime | Declan Bennett, Jesus Christ Superstar Dex Lee, Grease Hugh Maynard, Sweeney Todd Charlie Stemp, Half A Sixpence Mark Umbers, She Loves Me |
| Best Supporting Actress in a Musical | Jennifer Saayeng, Ragtime | Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Murder Ballad | Josie Benson, Sweet Charity Sheila Hancock, Grey Gardens Rachel John, The Bodyguard Katherine Kingsley, She Loves Me Gloria Onitiri, The Grinning Man |
| Best Supporting Actor in a Musical | Julian Bleach, The Grinning Man | Tyrone Huntley, Jesus Christ Superstar | Adam J Bernard, Dreamgirls Daniel Crossley, Sweet Charity Stuart Neal, The Grinning Man Dominic Tighe, She Loves Me Gary Tushaw, Ragtime |
